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PCB CAD used and/or sold by HP ?

 

?
Some time ago I had a discussion with a friend over old times circuit board design.
He referred to where he worked where they used to do manual design using black tape and
transparent films. "The layouts were beautiful but difficult or even impossible to modify".?
?
Then "We got a CAD-system from HP" and it all changed.
?
I am unfamiliar with CAD-systems created by and/or sold by HP and what happened to that product.
Anyone that can shed some light?
?
Cheers
?
Ulf Kylenfall
SM6GXV
 

The system I remember from the early 1980’s was SCICARD from Scientific calculations. I think they were based somewhere near Rochester, NY.?
 

"Ulf Kylenfall via groups.io" <ulf_r_k@...> writes:


Some time ago I had a discussion with a friend over old times circuit board design.
He referred to where he worked where they used to do manual design using black tape and
transparent films. "The layouts were beautiful but difficult or even impossible to modify".

Then "We got a CAD-system from HP" and it all changed.

I am unfamiliar with CAD-systems created by and/or sold by HP and what happened to that product.
Anyone that can shed some light?
While working on emulating HP9000/300 i've read about "HP Engineering
Graphics System", but don't know how much use it had.
 



On Sunday, 30 March 2025, Ulf Kylenfall via <ulf_r_k=[email protected]> wrote:
> ?
> Some time ago I had a discussion with a friend over old times circuit board design.
> He referred to where he worked where they used to do manual design using black tape and
> transparent films. "The layouts were beautiful but difficult or even impossible to modify".?
> ?
> Then "We got a CAD-system from HP" and it all changed.
> ?
> I am unfamiliar with CAD-systems created by and/or sold by HP and what happened to that product.
> Anyone that can shed some light?

ISTR using something similar in the early 80s. I suspect it might have been a Racal Redac CAD package using HP terminals for display. The terminals had a more widescreen aspect ratio than VT100s, and could draw lines well.

I haven't spotted a decent reference to all that.
 

Back in the 80s, Mentor Graphics' CAD tools ran on HP-UX workstations. Perhaps that is to what he was referring.

DaveD
KC0WJN


On Sun, Mar 30, 2025 at 15:24 Ulf Kylenfall via <ulf_r_k=[email protected]> wrote:
?
Some time ago I had a discussion with a friend over old times circuit board design.
He referred to where he worked where they used to do manual design using black tape and
transparent films. "The layouts were beautiful but difficult or even impossible to modify".?
?
Then "We got a CAD-system from HP" and it all changed.
?
I am unfamiliar with CAD-systems created by and/or sold by HP and what happened to that product.
Anyone that can shed some light?
?
Cheers
?
Ulf Kylenfall
SM6GXV
 

Believe it was HP EGS...Engineering Graphics System , ran on series 200 and 300 and recall
a package running on the HP 9816 desktop.?
 

Here is a link to EGS and some history.?
?
https://www.hewlettpackardhistory.com/item/a-new-dimension-to-design/
 

In '88 and for a few years later, for the 360 and greater (more powerful), HP sold CAE tools such as DCS (schematic layout), DVI (design verification using GenRad's HILO logic/fault simulator), and PCDS (PCB layout). I used the first two to create test pattern files for circuit board testing on our HP3065AT functional tester. See attached slide re DCS and PCDS interface.
?
In addition, a mechanical drawing package called ME10 was available, created at HP Germany, IIRC.
?
As (IBM) PC's were becoming more powerful and improving graphics capabilities, and third party tools were improving and targeting the PC market, HP eventually bowed out of the CAE market.


---------- Original Message ----------
From: "alan victor via groups.io" <avictor73@...>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [HP-Agilent-Keysight-equipment] PCB CAD used and/or sold by HP ?
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2025 06:44:01 -0700

Here is a link to EGS and some history.?
?
https://www.hewlettpackardhistory.com/item/a-new-dimension-to-design/

DCS-PCDS.jpg

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