Just wondering if anyone has any experience with this PCB layout program. It looks like it has been around for a long time but a search of this forum didn't turn up much information about it.
AutoTRAX DEX-PCB Designer
It seems to be a capable application so I'm curious as to why someone might have tried it but decided not to use it.
AutoTRAX DEX-PCB Designer
It seems to be a capable application so I'm curious as to why someone might have tried it but decided not to use it.
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AutoTrax was originally the name for Protel's PCB editor. If you're up for some nostalgia, try running AutoTrax under a DOS emulator, such as DOSBox. It's free!
Protel Autotrax - low cost PCB CAD
I grew up with this stuff. For the longest time I rarely touched the mouse under Windows versions of Protel, as my original DOS machines had no mouse, so _everything_ was done by the keyboard. Want to place a track - PT does that. PS Place String, PV Place Via. EMG edits polygon pours, etc etc. It's mostly muscle memory. You move around with the cursor keys - arrows move one grid position, numeric keypad moves ten. + and - (numeric pad) changes layers, page up and page down zooms in and out. Once you got the hang of it, you could build boards _fast_.
What made that technique painful was mixed technology boards. DIP was fine - 50 mil grid, pads on 100 mil centres. SOIC just halved that, with 50 mil pitch and 25 mil grid. Then you put a component on with 2mm pitch, and everything falls to pieces. That's why they invented mice, I think.
Protel Autotrax - low cost PCB CAD
I grew up with this stuff. For the longest time I rarely touched the mouse under Windows versions of Protel, as my original DOS machines had no mouse, so _everything_ was done by the keyboard. Want to place a track - PT does that. PS Place String, PV Place Via. EMG edits polygon pours, etc etc. It's mostly muscle memory. You move around with the cursor keys - arrows move one grid position, numeric keypad moves ten. + and - (numeric pad) changes layers, page up and page down zooms in and out. Once you got the hang of it, you could build boards _fast_.
What made that technique painful was mixed technology boards. DIP was fine - 50 mil grid, pads on 100 mil centres. SOIC just halved that, with 50 mil pitch and 25 mil grid. Then you put a component on with 2mm pitch, and everything falls to pieces. That's why they invented mice, I think.
Ah, yes, the transition from DOS to Windows. I was a little stubborn in the beginning until I realized that resistance was futile.
The advertisement for the current Windows version of DEX-PCB is full of hyperbole so if it is as good as they say I was just curious as to why I never heard of it. I guess I could just install it and try it out. Or not.
The advertisement for the current Windows version of DEX-PCB is full of hyperbole so if it is as good as they say I was just curious as to why I never heard of it. I guess I could just install it and try it out. Or not.
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