Introduction to the latest five mainstream PCB design software

The choICe of PCB design software for beginners has always been a puzzling problem. Among the numerous and complicated PCB software, it is particularly important to recognize the mainstream software. This will help to save our time cost and selection cost. After all, each PCB design software has different operation interfaces, functional modules and focuses.

1、PowerPCB

PowerPCB and PowerLogic series software are circuit design automation software mainly promoted by Mentor Graphics of the United States, and are also one of the most widely used and excellent EDA software in the field of electronic engineering. PowerPCB is an excellent PCB design software. PowerLogic 5.0 and PowerPCB 5.0 are excellent EDA design software launched by Mentor Graphics. At present, they have become the leaders of many EDA design software and are loved by users.

2、Protel（Altium Designer）

The mainstream of low-end design in China is hardly used abroad. Easy to learn, suitable for beginners, easy to learn; It takes a lot of system resources and requires high computer configuration. There is a considerable MARKet for people using Protel in China. Altium Designer Winter 09 provides the only unified application solution, with all necessary technologies and functions required for integrated development of integrated electronic products. Altium Designer Winter 09 integrates board level and FPGA system design, embedded software development based on FPGA and discrete processors, and PCB layout design, editing and manufacturing in a single design environment. It also integrates modern design data management functions, making Altium Designer Winter 09 a complete solution for electronic product development - a solution that meets both current and future development needs.

3、CADence allegro

The PCB Layout tool is absolutely first-class. I don't want to use other tools after I am a little familiar with it. The wiring is very cool. The SIMulation is also very good, with its own simulation tools, signal integrity simulation, power integrity simulation can do. It firmly occupies the dominant position in making pcb high-speed boards. You should know that 60% of computer motherboards and 40% of mobile phone motherboards in the world are drawn by Allegro!

4、Mentor WG

It is slightly inferior to CADENCE, but it is also a top-level tool. It is aimed at high-end circuit design and has its own simulation tool. It's just that there are relatively few domestic supporters, not as many as Cadence. Now it should be changed to Mentor EE 2009.

Mentor WG is a PCB design tool of Mentor Graphics Company working on Windows NT/2000 platform. It covers the design process from design creation, layout to product processing, and enables designers to carry out schematic simulation, high-speed circuit analysis, board level thermal analysis, library development and management, etc.

5、PADS

The PADS software is also used by quite a few people. It is easy to use and easy to use. I feel that it is many times better than Protel. It is suitable for middle and low end design and can be calLED the king without crown in the low end. Now the most widely used EDA software in the market is suitable for the needs of most SMAll and medium-sized enterprises. It has no simulation. When making high-speed boards, other special simulation tools, such as Hyperlynx, should be used.

PADS software is the circuit schematic diagram and PCB design tool software of MentorGraphics. At present, this software is one of the circuit design software mainly used by domestic engineers and technicians engaged in circuit design, and is the most commonly used tool software for high-end PCB design users. As the mainstream PCB design platform in the industry, Mentor Graphics' PADS Layout/Router environment has been widely used in the most active industrial fields such as communication, semiconductor, consumer electronics, medical electronics, etc. due to its powerful interactive layout and routing function and easy learning and use. PADS Layout/Router supports a complete PCB design process, covering all functional requirements from schematic net list import, rule driven interactive layout and routing, DRC/DFT/DFM verification and analysis, to final production document (Gerber), assembly document and bill of materials (BOM) output, so as to ensure that PCB engineers can efficiently complete design tasks.

PCB design is an important part of the whole electronic manufacturing process, especially for the stability and reliability of PCBA processing. Among many PCB design software, the design concepts such as schematic diagram and circuit are roughly the same, but there are many differences in the interface. When we identify mainstream PCB design software, we should actually pay more attention to our own application needs, whether it is simple or robust. However, it would be a wise decision to make any choice among the above mainstream PCB design software.