We'd especially like to hear from engineers who are doing their own board designs (professionally) after they've done the circuit design. What do you like about them? What don't you like? Was it free or did you have to buy it? Cost? Would you buy it again? And do you have any special drafting tricks to make the task easier? I would like to hear from you on schematic capture programs you've used. Much of what I've seen does not produce the crisp schematics I'd like. I'm willing to lower my standards a bit for a home-use product.

Now, obviously, you would expect this from a schematic capture program designed for professional use and priced accordingly. I could do everything I've just described (and much more) with Viewdraw. Adding text labels in general is pretty handy. Adding text to the components and being able to edit the text (size and placement) is good. Still, it's nice to have a large library of components from which I can draw. If I follow through with a PC board, it will be several square inches in size. Just to put my design work in perspective, I am typically drawing a one- or two-page schematic. The component symbol must have all the attributes to make it work properly in the schematic and in the PC layout - for the occasions in which I follow through and get PC boards made. Finally, I like a schematic capture program that makes it quick and easy to create new components. I like to be able to move and copy sections of the schematic easily. I like to line up components with one another to the extent possible. I dislike drawings with excessive jogs in the “wires.” I can't tolerate drawings where a number of connections are so close together (rather like a bus structure, but this is analog, so get off the bus ) that you can't trace from one end to the other.

I have high standards when it comes to drafting.

With Viewdraw, I could create extremely professional schematics. Part of the problem is that I'm spoiled - I used Viewdraw (now part of Mentor Graphics) at a previous job. I am not entirely satisfied with the versions I've tried so far. Some were part of circuit simulation software (LTSpice, TINA-TI). Some were supplied as part of PC layout software (Express, Eagle). I've tried several different schematic capture packages. As an engineer who enjoys tinkering on various hobbyist projects, I have occasion to draw schematics and (when the bank account allows it) order PC boards.

Diptrace freeware limitations