Mentor PowerPCB [Pads layout]

Most popularly know as Pads, this system is now owned by Mentor Graphics. This is by far the most rapidly growing system in popularity mainly due to its mid price range & powerful tool set. Its links to its own schematic capture package [Logic] is excellent but is also widely used with DxDesigner. While it has powerful routing tools built in, links to its own Auto-router [Blaze, now called Pads Router] in its own suite adds even more to this package. As well as the usual interfaces like Gerber, HPGL & DXF it also supports IDF, Spectra & CAM350. Pads could be improved by better central library control.

Vutrax

Vutrax is one of the older systems still available. It is supported in both Windows & Linux. As well as its own native schematic capture, it also supports Orcad net list input & Pspice simulation. Plus 3rd party support to Spectra Auto-route, Micross BOM, Ideas, Amaps & IDF output. While it still employs Command line input as well as Windows GUI, it is remarkably stable under Windows.

Mentor Pads Router [formally Blaze router]

Now owed by Mentor Graphics, this is part of the Pads suit & is the main Auto/interactive-router for Pads Layout. It is powerful & slick, but can still suffers from a few hiccups under Windows. It supports freehand & interactive routing, step by step Auto-routing or full blown Auto-routing. Along with Diff pairs, High speed route tuning with automatic accordions & tromboning, fanout tool & optimisation tools.

Mentor Logic

Logic is Pads own schematic capture package. It links to Pads PCB very well with seamless cross probing capabilities. Under Mentor Logic's interface, it is almost the same as Pads to look at now. Engineers can load all the rules into the schematic but sadly the schematic sheets do not support true hierarchic. There are simulation capabilities with Spice, Pspice & Intusoft interfaces. Logic does not support any other schematic translation input without 3rd party support. Library management in Logic is limited to creation & editing of Parts & Symbols only. To work on Land patterns, Pads PCB must be used although both packages use the same library file set.

Design Editor [Zuken Cadstar]

Cadstar Design Editor controls both Schematic & PCB layout & with that, cross probing between the two is seamless. The separate library editing tools centralises the management of the libraries well.

On the PCB side Design editor can import Orcad net lists, P-CAD, Pads ASCII, CADIF, DXF.

To do any serious routing in Cadstar you need to run its main routing tool, Preditor.

Pulsonix [WestDev]

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