Bill Electra and Specctra are identical in behavior and commands. The commands for each connection can be understood if you open a Protel dsn file with Wordpad. Experiment with Protel's design rules, set up layer rules, minimize vias, restrict layers, set directions etc, then review the dsn file with Wordpad. If the commands still make sense, dont conflict with each other, and you have a routing channel, Electra and Specctra will place your wire as clean or cleaner than you could draw it. It is that simple. In my article, I mentioned the amount of time I take to set up a board for routing. Very large boards can take a week to set up. This still beats months of basket weaving. I too attended the Cadence canned seminars and never learned to use the router. One day after many trials it came to me like getting baptized in Holy water. I figured out how to route. I feel confident that I can auto route the hardest or all boards.... a backplane with no vias, just straight connections. Row A to Row A Row B to Row B, etc. I can set up a few rules and autoroute a backplane... using Protel's design rules and net classes. If ya'll followed my postings several years ago, I didnt think this could be done. Piece of cake. Differential and matched pairs ....well Im working on it. Ive got diff pairs down cant get Protel to export length rules
BTW there are some improvements in the DXP dsn export. Mike Reagan ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: "Brooks,Bill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: "Protel EDA Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 12:59:21 -0700 >Specctra isn't a turn key product, like most Protel users expected the >Protel Autorouter to be. I was always impressed how simple Protel was to use >in the beginning but learning to pass parameters to the Specctra Autorouter >was much more of a challenge. I have seen the output of the Specctra >Autorouter in the hands of a trained 'DO file' maker. It can do very good >work. It can also create garbage just as well if the 'DO Files' are in their >default state. I attended a seminar on the Specctra Autorouter and see that >it has many features that if known about would make the job of communicating >with the software much better. Perhaps Electra is similar? > > >Bill Brooks >PCB Design Engineer , C.I.D., C.I.I. >Tel: (760)597-1500 Ext 3772 Fax: (760)597-1510 >http://pcbwizards.com > > >-----Original Message----- >From: edsi [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 6:05 PM >To: Protel EDA Forum >Subject: Re: [PEDA] time to upgrade 99SE? / Electra router > >Jon > >I dont believe for a minute that you know what you are doing. These are >some pretty harsh words but dont blast a product (ELECTRA)that failed to >route only becuase you dont understand how it works. If Electra didnt work >then Spectra wont work either. SPECCTRA is a world class router, whose >performance has not been equaled. I dont expect you could get this router >to work either. The command set is the same for both routers... so >SPECCTRA sucks too ...right? > >Learn to use the damm program before you release your ignorant opinion. > >Mike Reagan > > > > > >---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- >From: Jon Elson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: "Protel EDA Forum" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 16:59:29 -0500 > >>I finally downloaded the Electra router and tried it on a board >>I had just routed with the P99SE default router. I thought Protel >>did badly, but the Electra board was a nightmare. It wasn't >>even able to complete all the nets, it left about 5 undone. >>Protel made a fair jumble of traces all over the place, but Electra >>literally filled the entire area within the keepout border with tracks! >> >>I can't say for sure whether I had all the settings right (actually, I >>haven't >>found anywhere in Electra to set options, etc.) so I'm not sure this >>is a good comparison, yet, but so far I'm not very impressed, to >>say the least. >> >>Since this was discussed a while ago, I thought I would give a report. >> >>Jon >> >> >> >> > > > > > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To post a message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To leave this list visit: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/leave.html * * Contact the list manager: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Forum Guidelines Rules: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/forumrules.html * * Browse or Search previous postings: * http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
