I would like to report a free CAD multi platform for schematics and PCB

[kagliostro]

FidoCadj is a free multi platform cad which is compatible with FidoCad and his libraries

it has tubes on his schematic libraries and is very easy to learn to use

the schematics results to be nice and draw process is easy

http://sourceforge.net/projects/fidocadj/

http://davbucci.chez-alice.fr/index.php?argument=elettronica/fidocadj/fidocadj.inc&language=English

it is developed by an italian guy which is giving to the standard FidoCad program new function

Give it a try

K

[DummyLoad]

thanks K.

--pete

[G._Hoffman]

KiCAD.  It is open source, has been around for more than twenty years at this point so it is pretty damn mature, and it has a very large community of support.  There are things about it which do not conform to the way we normally use computers (copy paste and the like are a bit weird), but I think those are largely due to the time when the program was first written (Windows 3.0 came out in 1990, and while Macs had been around for a few years in 1992, there were other OS's and people were not as bound to the Microsoft/Apple standards).  

It takes a little while to get used to the interface, but once you do you can fly with it, and it makes the process very easy.  It does 3D models of your board; though making 3D parts is almost completely unsupported - you have to figure it out for yourself.  I use my high end - but old - CAD program to draw the parts, and then export them to Wings3D to make the part for KiCAD.  

Best of all, though, it has no limitations, like many of the free versions of commercial software.  I can make a board that is as big as I can get manufactured, and I can do up to 16 layers if I want.  Not that I need that many layers; but many of the boards I want to make are larger than is allowed in the free version of, for instance, Eagle.  

(Sorry I'm not using your Relay boards, Doug, but I've got a shite load of these relays laying around doing nothing, and I want to use them up!  And yes, that is an SMD driver circuit on the back of the board.  I like SMD - they are a bit easier to solder, once you get the technique.)


Gabriel

[kagliostro]

I can agree with you about what you say only I hate SMD components

simply I'm not able to see the components 

Imagine what it would be having to solder it

K

[G._Hoffman]

I can agree with you about what you say only I hate SMD components

simply I'm not able to see the components 

Imagine what it would be having to solder it

K

I've got a jeweler's loupe that connects to my glasses I use when I need to see really fine pitch stuff, but I don't usually need it unless I'm doing QFP packages, and to inspect things after the fact.  But really, the actual soldering is very easy.  For resistors and caps and such, you put a tiny amount of solder on one pad, put a dab of flux on it, and the rest is easy.  You use a tweezers to hold the part in place, and re-flow the solder.  Touch the other side with some flux and then some solder on the tip of your iron (which does feel weird, if you are used to soldering through hole parts where you would NEVER do that), and you're done.  The whole process takes much less time than it took me to type that, and the best part is you don't have to drill any holes when you make your PCB, which saves a lot of time!  Mind you, I'm getting the one up there manufactured anyway, but still.


Gabriel