 | |
| Industry | EDA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2008 |
| Headquarters | Regensburg, Germany |
| Products | PCB-Investigator, GerberLogix, Online Gerber Viewer |
| Website | easylogix.de |
Schindler&Schill GmbH is a German software company, founded 2008 in Regensburg by two experts on Windows based software. [1] The company also trades under EasyLogix.
Since the foundation Günther Schindler has been holding the position as CEO. The first project was developing Windows drivers for USB devices, followed by GerberLogix, a free Gerber Viewer. Up to now the most extensive project is a complete CAD (computer-aided design) system for pcb (printed circuit board) analysis, the PCB-Investigator. Further areas EasyLogix is experienced in, are the development of semi-automatic and automatic tradingsystems, Add-ons for Windows Office products, software-engineering in OOP/OOD and data base applications. [2] Furthermore, EasyLogix offers a university program and the possibility for clients to participate in the developing process. In 2011, EasyLogix joined the IPC-2581 Consortium, a group of pcb design and supply chain companies who want to establish IPC-2581 in the industry. [3]
PCB-Investigator is a CAD (computer-aided design) software for pcb (printed circuit board) development and manufacturing. The foundation for this project was the combination of hardware acceleration with software rendering. Using GDI, the PCB-Investigator is optimized for windows but has its own graphic data processing. After this basis, a software interface was added to the program, which allows creating own analysis algorithms or programming new import/export possibilities. The next step was implementing a full featured plug-in system. Like this, PCBI can create fitting customized packages and is suitable for various application areas, ranging from AOI (automated optical inspection) to boundary scan. A special function of PCB-Investigator is the possibility to put pictures behind the CAD data. [4] Furthermore, PCBI offers an embedded function, which enables every department of the PCB development process license-free access to all needed data. Possible formats are ODB++, DXF, Catia, SolidWorks, X-File, BOM, Gerber, Excellon, Sieb & Meyer, GenCAD 1.4 and DXF. [5] Upcoming format is IPC2581. [6]
The tool is commercial software, but there is a free test version available. By now the tool has been used worldwide by electronic engineers and designers. [7] PCB-Investigator is for free for universities.
GerberLogix is a free, multifunctional Gerber Viewer. GerberLogix is an advancement to the Online Gerber Viewer by EasyLogix and offers Gerber274x and Excellon import with additional functions:
System requirements are Microsoft Windows 7/Vista/XP/2003 and Microsoft .Net Framework 2.0. The software is free for non-commercial use, a license can be acquired.
The Online Gerber Viewer is a free web service for the graphic presentation of Gerber274x and Excellon data, developed by EasyLogix, a German software company. An installation on the computer is not necessary, because the selected data are transmitted to the server, converted into images and online available for editing. The viewer can be integrated in a company network as well.
AutoCAD is a commercial computer-aided design (CAD) and drafting software application. Developed and marketed by Autodesk, AutoCAD was first released in December 1982 as a desktop app running on microcomputers with internal graphics controllers. Before AutoCAD was introduced, most commercial CAD programs ran on mainframe computers or minicomputers, with each CAD operator (user) working at a separate graphics terminal. AutoCAD is also available as mobile and web apps.
DWG is a proprietary binary file format used for storing two- and three- dimensional design data and metadata. It is the native format for several CAD packages including DraftSight, AutoCAD, BricsCAD, IntelliCAD, Caddie and Open Design Alliance compliant applications. In addition, DWG is supported non-natively by many other CAD applications. The .bak, .dws, .dwt and .sv$ files are also DWG files.
The Gerber format is an open ASCII vector format for printed circuit board (PCB) designs. It is the de facto standard used by PCB industry software to describe the printed circuit board images: copper layers, solder mask, legend, drill data, etc.
EAGLE is a scriptable electronic design automation (EDA) application with schematic capture, printed circuit board (PCB) layout, auto-router and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) features. EAGLE stands for Easily Applicable Graphical Layout Editor and is developed by CadSoft Computer GmbH. The company was acquired by Autodesk Inc. in 2016.
