#Protel pcb design software for mac how to#
#Protel pcb design software for mac upgrade#
#Protel pcb design software for mac full#

GROUP #3 – Engineer entrepreneurs – If you have prior experience designing electronics (or wish to learn how) then you may be better off designing your product yourself. If you collaborating with other engineers is critical then you’ll probably be better off with one of the more popular packages. If not, then then DipTrace is probably your best choice, unless you need to collaborate with other engineers.

#Protel pcb design software for mac how to#

GROUP #2 – Independent freelance engineers – If you already know how to use Altium from a previous corporate job, and you can afford it, then Altium may be your best choice. Altium is probably the right choice for you. GROUP #1 – Corporate engineers – Most established companies can easily afford to spend thousands of dollars on software. I’ll discuss four groups of people likely to use circuit design software, although I’m sure there are several more: Let’s look at the types of people most likely to need a PCB design tool. So Who Exactly Needs PCB Design Software?

#Protel pcb design software for mac full#

PCB Design Software Pricing Comparison DipTrace Full The Ultimate Cost of Complicated Software.The Most Important Criteria for PCB Design Software.So Who Exactly Needs PCB Design Software?.TIP: You can save 30% on DipTrace with a discount that is available to members of my Hardware Academy program for hardware entrepreneurs and startups. You only pay the difference between each level. You can start with the $75 Starter version and work your way up as needed. However, most projects won’t require the top package, and you can get by with one of the lower level packages costing only $145 to $695.

#Protel pcb design software for mac upgrade#

One of my favorite things about DipTrace is that it offers several upgrade levels starting from only $75. The top package is $995 and allows designs of unlimited size. Although Diptrace is a fantastic option for new designers, it’s also powerful enough to handle the most complicated designs. Plan on spending at least several days, but more likely weeks, learning how to use any of them (especially Eagle!).Ī powerful, but cheaper and easier to use PCB design package is called DipTrace, which is what I personally recommend, especially for new hardware entrepreneurs, startups and makers. The biggest complaint I have about Eagle though isn’t the cost, its’s how unfriendly it is to learn to use.īut, all three of them are difficult to use. This does make them more competitive although many will find the requirement to pay a recurring fee indefinitely to be a big negative for Eagle.

Most people developing PCBs independently, like entrepreneurs, hackers, and freelance designers, usually can’t afford to shell out that kind of cash on software.Īlthough significantly cheaper than Altium, OrCad is still really expensive with a price tag of $2,300.Įagle has changed their payment structure to a recurring fee of $60 per month, or you can save a bit by paying annually at $495/year. A good amount of freelancers splurge on Altium because it’s what they already know. Because of that it’s also the package that many new freelance engineers are most familiar. It’s good software, but that’s pretty crazy.Īltium is the most popular PCB design package among those with a company’s budget behind them. Although I’m a biased fan of DipTrace, you’ll learn it’s not the best option for everyone.Īltium Designer is considered the Ferrari of PCB design packages and starts at over $7,000! No that is not a typo. Instead, I wrote this article to share my own experiences. There are many packages not discussed in this article because I’ve never personally used them. However, for hardware entrepreneurs, startups and makers I prefer a less well-known PCB design packaged called DipTrace.ĭisclaimer: This article is not intended to be an unbiased review of every PCB design package available. That being said, there are three PCB design packages that tend to be the most popular and considered the best: Altium Designer, Eagle, and OrCad. There are numerous software packages available for designing printed circuit boards (PCBs), too many in fact.