Desktop EDA & Circuitworks

I'm exploring the idea of using either Desktop EDA or CircuitWorks to
translate IDF files with Cadence / Allegro.

Is one tool better than the other? What is the typical license
cost... perhaps the cost will determine which software to buy?

Thanks,
B-

 

Bp, Does Desktop EDA translate a circuit diagram from the board assembly
with all nodes connected, so just leaving you to tidy the circuit diagram
up?

I.e.
I design the board layout, from the rat's nest, then use a black-box to
represent that board, the add other components, to get a full circuit
diagram.
I hope this makes sense, lol

 

I use CircuitWorks and it works great.
I did have to go back into the PCB software part libraries
and add a component height attribute to each part,
once done it works excellent.

One thing that would be cool though,
(I wonder if Desktop EDA can do it)
Is when I make placement changes to the
circuit card (I also do pcb layout)
I can somehow run a macro or something
that would update the pcb model which is already
mounted in its enclosure. Right now when changes
are done to the pcb, like add/removing parts or
moving them around....etc (in the pcb software)
I have to make a new model of the pcb then reinsert
it into its enclosure. Bummer! as nine times out of ten the card
changes even thought the enclosure doesn't. :-(
Cheers
Frank

 

We use Desktop EDA and it works the same as the above description of
CircuitWorks. A new PCB layout means a new assembly imported into
SolidWorks. We are running an older version, so it could have changed in the
latest software.

Jerry Steiger
Tripod Data Systems
"take the garbage out, dear"

 

Hi B,

We use CircuitWorks here and it does the job very well. We tried Desktop EDA
but it failed to export the imported assembly, this was about six months ago
so this may have been fixed.

I would suggest that you evaluate both products. CircuitWorks has more
features but it's more expensive.

Regards,

Stan