Been using Fritzing past few days with the hope that “finally” I found the PCB program I’ve been looking for for the past 25 years.
FACT –
There are dozens of programs to choose from but NOTHING in between very basic and 2000.00 professional suites that require almost day to day use to understand the software. And trust me, I’ve TRIED THEM ALL. There is NOTHING out there worth a damn and this has been frustrating for years.
The one that comes closest is Sprint layout 6.0 which is the most recent one I’ve been using but it doesn’t give the schematic option like Fritzing does.
The online programs are all nonsense because you’re locked into THEIR services. Express PCB has a fantastic little program BUT I need it on my PC ! And generate gerber files. Money isn’t the issue but someone needs to do it right for < 100.00
Eagle, I could name them all past and present and they ALL have at least ONE thing that keeps you from using it.
Board size limitations, pin count, just plain difficult to use – they’re all crap.
I think Fritzing is on to something with their software but I’m leaving it because of ONE issue –
Manipulating wires (traces) with these silly bendpoints to make connections is ridiculous – a real pain. You should just be able to connect trace to pin or trace to trace in a snap and be done with it.
I think the guys at Fritzing should take what they have now (because I really love the “feel” of the software vey much) and do something geared toward the advanced hobbyist in a commercial venture, Sure, keep the current software free with donations but maybe do something seperate towards those of us looking to spend a hundred bucks or so on something that “does it all” with an easy learning curve. Plus it needs to generate machine files for assembly. Like I say, nothing worth using exists between heavy duty pro and very basic programs.
Anyway – there’s my vent.