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Re: PCB layout and schematic software
Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2021 2:24 pm
by kersing
My worry when it comes to free software in the cloud is when will the business model change and all kinds of additional limitations be forced upon its users. This has been happing to a lot of ‘forever free’ software over recent years. Yes, it is still free but hardly usable.
Re: PCB layout and schematic software
Posted: Thu Jul 08, 2021 4:22 pm
by FCCHow
This is very true, I have seen Google's SketchUp bought by Trimble and then now, with their 'Cloud' option, suddenly the software is not so 'free' anymore. The only way for me to do my Job is to use the previous versions and not upgrade. Which is still fine by me unless my Boss wants me give better results, then I will have to let them know about the 'free lunch'.
However, when it comes to EaglePCB, it is the same when it was bought by AutoDesk. I am still OK with the version 7.7, the last version before the AutoDesk. This Free version's limitation of allowing 2 layer design on a 100 x 80mm did not change since I discovered it decades ago. I am still sticking to this and there are a number of component libraries out there, such as from Adafruit and making your own is quite simple as long as you have the package measurements.