What is Essential Basis of Choosing a PCB Software?

Our modern daily life can not be separated from electronic products, and electronic products can not be separated from the printed circuit board, so the printed circuit board is also known as “the mother of electronic system products”. So the development of PCB design work is of great significance to the development of entire electronic industry. While in the PCB design, it’s most important for designers to find their own suitable PCB design software.

Choose according to the project characteristics

Enterprise and large teams apply: Allegro Mentor, Graphic Expedition/Boardstation Cadence

The Expedition/Boardstation series is the mainstream enterprise-class PCB design process of MentorGraphics company. It emphasis on working together, enterprise information integration platform, the whole solutions from production to manufacturing. This ensures that a number of designers can achieve real-time collaborative design through the network, greatly improving the design efficiency. Allegro is Cadence company's mainstream PCB design software, provides the principle diagram input, SI/PI simulation and other functions, provides a better design environment in wiring layout.

Individuals and small groups apply: PADS series, Protel series

PADS series of MentorGraphics company as the low-end PCB tools with completed function and it is easy to learn and use. It can be extended from the most basic design input to high-end simulation design, which can meet the basic needs of small and medium sized companies. AD of Protel series is the mainstream of the domestic low-end design which is easy to learn and suitable for designers.

Choose according to the use of habits

For individuals, the choice of software is not particularly important, we can choose according to the corresponding characteristics of the project and habits. PCB design software is just a design tool, you can design most of the circuits as long as you can better use one of the softwares above.Only in combination with the design experience and their own habits, we can better use PCB software design.

Therefore, we should choose our own PCB software according to the characteristics of the project, while the combination of system theory and engineering practice is the most important thing.