What about Cadence 16.5?

[zeke]

I've learned that Cadence/Orcad 16.5 has dropped in price. Something like $2500US. That makes significantly less expensive that OneHungLow aka Altium.

Can anyone comment on their experience with Cadence?
Is it worth it?

[EEVblog]

What does that price include?
IIRC everything is "optional extra".
If they have a fully fledged tool at $2500 then Altium might be in trouble.

Dave.

[EEVblog]

Hmm, there is a "Lite" version that supposed has "limitations"
Anyone know what the limitations are?

Dave.

[zeke]

I just got word back from my Cadence Sales Rep.

OrCAD PCB Designer Standard is US$2500.
OrCAD PCB Designer Professional is US$6600.
Both prices include the first year of maintenance which is $1000.

What this means is that OrCAD PCB Designer Standard is really only $1500. At least, that's what is says on my sales quotation.

Yes, they charge for add-ons. I don't know if I'd need them.

But comparing Cadence to Altium on entry level price alone is interesting.

I've attached the two page sales pdf comparing the editions. Maybe that will help someone?

[zeke]

I just received more info from Cadence about their downloadable demo version.

I guess it's called the Lite version.


===
Cadence has the Version 16.5 OrCAD Lite posted for download here http://www.cadence.com/products/orcad/pages/downloads.aspx#demo
 
OrCAD Products start in the Lite Mode if license for these products are not available. You can change to production mode by purchasing a licensed version.
Lite Mode allows you to open & view any file.  Changes done to a design cannot be saved if the Lite limits are exceeded. The Lite limits in V16.5 have been increased compared to previous versions.
 
OrCAD Capture CIS Lite Limits
·         You cannot save designs that have more than 75 nets, including the hierarchical blocks in the design. You can still view or create larger designs.
·         You cannot save a design with more than 60 parts, including the hierarchical blocks in the design. You can still view or create larger designs.
·         You cannot create parts with more than 100 pins.
·         The Capture FPGA flow is not available.
·         You cannot have more than 1000 parts in the Capture CIS database.
·         The Internet Component Assistant (ICA) tab in the CIS Explorer window opens the About ActiveParts page (www.activeparts.com) and not the component search page.
OrCAD PCB Editor Lite Limits
·         You cannot save boards that have more than 50 components and/or 100 nets.
·         However, you can still view larger designs.
·         The tutorial and tutorial design files will work with Lite limitations.
·         A limited sample library is provided.
PSpice A/D Lite Limits
·         Circuit simulation limited to circuits with up to 75 nodes, 20 transistors, no sub-circuit limits but 65 digital primitive devices, and 10 transmission lines (ideal or non-ideal) with not more than four pair-wise coupled lines.
·         Device characterization and parameterized part creation using the PSpice Model Editor limited to diodes.
·         No limit to stimulus generation using Stimulus Editor.
·         Sample model library named eval.lib (containing analog and digital parts) and evalp.lib (containing parameterized parts) are provided.
·         The library nomd.lib is configured for simulations. The nomd.lib file references the set of libraries that can be used with the lite version.
·         You cannot simulate parameterized parts that are not from the evalp.lib library. This library consists of parametrized resistor, source, and diode.
·         You cannot use Level 3 of Core model (Tabrizi), MOSFET BSIM 3.2, or MOSFET BSIM 4 models.
·         Displays only simulation data created using the lite version of the simulator.
·         Magnetic Parts Editor allows you to design power transformers only.
·         The database shipped with Magnetic Parts Editor cannot be edited and contains a single core.
·         The Model Import Wizard supports parts and simulation models that have a maximum of two pins or two terminals, respectively.
·         The maximum nodes in a digital circuit can be equal to or less than 250.
·         The non-ideal Tline is limited to 4.
PSpice Advanced Analysis Lite Limits
·         Smoke Analysis: Can run only on diodes, resistors, transistors, and capacitors.
·         PSpice Advanced Analysis Optimizer
o    Only Random and MLSQ engines can be used.
o    Values of up to two component parameters can be optimized.
o    A maximum of one measurement specification and one curvefit specification are supported.
o    Only one error calculation method supported for optimizing the curve-fit specification.
·         Parametric Plotter
o    Can sweep the values of only two design and/or model parameters.
o    Only Linear sweep in supported.
o    A maximum of 10 sweeps allowed.
o    Can evaluate the influence of changing parameter values only on one measurement expression or a trace.
·         Monte Carlo/Worst Case Analysis
o    Only one measurement specification is allowed.
o    A maximum of three devices with tolerance are supported.
o    Maximum of 20 Monte Carlo runs are supported.
·         Sensitivity Analysis
o    Only one measurement specification is allowed.
o    A maximum of three devices with tolerance are supported.
o    Maximum of 20 runs are supported.
·         Encrypted parameterized models cannot be simulated.
·         The Optimizer Random Engine can make a maximum of 5 runs.
===

I've got some thinking to do now.

All my experience is with Protel/Altium. I wonder if I could make the switch?

It's just soooo much cheaper than Altium.

[djsb]

From reading up on their latest offering it seems to me that they are moving into direct competition with Altium. In particular the Orcad capture marketplace seems very similar to Altiums web integration and plug in offering. Also the drop in price means that more people will be able to afford Orcad. It's ridiculous that Altium charges half the cost of a perpetual licence (£1000 rejoining fee plus £1500 actual maintenance) in order buy one years worth of "Software assurance". If cadence continues to lower their price and Altium raises theirs I know where my money would end up in the future.

David

[Rufus]

It's ridiculous that Altium charges half the cost of a perpetual licence in order buy one years worth of "Software assurance".

Errm. The OrCAD PCB Designer Standard is $2500 including 1 year maintenance of $1000 so they want 2/3rds the cost price for annual maintenance on that package.

Altium want $1500 a year for a $5000 package (at one time they were offering it for $3000 and other times more than $5000).

I don't see Cadence ever being a cheap option compared to Altium.

Maintenance being good value depends on what you get.  I have no idea what Cadence offer, what Altium will be offering in the future looks uncertain, since release 10 it has been bug fixes and some minor but useful additional features.

Anyhow comparing prices is pointless without also comparing quality, capability, usability and efficiency and that is a much more difficult comparison to make.