FreePCB Tips, Tricks, Help and other Useful Information

vanessa · Post by **vanessa** » 20 Jan 2008, 19:07

Speaking of open source layout programs...

This one looks pretty powerful, is anyone on the forum using this one?

http://www.freepcb.com/

soulsonic · Post by **soulsonic** » 20 Jan 2008, 19:40

Okay, I just downloaded it. I'll give it a try soon.
Thanks!

vanessa · Post by **vanessa** » 11 Feb 2008, 15:26

Soul any word on this one?

Dirk_Hendrik · Post by **Dirk_Hendrik** » 15 Feb 2008, 14:47

Just had a look..

It misses a schematic editor with some reference to the schematic editor of Pads-PCB.

Without a schematic editor I won't even start evaluation... a shame since the examples in the user manual suggest a pretty complete PCB layout program.

Last week I attempted expressPCB by the way.... a toy program...

Conguito · Post by **Conguito** » 12 Dec 2008, 02:14

I can say that if you combine FreePCB with TinyCAD (free schematic editor) you'll have a powerful combination to make your PCB's, you have to work at first on both programs with the footprints, but when you are done with this you can export the netlist from TinyCAD to FreePCB, when you import the netlist file in FreePCB you have all the components numerated in front of your eyes, you only have to place them like you want and draw the lines, it's better than Eagle because it's totally free and edit your own footprints is very simple.
I have used ExpressPCB for the last 4 years but now I have changed to TinyCAD-FreePCB, it´s really better when you have worked a bit with all the footprints you usually need.
Salu2.