impressions of eagle vs altium, which is better for you?

[Tim Webster]

Eagle is better for me.


I am familiar with cadsoft eagle. But here is my impressions of altium
after a few days use.

- library
altium is bigger, but search the library is difficult (slow) and
installing the full library will cause space issues.
eagle library, is smaller, but searching is extremely fast

I didn't expect this, but eagle major win

Special chips will not be their. So it comes down to which is easier
to make a footprint.
altium has a foot print wizard, Nice but touch up and checking is advisable.
eagle foot print is beast done through data point entry

altium win, but slight

= schematics and pcb and library linking.
eagle is plan jane and requires you supply directories to library and
script paths

altium puts everything into a project, but it is actually harder to
visualize what is going on.

eagle win

- supplier search
altium allows you to search suppliers for a part

eagle well does in version 6 but more difficult to use

altium win

- simulation
eagle now has light weight simulation built in

altium win

- thermal RF and resistance.

here eagle is quite manual, and requires a good understanding

altium win,


---------

Over all I hate altium because it crashes too many times,

I love that eagle stores files a simple text files, because it makes
source control so easy

---
for me eagle win

[Loial Otter]

I use Altium completely, switching to it about 6 years back after using
Eagle for a bit.

The built in libraries, though comprehensive on both, aren't in my opinion
good to use. I usually make a library for the parts I need to use when I
need them and have my own setup for that. The biggest thing to remember
with Altium is not to load ALL the libraries as most people don't need FPGA
footprints or symbols or the tens of thousands of other things it includes.

One thing I love in altium is making new symbols and footprints is very
easy and very powerful. There are some wizards that make most packages
automatic and also allow tweeking of reflow characteristics. I normally
don't need to adjust things however I often adjust the outline as I have a
specific style I follow in that regard. It also is quite easy to make
advanced shapes such as connector sockets.

I've also used Altium for analysis of circuits and simulation with advanced
features such as microtrace simulation (though in truth half of that's way
above my head).

Altium has a very robust error checking as well which under
most circumstances doesn't get in the way. The routing methods are also
quite good though I don't ever use autoroute as I still haven't found one
that does a nice output.

Anyhow, that's my $0.02.

Post by Tim Webster
Eagle is better for me.
I am familiar with cadsoft eagle. But here is my impressions of altium
after a few days use.
- library
altium is bigger, but search the library is difficult (slow) and
installing the full library will cause space issues.
eagle library, is smaller, but searching is extremely fast
I didn't expect this, but eagle major win
Special chips will not be their. So it comes down to which is easier
to make a footprint.
altium has a foot print wizard, Nice but touch up and checking is advisable.
eagle foot print is beast done through data point entry
altium win, but slight
= schematics and pcb and library linking.
eagle is plan jane and requires you supply directories to library and
script paths
altium puts everything into a project, but it is actually harder to
visualize what is going on.
eagle win
- supplier search
altium allows you to search suppliers for a part
eagle well does in version 6 but more difficult to use
altium win
- simulation
eagle now has light weight simulation built in
altium win
- thermal RF and resistance.
here eagle is quite manual, and requires a good understanding
altium win,
---------
Over all I hate altium because it crashes too many times,
I love that eagle stores files a simple text files, because it makes
source control so easy
---
for me eagle win
--
778 317 7769
--
http://vancouver.hackspace.ca/wp/mailing-lists/

[Tim Webster]

I will give altium a try with minimal libraries.

hmm :|

Post by Loial Otter
I use Altium completely, switching to it about 6 years back after using
Eagle for a bit.
The built in libraries, though comprehensive on both, aren't in my opinion
good to use. I usually make a library for the parts I need to use when I
need them and have my own setup for that. The biggest thing to remember with
Altium is not to load ALL the libraries as most people don't need FPGA
footprints or symbols or the tens of thousands of other things it includes.
One thing I love in altium is making new symbols and footprints is very easy
and very powerful. There are some wizards that make most packages automatic
and also allow tweeking of reflow characteristics. I normally don't need to
adjust things however I often adjust the outline as I have a specific style
I follow in that regard. It also is quite easy to make advanced shapes such
as connector sockets.
I've also used Altium for analysis of circuits and simulation with advanced
features such as microtrace simulation (though in truth half of that's way
above my head).
Altium has a very robust error checking as well which under most
circumstances doesn't get in the way. The routing methods are also quite
good though I don't ever use autoroute as I still haven't found one that
does a nice output.
Anyhow, that's my $0.02.

Post by Tim Webster
Eagle is better for me.
I am familiar with cadsoft eagle. But here is my impressions of altium
after a few days use.
- library
altium is bigger, but search the library is difficult (slow) and
installing the full library will cause space issues.
eagle library, is smaller, but searching is extremely fast
I didn't expect this, but eagle major win
Special chips will not be their. So it comes down to which is easier
to make a footprint.
altium has a foot print wizard, Nice but touch up and checking is advisable.
eagle foot print is beast done through data point entry
altium win, but slight
= schematics and pcb and library linking.
eagle is plan jane and requires you supply directories to library and
script paths
altium puts everything into a project, but it is actually harder to
visualize what is going on.
eagle win
- supplier search
altium allows you to search suppliers for a part
eagle well does in version 6 but more difficult to use
altium win
- simulation
eagle now has light weight simulation built in
altium win
- thermal RF and resistance.
here eagle is quite manual, and requires a good understanding
altium win,
---------
Over all I hate altium because it crashes too many times,
I love that eagle stores files a simple text files, because it makes
source control so easy
---
for me eagle win
--
778 317 7769
--
http://vancouver.hackspace.ca/wp/mailing-lists/