I used the pcb express free tool for a while. Then I switched to kicad. It has a bit of a learning discipline (you cant layout unless you have drawn out the schematic first, etc.). My only complain about it is the component libraries suck. In each version they try fixing and it breaks the earlier version and makes it even worse.
I learn this useful tool from OM Bhatnagar, he is on this group.
On Fri 13 Nov, 2020, 6:46 PM Gerard, <kabupos@...> wrote:
Hello, Several decades ago, we made a PCB with a pen, then pellets and tape.Today we can make a nice PCB with software. I used simple free software, where you have to connect all the tracks manually and place the components yourself. That¡¯s what I used to feed my Ubitx power. Some software are only in demonstration and do not allow to print or save. With a little time, I focused on Kicad. It is true that this software is not constrained and it is free. At first, I thought it was fantastic software and making a pcb would be simple. So I watched several videos.... I thought we could have imported a diagram from a pdf for example, and not possible. So we have to recreate everything manually, the diagram, then choose the components. After that, it remains to create the PCB. I told myself, that with all the informations it will propose me one, that to rigor I could modify. No, there too none of that. You must also choose everything manually.? Only positive thing, you have a 3d view of your circuit.
I may be wrong, but I have this observation. What do you use to create your PCBs?
