PCB Simulation

[bitem2k]

Hi, i keep making pcbs that dont work!
I have made several pcbs with careless mistakes such as not flipping the image so my 555s pins were reversed, ( i did this twice!).
Is there any software out there that will allow me to lay out a pcb, and then simulate it?

I got hold of a copy of crododile technology, which allows me to simulate circuits, it also comes with something called realpcb, which allows you to construct tracks, etc, however once you have built the pcb you cant test it!

Thanks very much.

 

[ScuzZ]

Try Livewire.

Once you're happy with the circuit and after simulating it, it will convert the circuit onto a PCB for you.

And still allow you to continue testing the circuit.

My 2 cents.

 

[Blueteeth]

Hi,

I would say use Eagle. **broken link removed**. I haven't had that much experience with other PCB CAD software, although I did use proteus for a while in uni, and I hated it. Eagle won't test PCB's or anything, but once you have made your schematic you can run a ERC error test, to see if you have anything like a power line connected to ground, or just bad connections. When you start designing a PCB from the schmetic it uses airwires, and it will only allow you to connect things together that are meant to be connected, directly form the schem. So, if your schematic works, then theres no reason why your PCB shouldn't (unless of course you forget to flip the design). I've only had a few boards made up from eagle, all worked perfectly, apart from one which was purely down to me miscalculating power requirements, and even then it just needed a heatsink. I can't say enough good tihngs about eagle, it can sometimes be annoying to do something non-standard, but virtually anything is possible with it.

Blueteeth

 

[bitem2k]

Ok thanks.

 

[evandude]

I always use eagle, and I've never had a PCB come out wrong unless I messed up the schematic in the first place.

I always do my layout on the bottom layer in eagle, and with toner transfer that means I don't have to remember to flip it or anything before printing, which is good because I know that if I had to flip it, I'd probably forget quite often.