05-05-2012, 01:15 PM
Twenty years after I chipped out cash for the DOS version of Easy PC I decided to upgrade to the Windows version 15, mainly due to the fact that I was starting to get back into knocking out PCBs for various radio projects and also the fact that my old DOS version no longer liked modern technology and operating systems. To say it was going a bit grey around the whiskers was an understatement, more like trying to jump start a corpse.
So what do you get for a princely sum of cash (and much cheaper than some offerings out there) other than a fancy D&T package. No.1 systems are currently bundling an auto trace package with the PCB / Schematic software which makes life somewhat easier. Maximum sized PCB you can knock out is approx 39 inches square which makes a wopper of a board. The library is generously supplied with pads and parts, but you also have the option of loading up the library editior and generating your own items if the library does not cover them. One omission in the library was the lack of a 2N3055, surprising, but fixable in the library editor software. I suspect that I'm going to be finding a lot of "missings" as I progress.
The software is backwards compatible with the previous DOS version which makes life easier. Keyboard commands can be switchable between old and new. I've attached a quick half hour knock up schematic to this post as an example of what can be done. I know there are freeware PCB packages out there, I've tried them but always come back to this package for its simplicity and ease of use.
Software will output to Windows printers or built in PDF software, handy for web publishing.
So what do you get for a princely sum of cash (and much cheaper than some offerings out there) other than a fancy D&T package. No.1 systems are currently bundling an auto trace package with the PCB / Schematic software which makes life somewhat easier. Maximum sized PCB you can knock out is approx 39 inches square which makes a wopper of a board. The library is generously supplied with pads and parts, but you also have the option of loading up the library editior and generating your own items if the library does not cover them. One omission in the library was the lack of a 2N3055, surprising, but fixable in the library editor software. I suspect that I'm going to be finding a lot of "missings" as I progress.
The software is backwards compatible with the previous DOS version which makes life easier. Keyboard commands can be switchable between old and new. I've attached a quick half hour knock up schematic to this post as an example of what can be done. I know there are freeware PCB packages out there, I've tried them but always come back to this package for its simplicity and ease of use.
Software will output to Windows printers or built in PDF software, handy for web publishing.
