PCB design software

[cjdawson]

for the last so many years I've been using PCB Wizard 3 for laying out PCB tracks for photo etching.   However it's very old isn't properly supported and every time I want to use it it's screwed up and needs work to make it run.   So it's beyond retirement time.

 

id like to be able to layout the tracks, and ideally simulate the circuit too.

does anyone know of some good software to use for this purpose?   Paid or unpaid, I'd prefer to use quality over cheap (although sometimes free is the best quality)

[Dr_Ju_ju]

depending on how large you want your PCB's to be ?

I use Eagle 7.6 in freeware mode (limits board size), which can be got from https://cadsoft.io 

[cjdawson]

Board size will be up to something like 10x10cm ish. I'm not talking about huge circuits, just hobby projects.

Just looked at the website, I think the 10*8 free edition should be good enough.

My immediate problem is that I want to make a circuit with a DB-9 pcb mount, a few fuses, 2 RCA Sockets, and a bunch of DC sockets.   The idea of using a PCB for this is that the whole project will end up smaller than my current implementation which it a little bit too big.

[weareborg]

There's also Kicad. It's totally free and you can have any board size.  Even has 3d viewer.  Takes some getting used to but there is plenty of support out there for it

[Stub Mandrel]

I use Eagle, but a lot of people use the free one from Radiospares - Designspark - but they have a CAD-like learning curve and I can't be bothered to change plus importing parts into Designspark nearly lost me the will to live.

Neil

[MarkyD]

Designspark from RS Components

No limitations, multi layers, exports to Gerber, Excellon, pdf, Windows printer.  You can create your own components or import them from the RS catalogue.  I've been using it for years.

Best thing about it is that it is FREE

https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/pcb-software

[Dave_D]

I use DesignSpark PCB

[Hicks]

Kicad used to be pretty terrible but over the last couple of years it's really come on. There's a lot of work going into it now (cern are involved I think?). I've been using it recently and would recommend at least giving it a go.

Other than that there's also diptrace and eagle.