Eagle versus ORCAD versus ???

Thread Starter

hp1729

Joined Nov 23, 2015
2,304
I have been an ORCAD user for decades. I read a lot of posts from EAGLE users complaining that a certain part isn't in the library. I can model a new IC (for drawing purposes) in ORCAD in a matter of seconds. Is it the SPICE models in Eagle that are not available? Is it hard to create new ICs in SPICE?
How does ORCAD compare with Eagle?
What other programs are popular? How do they measure up?
 

MaxHeadRoom

Joined Jul 18, 2013
28,619
I used an older version of Orcad for some years and now found Kicad pretty much compatible, if not better.
There is a new version out this November.
Free and open source, no restriction on size of board etc.
Max.
 

SLK001

Joined Nov 29, 2011
1,549
I've been an Eagle user for over 15 years. Most of the parts that I use were created by me. Eagle is a schematic capture/ PCB board layout tool that is superior to Orcad. It has no simulation capabilities. I used Orcad back in the early '90s and it was great in its time, before it was bought out by MicroSim (?) and before Microsim was bought out by Cadence. Microsim integrated the Orcad schematic capture package with the PSpice simulation engine somewhere along the way.

I use PSpice for simulation projects that I have. I obtain the spice models from the manufacturers of the part that I want to use, which usually is not a problem.

So, I use Eagle for schematic capture and PCB layout, and Orcad/PSpice for simulation. This does mean that I have to redraw the schematic in one or the other program, whichever I do first. When I first started using Eagle, I found that its capabilities were superior to what was available at the time. I have used extremely complex capture/layout packages, like Mentor and the original Cadence (which I hate both) and still find myself going back to Eagle to do my layouts. I've done PCBs up to 6 layers in Eagle and I find the ease and simplicity of its use refreshing.
 

Hypatia's Protege

Joined Mar 1, 2015
3,228
I have been an ORCAD user for decades. I read a lot of posts from EAGLE users complaining that a certain part isn't in the library. I can model a new IC (for drawing purposes) in ORCAD in a matter of seconds. Is it the SPICE models in Eagle that are not available? Is it hard to create new ICs in SPICE?
How does ORCAD compare with Eagle?
What other programs are popular? How do they measure up?
If you're pleased with ORCAD what's the problem? -- IOW "If it ain't broke why fix it?":confused::cool:
 

Thread Starter

hp1729

Joined Nov 23, 2015
2,304
I've been an Eagle user for over 15 years. Most of the parts that I use were created by me. Eagle is a schematic capture/ PCB board layout tool that is superior to Orcad. It has no simulation capabilities. I used Orcad back in the early '90s and it was great in its time, before it was bought out by MicroSim (?) and before Microsim was bought out by Cadence. Microsim integrated the Orcad schematic capture package with the PSpice simulation engine somewhere along the way.

I use PSpice for simulation projects that I have. I obtain the spice models from the manufacturers of the part that I want to use, which usually is not a problem.

So, I use Eagle for schematic capture and PCB layout, and Orcad/PSpice for simulation. This does mean that I have to redraw the schematic in one or the other program, whichever I do first. When I first started using Eagle, I found that its capabilities were superior to what was available at the time. I have used extremely complex capture/layout packages, like Mentor and the original Cadence (which I hate both) and still find myself going back to Eagle to do my layouts. I've done PCBs up to 6 layers in Eagle and I find the ease and simplicity of its use refreshing.
Thanks for the comparisons.
 

Dr.killjoy

Joined Apr 28, 2013
1,196
No problem

It's pretty hard for me to learn a cad or PCB without pictures in order to better help me understand and get it m. For eagle there are alot of people and companies that write books for free on using eagle and they break down for the newbie to understand .... I really like design spark and love playing with but the tutorials suck and turned me off cause it's a pain to keep them in order ,hear ,and or understand them.
 

mcgyvr

Joined Oct 15, 2009
5,394
I read a lot of posts from EAGLE users complaining that a certain part isn't in the library. I can model a new IC (for drawing purposes) in ORCAD in a matter of seconds. Is it the SPICE models in Eagle that are not available? Is it hard to create new ICs in SPICE?
Its because many "users" don't take the time to learn to make their own parts so they complain on the internet and hope someone will do it for them vs actually learning how to use that part of the program.

