Suggestions for pcb design in Linux?

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I'm a long term Eagle user and it's still my editor of choice, although I may speak out of habit. One of the main advantages is the large library support, e.g. the Sparkfun and Adafruit lib contain many devices and footprints makers come into contact with. The PCB fabs I work with also have DRU files, meaning you can check in Eagle if your board can be manufactured without problems. They also support .brd files, saving me from having to convert my design into gerbers and doublechecking the conversion.

The user interface has some antics from times long past, but you learn to love them over time :D .
 
I've so far only have tried eagle7, and I just downloaded eagle8, which is Autodesk new subscription model.

Do you use the older versions or have you upgraded to the subscription model? I'm probably going to use the eagle8, as I will likely only ever use the free version for non-commercial use. But I am a little worried about the ability to prevent my use of the software whenever autodesk chooses.
 
Never thought I've say I'm glad to have a copy of Eagle (version 7) on my computer... but I really, really don't like cloud software!
 
I'm still on Eagle 6.6.0. It does everything one can expect from EDA software, but might be missing some fancy bells and whistles such as 3D. My employer once bought our team some licenses which we were allowed to use for side-projects too :) . The only reason I would want to upgrade (to 7.x) is for maximal file compatibility.

Some colleagues are on Altium, which they seem very pleased with, and some youngsters use KiCad. Altium only runs on Wine and is wildly expensive, KiCad doesn't seem too bad and is free and multiplatform. It doesn't have the same library support as Eagle though.
 
I used Eagle at home for years while using Mentor PADS at work. Eagle was infuriating. About 2 years ago I switched to Kicad at home. Much less anger issues now.

That said, just use whichever one you like better. If you're not comfortable with gerbers, some PCB proto places will directly take Eagle CAD files. I catch a lot of my PCB errors when I'm looking through my gerber artwork that I miss in the layout editor so for me I would never submit Eagle board files even if the proto service accepted them.
 
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Another +1 for having an old version of eagle that I'm going to hold onto despite my dislike for the thing since it's still the one where I can grab adafruit or sparkfun parts and get on with the job. Suggestion when asking this question is what are you actually doing? Most pro tools have limits on size, selling the result or features so if you say want to route RF domain signals or make A3 size PCBs makes a difference.
 
Epyon said:
The user interface has some antics from times long past, but you learn to love them over time :D .
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You must be German. ;)

FWIW, I too am a Eagle user and have made peace with some of the weird quirks in Eagle. Still considering buying a full version minus the auto-router.

I intentionally stuck to version 6.5 because later versions label errors on my parts that a supply house has no issues with. Too big of a headache to fix for now and no cloud software for me, if I can avoid it.
 
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As linuxgeek suggests, we don't know what Autodesk might do in the future with Eagle. I've kept Eagle 7.6 and 7.7 installed but also have the latest, 8.1.0. You can run either version but you will be constantly asked if you want to convert an EPF file. It seems to be OK going between the two. The Autodesk versions have some differences but they're not that much trouble.
 
luni said:
In case somebody needs the old versions: The download server is still online:

ftp://ftp.cadsoft.de/eagle/program/
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Kudos to you for the link. I had been wanting to get the last 7.x version just to have it (since I have a license for v7 that I intend to stay with - currently v7.5 installed), but couldn't seem to find a way to get to it as everything redirected to Autodesk's site and a dead-end. I can't stand subscription software, and the new licensing is more expensive with somewhat less capability for us hobbyists.

While it took some learning, I too came to peace with Eagle and have been satisfied with it for my purposes. I bought a license last year so I could work on a new idea that will require 4-layer. One of these day's I'll actually start on that ;) Sparkfun and Adafruit's Eagle libraries and layouts are nice to have to directly import, and OSHPark and OSHStencil take native Eagle files so I don't bother with Gerbers (though I've done it a few times, and it isn't that bad). Eagle tutorials from both companies were sufficient for me to figure out 90% of what I've needed, and that was all the basics. From there Google is your friend.
 
I'm finding one oddity with the new Eagle. When new versions are installed, there is a folder for each but only one start menu item for the latest near the top of the list. The old versions treated each version with a complete package. They do all seem to share the same profile settings. I'd like to get rid of 8.0.1 and 8.0.2 and keep 8.1.0 but I'm not sure how much will get uninstalled.
 
Info:
You can uninstall earlier versions in the 8.x series and keep the latest, now 8.1.0. However, when uninstalling the first old version, you will lose the Start/Program entry, the desktop icon, and the latest version entry from the ControlPanel/Programs list. The program is still there as you can run the EXE from the Eagle 8.1.0 folder. Reinstalling the latest version will restore the missing parts without logging in to your account to activate.

I would recommend keeping any version in the 7.x series and if you don't have the latest, 7.7, getting it from a link above to the archive.
 
