I am using Pads v4.01 which is last years release. I have not moved a section as mentioned but I think it is possible. Some things that speed the design process in Pads is the ability to manually autoroute traces. Its hard to describe in words, but basically you can guide where you want the route to go and Pads will route the trace per set design rules following your path Buss routes are much faster as well. Fan out signals then use the buss route feature and route one trace and the others you have selected will route along side.
There is more. Pads does a better job handling planes. It will redraw and error check planes much faster. There is more that I won't go into but one thing is that Pads cost more. I don't have the full options and it cost me about $16K. I think the full package is $19K.
The new release v 5.0 with Blaze route seems even faster though I haven't used it for any jobs yet.
I recently did a large 12 layer analog and digital mixed design in Protel 99SE, I swear I could have done the job in less than half the time.
Mark
At 08:52 AM 7/10/2003, you wrote:
we are about to embark on a large project for an outside customer (second spin, one year in rev, 16 layers, yada yada)
we will be using 99SE and probably spectra
in talking with the manager (a very smart fellow BTW) at our customer's place he said: 'I HATE Protel!' quite vigorously i said "Oh?" (pretty diplomatic i thought)
he said he watches his people tediously draw track segments and then when they have to move something, rip it up and re-draw everything segment by segment 'very primitive' as he put it
he then went on to say that he used to do this stuff and he used PADs
he said with PADS he could pick up a fully routed and fanned out QFP and plop it somewhere else all the traces would remain attached and reroute themselves around obstacles very fast and easy he claimed, like a mini-manual-autorouter
anybody know about this or have experience with newer versions of PADS ? my last look at it was probably in the 70's :)
As DXP does not seem to offer any productivity gains which i can see we may be looking for another package
Dennis Saputelli
========= send only plain text please! - no HTML ========== _______________________________________________________________________ Integrated Controls, Inc. www.integratedcontrolsinc.com 2851 21st Street tel: 415-647-0480 San Francisco, CA 94110 fax: 415-647-3003
Mark Iams-McGuire Master CAD Designs 13222 Hidden Valley Road Grass Valley, CA 95949 phone: 530-271-7078 fax: 530-271-7088
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To post a message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To leave this list visit: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/leave.html * * Contact the list manager: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Forum Guidelines Rules: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/forumrules.html * * Browse or Search previous postings: * http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