PCB NC drill files convey PCB drilling and routing information. The NC formats were originally designed by CNC drill and route machine vendors as proprietary input formats for their equipment, and are known under their company name: Excellon, Hitachi, Sieb & Meyer, Posalux, etc. These formats are similar as they are based on RS-274-C and related to G-code. In 1985 IPC published a generic standard NC format, IPC-NC-349. Later XNC was designed, a simple strict subset of IPC-NC-349, designed not for driving machines but for exchanging drill information between CAD and CAM. They are collectively referred to as (PCB) NC files.
OrCAD Systems Corporation was a software company that made OrCAD, a proprietary software tool suite used primarily for electronic design automation (EDA). The software is used mainly by electronic design engineers and electronic technicians to create electronic schematics, perform mixed-signal simulation and electronic prints for manufacturing printed circuit boards. OrCAD was taken over by Cadence Design Systems in 1999 and was integrated with Cadence Allegro since 2005.
The term gEDA refers to two things:
KiCad is a free software suite for electronic design automation (EDA). It facilitates the design of schematics for electronic circuits and their conversion to PCB designs. KiCad was originally developed by Jean-Pierre Charras. It features an integrated environment for schematic capture and PCB layout design. Tools exist within the package to create a bill of materials, artwork, Gerber files, and 3D views of the PCB and its components.
Altium Limited is a publicly traded software company that provides PC-based electronics design software for engineers who design printed circuit boards. Founded as Protel Systems Pty Ltd in Australia in 1985, the company has regional headquarters in the United States, Australia, China, Europe, and Japan. Its products are designed for use in a Microsoft Windows environment and used in industries such as automotive, aerospace, defense, and telecommunications. Its flagship product, Altium Designer, is a software for unified electronics design.
The table below provides an overview of notable computer-aided design (CAD) software. It does not judge power, ease of use, or other user-experience aspects. The table does not include software that is still in development. For all-purpose 3D programs, see Comparison of 3D computer graphics software. CAD refers to a specific type of drawing and modelling software application that is used for creating designs and technical drawings. These can be 3D drawings or 2D drawings.
TopoR is an EDA program developed and maintained by the Russian company Eremex. It is dedicated to laying out a printed circuit board (PCB). The current version is 6.3.17875 as of 2017-09-20.
PCB is a free and open-source software suite for electronic design automation (EDA) - for printed circuit boards (PCB) layout. It uses GTK+ for its GUI widgets.
DesignSpark PCB is a free electronic design automation software package for printed circuit boards. Although there is no charge for the software, the user must register with the website to unlock the program and it displays advertisements which must be acknowledged before the user can begin working.
DipTrace is an EDA/CAD software application for creating schematic diagrams and printed circuit boards with a multi-lingual interface and tutorials. DipTrace has 4 modules: schematic capture editor, PCB layout editor with built-in shape-based autorouter and 3D-preview & export, component editor, and pattern editor.
ODB++ is a proprietary CAD-to-CAM data exchange format used in the design and manufacture of electronic devices. Its purpose is to exchange printed circuit board design information between design and manufacturing and between design tools from different EDA/ECAD vendors. It was originally developed by Valor Computerized Systems, Ltd. as the job description format for their CAM system.
Pulsonix is an electronic design automation (EDA) software suite for schematic capture and PCB design. It is produced by WestDev, which is headquartered in Gloucestershire, England, with additional sales and distribution offices overseas. It was first released in 2001, and runs on Windows.
Autotrax is a free software application that ran on DOS on an IBM or compatible PC. It was designed by Altium, then called Protel Systems, and was one of the first professional printed circuit board CAD applications available for personal computers. It is a freeware download and also available in a stripped down version marketed as Easytrax.
CircuitMaker is electronic design automation software for printed circuit board designs targeted at the hobby, hacker, and maker community. CircuitMaker is available as freeware, and the hardware designed with it may be used for commercial and non-commercial purposes without limitations. It is currently available publicly as version 2.0 by Altium Limited, with the first non-beta release on January 17, 2016.
EasyEDA is a web-based EDA tool suite that enables hardware engineers to design, simulate, share - publicly and privately - and discuss schematics, simulations and printed circuit boards. Other features include the creation of a bill of materials, Gerber files and pick and place files and documentary outputs in PDF, PNG and SVG formats.