Happy Diptrace user here..
Prior to that I was modeling PCB's in Autocad because thats how they did it at my company.. yes.. PITA and I changed that real quick
 

kubeek

Joined Sep 20, 2005
5,794
Eagle is a schematic capture/ PCB board layout tool that is superior to Orcad. It has no simulation capabilities. I used Orcad back in the early '90s and it was great in its time...
I used Eagle for many years, and the last three I was working with Orcad 16.6 (not the dos version mind you) and I have to say orcad/allegro is far superior to eagle. The pspice is a "nice to have" feature, but the capabilities of the PCB package are far beyond those of eagle. Have you tried moving a trace or via in eagle without messing everything up? Or a bus of traces at a once?As far as I remember the only good way to move a trace that is next to other traces in eagle is to delete that area and route it again. Orcad will simply shift the adjacent tracks if you want to and let you move the trace, and will keep 45 degree corners instead of messing them up.
Online DRC is another great feature, it lets you put the traces right next to each other will keeping the required clearances, instead of checking, shifting things around and rechecking the DRC like you have to do in Eagle.
 

MrSoftware

Joined Oct 29, 2013
2,188
I'm a newbie in the layout game, and my only real experience was a few years ago with Altium Designer. I laid out a high efficiency radio set, transmitter and receiver on the same PCB that you would later break into 2 (ASK radio with a couple of maxim integrated IC's for data processing). It was a 2 layer board. One of those, "we need this done so go figure it out" type of deals. I started with a manufacturer supplied reference design, and with the learning curve It took me a few weeks. From a newbie perspective, laying out the parts, traces and via's was pretty strait forward. You could move one trace over and it would automatically shift all traces that were in your way. Auto layout was functional, but usually left you with something that looked like a plate of spaghetti. The rules were pretty strait forward to change and did help make sure you didn't bugger something up. I remember being frustrated because 8 out of every 10 components I needed were not in the library and I had to find or make them. My job bought the licenses and I don't remember the exact price but I believe it was over $1k. Again that was my only experience so I don't have anything to compare to, but overall it worked well and I wouldn't mind using it again... if someone else was springing for the license. Actually it was fun and I learned a ton, and that was the start of me getting back into electronics after years of only software! :)
 

SLK001

Joined Nov 29, 2011
1,549
Try doing something like this in Eagle - crammed four layer board with 6 gigabit ethernets.
That board is well within the capabilities in Eagle. AFAIK, the Allegro design environment pricing is way out of the range of hobby PCB packages. I've used many high-end PCB packages and they have a lot of nice features, like the move-rip-autoreroute that you described. My comparison of Orcad and Eagle was based on versions in existance a long time ago. I don't think that you can even buy a stand-alone version of Orcad today (but I haven't surveyed the hobby PCB market in quite a while, so I may be wrong here).
 

SLK001

Joined Nov 29, 2011
1,549
I have been an ORCAD user for decades. I read a lot of posts from EAGLE users complaining that a certain part isn't in the library. I can model a new IC (for drawing purposes) in ORCAD in a matter of seconds. Is it the SPICE models in Eagle that are not available? Is it hard to create new ICs in SPICE?
How does ORCAD compare with Eagle?
What other programs are popular? How do they measure up?
You need to tell us what your requirements are. If you are looking for a design package to use in a manufacturing environment, complete with DFM and version tracking, then that package is different from the one to use in a hobby setting. The professional package will cost upwards of $25k per seat, with yearly subscriptions.
 

Thread Starter

hp1729

Joined Nov 23, 2015
2,304
You need to tell us what your requirements are. If you are looking for a design package to use in a manufacturing environment, complete with DFM and version tracking, then that package is different from the one to use in a hobby setting. The professional package will cost upwards of $25k per seat, with yearly subscriptions.
Tell you my requirements? So far I don't even know enough to set requirements.
 
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