John — DipTrace is my preferred CAD product I did purchase the 1000-hole version and I’ve done all of my 6502 boards with it, and I started re-doing the Altair32 front panel using it. I generally do the physical board layout with their PCB tool and mostly use their router, although I now use the PC/standalone version of FreeRouting for the whole routing and/or optimizing an existing layout. I have some libraries made for things I’ve used, like Commodore parts and certain connectors. Overall, I’m happy with the product. Rich -- Rich Cini Collector of Classic Computers Build Master and lead engineer, Altair32 Emulator From: John Monahan <mon...@vitasoft.org> Reply-To: S100-Post <n8vem...@googlegroups.com> Date: Sunday, June 22, 2014 at 6:41 PM To: S100-Post <n8vem...@googlegroups.com> Subject: [N8VEM-S100:4331] FreeRouter No longer available. Long term plans for Board layouts It looks like the http://www.freerouting.net/ web site for FreeRouter is no longer available! This leaves us with a big problem making PC boards with KiCad. (Fortunately I happen to have the PC version here for my own use), but it opens up a general question as to how we do PC boards (S100 and others) in the future. Personally I'm having a hard time getting things done with KiCad. The PCBNew program seems (to me) very "finicy" in making files for Freerouter. I'm wondering what other people think about a more "All-in-one" PC CAD program. I once used a program called DipTrace (they have a free version for up to 500 pins to try it out). See here http://diptrace.com/. The thing that impressed me was the speed in which it converted the schematic into an actual board file and Gurber files. There was only one program, one interface. Personally I would spring for paying for the 1000 pin commercial version (or heigher) , I and perhaps others, could run batches for others. The main issue is that for any program we would have to build a library for the S100 connector, board dimensions and presumably a number of other things. I would be interested in hearing comments by others on a way to proceed. Has anybody else used CAD programs they like. Anybody got experience with DipTrace John You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "N8VEM-S100" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to n8vem-s100+...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. |