What is the best PCB LAY OUT software?

Community PCB Design
19

The OP was apparently looking for professional software, and Eagle doesn’t really qualify. I can’t see someone using it for a multilayer PCB with large BGA parts (1000 balls), for instance. One major failing is that it doesn’t even have breakout tracks and vias, which save a phenomenal amount of time when routing that type of PCB. Professional packages create BGA footprints automatically, including the breakouts. Creating a 1000 pad PGA 10-layer footprint in Eagle would be extremely difficult. It’s also missing facilities for matched track lengths and differential pair track routing, essential for high-speed designs, and many other features such as embedded components, chip-on-board and distributed corporate parts databases.

Here are the features offered by Pulsonix PCB:

  • Design area up to 2.0 m by 2.0 m (78” by 78”)

  • Design in Imperial or Metric

  • Unlimited number of Layers

  • User defined layer types

  • Supports SMT, through-hole and mixed technologies

  • SMDs both sides of the board

  • Angles in degrees or radians

  • Integrated Schematics & PCB

  • Dynamic drag and drop

  • Wizards for:

  • Data Transfer

  • Footprint creation

  • Parts creation

  • Plotting and printing

  • Track/Via breakouts on footprints

  • Wire jumpers/jumper parts

  • Manual Placement ‘push’ and ‘return’ mode

  • Integrated Autoplace (with Autorouter package)

  • Keep in/out areas use in Autoplacement

  • Placement areas defined in Footprint

  • On-line Design Rules Checking (DRC)

  • On-line Display Clearances

  • Batch mode DRC

  • Design rule error browser

  • Manual Routing angle modes:

  • Free angled

  • 45 degree

  • Orthogonal

  • Curved

  • Manual Routing modes:

  • Auto Corner

  • Auto Mitre

  • Single track Auto Router

  • Integrated Auto Router (optional)

  • Keep In/Out areas on Autorouting

  • Teardrop support

  • Testpoint support by side/type

  • Blind and buried via support

  • Net Find, Highlight and select browser

  • Relative and Absolute coordinate system

  • Net Optimisation

  • Many Report outputs including Parts list & BOM

  • User definable report writer

  • Integrated Copper Pour with Hatching

  • Automatic component rename

  • Automatic Gate and Pin Swapping (with Autorouter package)

  • Dimensioning with Horizontal, Vertical, Free, Radial, Angular dimensions

  • Change Component on-the-fly

  • Single Shot Postprocessing

  • Gerber Photo-plotter to RS-274-D and

  • RS-274-X (extended aperture format)

  • ODB++ Format exporter

  • Automatic generation of power plane plots

  • Supports true split Power Planes

  • IPC 356 test outputWindows printer outputs

  • Plotting to HPGL plotters

  • Excellon NC Drill output and drill drawings

  • Plotting of solder masks, resist and other manufacturing plots

  • Integrated LPKF Interface

  • DXF Mechanical Design Input/Output

  • IDF Mechanical Design Input/Output

  • Import filters for designs and libraries for many other EDA products

  • Import Schematic Netlists from:

  • OrCAD DOS/Windows - Viewdraw

  • MultiSIM

  • Electronic Workbench/EWB Multisim

  • Ulticap

  • P-CAD

  • PADS

  • CADSTAR

  • ACCEL

    • EDIF 2.0.0 Links to external autorouters available

  • Library generator toolkit (optional)

  • Chip-on-board (COB) design suite (optional)

  • Die and Bond pad support

  • Independently floating bond pads on components

  • Bond Wire support

  • Insulated and Cross-over rules for bond wires

  • Min/Max bond wire length rules

  • Design rules checking for COB rules

  • Wire report output

  • Report maker output of COB entities

  • High-Speed design option (optional)

  • Embedded Component technology design option (optional)

  • Database Connection (optional)

  • Connection to corporate database

  • Industry-standard ODBC interface

  • Fully integrated into Schematic and PCB

I could also list the schematic entry features, but you should get the point. Other professional packages offer similar features.

Leon