Questions about Proteus

[jpb]

Thanks Simon for the update.

It sounds like Proteus is ok but not a magic bullet for simple pcb layout.

Are you still using the basic version or have you forked out for the upgraded version?

[nctnico]

They say they are planning to introduce the ability to put in coordinates of items in future versions which would be most welcome.

The inability to input coordinates would be a show stopper for me. In my current CAD package (Orcad) I use this feature all the time to put holes, buttons, LEDs, etc in the right place and angle. Messing with grids is just tedious. For your sake I hope Proteus gets this added quickly. I didn't know there where CAD packages out there which didn't allow to input coordinates manually!

[digsys]

I just use the zero key. Make one reference point and drop everything from there. If it's a complex hole pattern, I put a transparent dxf or graphic on another
layer and use it as a quick reference. Never really wished for anything more. We all work differently I guess.

[wraper]

There is no way of actually determining the position of things like there is in other programs. I can't for example double-click on a pad when I'm creating a footprint and put in coordinates.

Right click on the pad -> move to, enter coordinates you want.

[Simon]

Yes there is the secondary "0" so if i am drawing a rectangle for a board I can find the location of the oposite corner, make it the secondary "0" and then use it as a reference to draw a box from to the main "0". I really don't know why they came up with such a roundabout method.

[Simon]

There is no way of actually determining the position of things like there is in other programs. I can't for example double-click on a pad when I'm creating a footprint and put in coordinates.

Right click on the pad -> move to, enter coordinates you want.

Referenced to where ? the main centre or the current position of the randomly placed pad ? I tried that but just went round in circles, quite literally. If it's referenced to the current location I suppose you can place the pad on the "0" but it's all a bit silly, there is a corrdinate system: USE IT.

[wraper]

Place temporary origin on some of the pads (press "o"). Use it as reference - zero x/y coordinates. Or either use global zero coordinate.

[Simon]

Place temporary origin on some of the pads (press "o"). Use it as reference - zero x/y coordinates.

Yes, again everything is possible, just with more steps.

[wraper]

Place temporary origin on some of the pads (press "o"). Use it as reference - zero x/y coordinates.

Yes, again everything is possible, just with more steps.

I don't see a problem, either use temporary origin, or use zero coordinate. When you are moving the part, you already can see it's current absolute position (or relative if you want).

[wraper]

Yes there is the secondary "0" so if i am drawing a rectangle for a board I can find the location of the oposite corner, make it the secondary "0" and then use it as a reference to draw a box from to the main "0". I really don't know why they came up with such a roundabout method.

Don't get what you are talking about really. You always can see the rectangle size you are drawing, first corner and second corner coordinates, and current cursor coordinate on the bottom.

[wraper]

I don't know what the internal resolution is. You have just 4 presets for the grid but you can specify them. I was able to change my 0.1mm setting to 0.05mm, I don't know how far it can go. I suppose on the one hand it's good that you can make it what you want but 4 standard settings does not sound like much.

Base dimension size is 0.01 mm. IIRC it is written in the help.

[Simon]

Yes there is the secondary "0" so if i am drawing a rectangle for a board I can find the location of the oposite corner, make it the secondary "0" and then use it as a reference to draw a box from to the main "0". I really don't know why they came up with such a roundabout method.

Don't get what you are talking about really. You always can see the rectangle size you are drawing, first corner and second corner coordinates, and current cursor coordinate on the bottom.

Yes but... to accurately place stuff you have to zoom in and it can get awkward. Of course if you want the centre of the rectangle to be the centre of the sheet it's harder. I don't want to be funny but it's the first time I work on a grid yet can't use it directly.

[hamdi.tn]

Yes there is the secondary "0" so if i am drawing a rectangle for a board I can find the location of the oposite corner, make it the secondary "0" and then use it as a reference to draw a box from to the main "0". I really don't know why they came up with such a roundabout method.

yeah it's a nightmare to draw stuff in proteus    but to be fair i don't think i saw any complet CAD when it came to drawing mechanical details, even altium. most of the time when i need to do precise things i draw in AutoCad then import it to Altium.
however you can still do the same with proteus, you can import the board from an existing dxf file.

[Simon]

yes I did infact import my board as a DXF. but it is madening, diptrace is easier to use when it comes to placing things, you can create complicated shapes by entering coordinates.

[wraper]

yes I did infact import my board as a DXF. but it is madening, diptrace is easier to use when it comes to placing things, you can create complicated shapes by entering coordinates.

If you already know coordinates, it's not that difficult to create complex shape using closed path mode. You can create both straight or round shapes. Just watch cursor coordinates while drawing. Press "ctrl" for arc, if something goes wrong, press backspace, last point will be removed.

[Simon]

I was refering to pads as well. But like the man said they are working on that side of it and seem to aknowlege that it needs work.

[wraper]

I was refering to pads as well. But like the man said they are working on that side of it and seem to aknowlege that it needs work.

There is no difference between drawing the pads and board outline at all. Just take any closed shape and make the pad from it.

[electrolust]

I just switched from Eagle to Proteus.  I am a novice and hobby user so YMMV.  I have commercial licenses for both.

I liked Eagle well enough until I put it down for awhile and recently tried to pick it back up.  With much of the functionality in the ULPs it was just awful trying to get back to fluent usage.  Managing libraries is rather a PITA due to footprints and schematic symbols being intimately tied together.  (Try updating all your footprints.  I guess you can do it with a ULP but ugh.)  You can't even look at a board from the solder side (ie, bottom).

At half the cost (for entry level perpetual license), Proteus is quite a lot nicer.  Still quite quirky and even after getting used to it, well there are warts.  But it is modern and quicker and easier to use than Eagle.  I look forward to playing with mixed mode simulation.

I also evaluated diptrace and kicad, and found both pretty challenging.

[Simon]

diptrace is developing very slowly and they just ignore all issues and pretend they don't exist and if you push them just say "sorry we are a small company with only one main developer". KiCAD needs to be finished. It's lacking in a few things and the library management is um, peculiar.

[ebclr]

Before buy proteus take a look here

http://www.pcbweb.com/

This can be a more affordable option

[electrolust]

http://www.pcbweb.com/faq

Where are my libraries stored?

All libraries are stored on our cloud servers.

sorry, that's a non-starter.

AFAICT from the limited docs, it's an extremely basic package.  eg there's no hierarchy support.  there's no way to import footprints.

[Simon]

lots of those around. If it's cheap there is a reason, why only digikey parts ? this is a problem I have in proteus, all of the parts are digikey, I can't order parts for a sample from digikey because the shipping is so expensive, I don't use stockist numbers, I always use manufacturers numbers so that I never screw myself over. I am having to recreate every single part in proteus but at least once it is done ordering parts is a dodle from any supplier of my choosing.

[ebclr]

It's not so hard to make a 2 column excel sheet  with any name you want x digikey, also Proteus does not import or export  to any other platform, The pro's of proteus is that is really very easy to use .

Also take a look on this another one

http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/sprint-layout.html

[wraper]

Also take a look on this another one

http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/sprint-layout.html

Is this a joke? It's very basic PCB software. No schematic, no nothing.

[Simon]

I actually bought a sprint lisence and found it so basic i demanded a refund. they were gracious enough to give one and i promised not to use the software not that I wanted to, that was about 7 years ago so I don't nkow what it is like now. It was no better than the PCB-express software.