VisualPCB
Layout + AutoRouter + Viewer
Complete your design with VisualPCB,
a multi-layered Printed Circuit Board Layout program, comes with thousands
of devices and foot prints. The auto placement, and auto routing capability,
helps you finish your designs in a hurry.
VisualPCB the most complete, full featured Printed Circuit Board
Design and Layout Utility.
VisualPCB provides all the sophisticated features necessary for PCB
creation, editing or revision, artwork printing and plotting, and complete
error design checking all from within a single program.
The system includes VisualPCB layout Editor, Automatic Router, Gerber
File Import, Export and Viewing all at an affordable price.
VisualPCB comes in Standard or
Professional versions.
Click here to see the
difference between the versions.
Surface Mount Devices
VisualPCB includes the functions needed
for today's board technologies - it supports standard through-hole mount
and full-surface mount. It provides for automatic foot-print mirroring,
zero diameter pads, and solder paste masks, making surface mount a snap.
Single and Multi-Layer
Single and Multi-Layer boards are supported
- in fact, VisualPCB supports up to 255 layers - each layer
provides masks for: conductor, solder mask, paste mask, assembly mask, routing
schedule, power & ground, drill drawing mask, sketch mask (for notes
etc.).
Automatic Part Placement
 VisualPCB
contains unique and exclusive automatic part placement functions to
streamline the design process - by using the
VisualSpice Schematic
to produce net-lists, the program will create the preliminary outline
of the board and assist in component placement. Select to display a "Rats
Nest" view or select components - and when moving components, the Rats
Nest dynamically moves allowing fast, sure placement. This facilitates each
component's placement and significantly speeds the design process.
Unique Features
VisualPCB provide support for other
important board design features, including: blind and buried vias, thermal
relief pads, power and ground planes. Also, a unique "Region (Copper)
Pour" feature that allows drawing areas for ground planes, etc. (provides
support for variable pattern meshes).
Design Rule Checker
 The
On-Line Design Rule Checker means that common errors never get ignored -
using the schematic net-list, all connections are verified, and shorts eliminated.
This occurs on-demand while designing the board - no waiting for lengthy
reports (though reports are also available) - allows instantaneous correction
while still in the editor. This assures accuracy and improved productivity.
Also, any component can be manually selected to show its connection to other
components.
Extensive Output
VisualPCB provide full support for
industry output formats, including: Excellon compatible NC drill files,
aperture list for Gerber and laser photo-plotters, AutoCAD DXF, analogue
& digital simulator files, as well as 15 other net list formats. It is also
easy to import existing designs from other programs, including "OrCAD".
To aid in eliminating additional errors, VisualPCB provides a full
photo-plot viewer.
Accuracy and More
Other important VisualPCB features
include: accuracy of 0.001 inches, a complete set of standard component
foot-prints in a user expandable library with each symbol/part fully rotateable.
Large boards of up to 32"x32" are supported. And the program provides
automatic "Check Pointing" to save work in progress against accidental
loss.
On-Line Help
Each of the VisualPCB utilities includes
the full User's Reference Guide on-line. This means that complete answers
are just a click away.
VisualPCB
AutoRouter
 In addition,
VisualPCB includes a powerful AutoRouter utility.
This provides automatic routing of the finished printed circuit board without
ever having to leave the main program.
Complete Security
VisualPCB provides a safe, fast, and
effective alternative to manual trace routing. It only routes what it can,
and never leaves tangled traces.
Full Control
It performs the auto-routing, and rewrites
the file, but respects nets pre-routed by the user. It displays its progress
directly on screen, and may be interrupted by the user, allowing the board
to be edited and re-routed. User selectable routing parameters are supported,
along with selectable routing strategies.
Total Flexibility
The utility supports boards with different
line widths, such as wide for power and ground, and narrow (normal) for
signal or other nets. The routing schedule may be generated automatically
or by hand (or combination), and may specify routing to a specific layer
as required to route to edge connectors or surface mount devices. It uses
a proprietary, artificial-intelligence based algorithm to perform net routing.
Its routing rates are matched only by mainframe routers costing orders-of-magnitude
more, and requiring specialized systems.
VisualPCB Versions
VisualPCB is available in two versions. See the VisualPCB
Feature Comparison
table for full details.
- VisualPCB Std is the standard PCB layout as described above.
- Visual PCB Pro is the professional version of PCB layout software
described above that includes more devices and a better AutoRouter.
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