Need Help Finding a decent software package.

[blewisjr]

Hello Everyone,

I am sure this has been asked many times.  Right now I just finished up my first project on a breadboard.  Yey!!!    It has come time that I need to move it to a PCB and enclosure.  I really do not want to etch my own boards so I was thinking about either perfboard or just getting a few fabed as I am going to make at least 3 of these devices.

To do either of these I am going to have to make a schematic and board layout.  I have only ever done 1 schematic and it was just toying around it was nothing real per say.  I have never laid out a board before.

I have tried both DipTrace and Eagle.  DipTrace is nice and I like Eagle as well.  My biggest issue with DipTrace is the huge lack of components where with Eagle I can at least get the right SPST buttons.  Either way I am going to have to make a few components as even MicroChip does not have design files I can export for the chip I am using :S.

The biggest issue I have with both of these packages is the fact that they are not free but I believe for this project the free versions of both are good enough.

I guess what I am looking for is some tips and advice that can point me in the right direction to both making the schematic, to laying it out, as well as recommendations on software that would work best for someone with horrid design skills.  You should really see what this breadboard looks like lol.

[hlavac]

For practical reasons I would recommend Eagle over Diptrace. Most PCB manufacturers can make boards directly from Eagle files and there are lots of component libraries available.

It is however easier than before to convert footprints between packages as there seems to be a movement toward documented XML formats lately.
There are even some interesting attempts at cross-package libraries like https://circuithub.com/