THE FORUM HAS MOVED, VISIT US AT OUR NEW SITE www.picbasic.org. Access to this Archive is restricted. Visit the NEW site at www.picbasic.org. Unless you use the url http://www.picbasic.org you will not gain access to the support forum, wiki and knowledge base. Visit WWW.PICBASIC.ORG Do not try to log in or register here, use your keyboard and enter the url http://www.picbasic.org directly into your browser.

crankshaft · 14th December 2005, 12:28

OK, I am in no way associated with either of these, other than being a user for about a month now, and a Beta tester for Vcad, but I have to sing their praises.

TinyCad (http://tinycad.sourceforge.net/) is a schematic software, it is really easy to use and you don't even need to read the help file (or I did not anyway) - I was drawing diagrams within minutes of downloading it.

To compliment it, Roger Lascelles has developed Vcad (http://www.geocities.com/rogerlasau/VCad.html) which is a stripboard (veroboard) designer that can import netlists in Protel, Orcad & Wirelist formats which of course can be exported from TinyCad.

I have always resisted using software to draw my schematics, and have created my prototype boards on stripboard by simply dropping the major components onto the board and then adding the other components & links, track breaks etc, making lots of mistakes along the way.

With Vcad you can do this on the screen and I can testify that my stripboards are now more compact and tent to be less error prone by using Vcad. It also has a feature which allows you to check the netlist of your layout against the imported netlist and it will identify any pins which are wrongly connected or any links that are missing.

Roger has a lot of things planned for Vcad, Personally I am looking forward to being able to identify tracks / components / nets by colour, but this combination of software is well worth a look and it's free !!

With Vcad you do need to read the help file, but once you understand the concept it's really easy !

Crankshaft

fanie · 14th December 2005, 17:58

Hi Crankshaft,

Have a look at www.hutson.co.nz - I think you would be impressed with what you find here.

I have used about 50 different softwares and this one works for me. The software is not free, but very ! reasonably priced. I believe there are other forum users also using this already.

I also have a link on my web page you can look at for how-to's regarding this, www.faze.co.za. And no, I don't get anything for this.

crankshaft · 15th December 2005, 01:24

Hello Fanie;

Thanx for the link, I will try it out. I know there are quite a lot of schematic programs, I have tried a few too, but I don't believe there are many (only 3 I know of) Stripboard layout tools.

Do you know if it can export netlists in Protel or Orcad Formats ??

fanie · 15th December 2005, 02:01

Hi Crankshaft,

Before you spend a lot of money on Protel or Orcad have a look at Rimu PCB. It has some stunning functions. Also, Julian is currently upgrading the schematic program and adding an autorouter to the PCB prog. There was only one other PCB program beside Rimu I liked, but it's component editing function was a time killer so I dumped it. I have e-mailed Julian a couple of times and in some cases he added functionality which was great.

Play with it for a while and let me know, ok. Download is free...

crankshaft · 15th December 2005, 03:12

Hi again;

I am not going to purchase Orcad or Protel, but I was wondering whether Rimu has the ability to export it's netlists in Orcad or Protel format, as currently those are the netlist import formats supported by Vcad, but I understand that may change.

14th December 2005, 12:28	#1
crankshaft Licensed User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 948	Free Schematic & Stripboard Software OK, I am in no way associated with either of these, other than being a user for about a month now, and a Beta tester for Vcad, but I have to sing their praises. TinyCad (http://tinycad.sourceforge.net/) is a schematic software, it is really easy to use and you don't even need to read the help file (or I did not anyway) - I was drawing diagrams within minutes of downloading it. To compliment it, Roger Lascelles has developed Vcad (http://www.geocities.com/rogerlasau/VCad.html) which is a stripboard (veroboard) designer that can import netlists in Protel, Orcad & Wirelist formats which of course can be exported from TinyCad. I have always resisted using software to draw my schematics, and have created my prototype boards on stripboard by simply dropping the major components onto the board and then adding the other components & links, track breaks etc, making lots of mistakes along the way. With Vcad you can do this on the screen and I can testify that my stripboards are now more compact and tent to be less error prone by using Vcad. It also has a feature which allows you to check the netlist of your layout against the imported netlist and it will identify any pins which are wrongly connected or any links that are missing. Roger has a lot of things planned for Vcad, Personally I am looking forward to being able to identify tracks / components / nets by colour, but this combination of software is well worth a look and it's free !! With Vcad you do need to read the help file, but once you understand the concept it's really easy ! Crankshaft

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Stripboard (vero) design software	the.fox	The Lounge	24	29th August 2007 20:01
Free Amazing Software! :D	Cruster	The Lounge	19	14th September 2005 08:28
New User - First thoughts and interrupt problems	Chris Sims	Proton Plus v2.1.5.3 General Discussion	5	6th July 2005 16:30
Software Interupt when pin goes low?	Quickeye	Proton Plus Compiler v3	7	29th June 2005 22:27
UK firm patents software downloads	Lester	The Lounge	10	8th February 2005 19:19

14th December 2005, 17:58	#2
fanie Licensed User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Crime riddled ZA Posts: 7,495	Hi Crankshaft, Have a look at www.hutson.co.nz - I think you would be impressed with what you find here. I have used about 50 different softwares and this one works for me. The software is not free, but very ! reasonably priced. I believe there are other forum users also using this already. I also have a link on my web page you can look at for how-to's regarding this, www.faze.co.za. And no, I don't get anything for this.

15th December 2005, 01:24	#3
crankshaft Licensed User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 948	Hello Fanie; Thanx for the link, I will try it out. I know there are quite a lot of schematic programs, I have tried a few too, but I don't believe there are many (only 3 I know of) Stripboard layout tools. Do you know if it can export netlists in Protel or Orcad Formats ??

15th December 2005, 02:01	#4
fanie Licensed User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Crime riddled ZA Posts: 7,495	Hi Crankshaft, Before you spend a lot of money on Protel or Orcad have a look at Rimu PCB. It has some stunning functions. Also, Julian is currently upgrading the schematic program and adding an autorouter to the PCB prog. There was only one other PCB program beside Rimu I liked, but it's component editing function was a time killer so I dumped it. I have e-mailed Julian a couple of times and in some cases he added functionality which was great. Play with it for a while and let me know, ok. Download is free...

15th December 2005, 03:12	#5
crankshaft Licensed User Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Singapore Posts: 948	Hi again; I am not going to purchase Orcad or Protel, but I was wondering whether Rimu has the ability to export it's netlists in Orcad or Protel format, as currently those are the netlist import formats supported by Vcad, but I understand that may change.