Constantin said:
You must be German. ;)

FWIW, I too am a Eagle user and have made peace with some of the weird quirks in Eagle. Still considering buying a full version minus the auto-router.

I intentionally stuck to version 6.5 because later versions label errors on my parts that a supply house has no issues with. Too big of a headache to fix for now and no cloud software for me, if I can avoid it.
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Actually I'm Belgian, but I get your drift ;) .

I don't really understand what is so annoying at Eagle that people would actually dislike it. The only thing that I find a bit weird is the copy/paste process (especially for lay-outs). You can also tweak the program quite a bit to make it easier to use, e.g. I use keyboard shortcuts for almost everything and this speeds everything up quite a bit.
 
I have been a loyal user of Eagle since DOS version 2.6 (around 1993). I have upgraded each year or so until version 5.11 which is what I an using today. Most of my PCB designs are for vacuum tube electronics, primarily amplifiers. These PCB's are usually rather simple 2 layer designs with 0.050 inch traces on 0.050 inch spacing. They however are rather large since some common vacuum tubes are up to two inches in diameter. This forces the use of the PRO version due to the board size. Some of my boards are nearly a foot long. I have done odd boards that mixed, say vacuum tubes and dsPIC chips. That one did use 4 layers.

I used Cadence and Mentor Graphics PCB tools while at Motorola and understand that every PCB tool has its own quirks. Learning them isn't too hard, but learning the little quirks to get them to do what you want takes years!

The US Cadsoft office was a short drive from my house in Florida, so I could go there and get the PRO version for a reasonable upgrade price without the autorouter (never used it). That ended with the Farnell buyout, which is why I'm still at version 5.11. V 5.11 will not read any of the new (V 6.X) library files, so the use of modern parts requires me building my own library parts. Autodesk now wants $500 per year for a pro license, so I need to find a new PCB tool.

RS / Allied Electronics offers a free tool called Design Spark which I read very little about, and what I find isn't very positive, but I read the same stuff about Eagle......Anybody out there have any experience with DesignSpark?
 
@tubelab: in the new Eagle version (8+) the size limit of the free version was replaced by an area limit. This limit only applies for part placement (not for routing or board size) That helped me a lot in my last project where I had a very long but narrow board. Of course, the free licence doesn't allow commercial use.
 
luni, thanks for the input. I checked the Cadsoftusa / Autodesk web site hoping that I could use their "Eagle standard" version. It has a 160 cm2 total area restriction. The smallest board I make is 5 X 5 inches, or 169 cm2. Most of my boards are 250 to 400 cm2 which would require Eagle premium. Tubelab has been a part time endeavor for the last 10 years. and is self sufficient for the last several years, but doesn't make much profit......I was $20 USD in the black for 2016. A $500 annual Eagle subscription is not possible right now. I retired from my 41 year engineering career at Motorola 3 years ago and will be developing several new products in the coming years, but I need a low cost PCB tool now. I have downloaded the Design Spark PCB tool which is supposed to be able to read the old Eagle board and library files. I plan to try it out for some simple stuff in the near future, and I can still use Eagle 5.11 for most of my tube stuff since I have made all the library parts. There is a new Teensy powered music synthesizer that needs to be laid out though....no tubes in it...yet!
 
The new subscription model is a sign of the times. Most every software package is transitioning to it, as developers (and owners) love the model: No longer there is any pressure to keep evolving the product, you simply keep earning revenue no matter what. Unless users revolt (and Intuit had a minor revolt with its Quicken line) this is where I expect all packages to go over time. Not that competitors don't eventually follow suit either (I'm looking at you, IGG Software) - it simply puts way more $$$ into the pockets of the business owners.

Anyhow, I expect that my series 6 license will last me for a long time. With any luck, Eagle will transition to a more reasonable model by the time that comes around.

Best of luck with the Tube Amp. I'm not a fan - more into Class D amplifiers (Egad!) for the simple reason that I manage to brown out my Sonos with the existing amplifier. Some day I will re-cone the surrounds on my VMPS' followed by a Amplifier and power supply upgrade (i.e. dedicated breakers and outlets for the amps).
 
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more into Class D amplifiers (Egad!)
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I'm an equal opportunity amp builder. I started out tinkering with tubes in the 60's. You could get tubes and parts then for free, just by taking apart discarded TV's, radios, and HiFi sets. Over the years I have build more class AB transistor amps than anything else, silicon was free (samples) while I worked at Mot. I have recently been tinkering with some class D chips from TI too. Some of them sound pretty good, and they are the right choice for battery powered creations.

The new subscription model is a sign of the times. Most every software package is transitioning to it
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Microsoft keeps trying to sell me a subscription to MS office. Uh, why do I need to pay a yearly fee to use Excel or Word when my old copy of MS office 2007 still works just fine on W7......I don't see any way for M$ to change the "library" file format for the English language, or basic spreadsheet math, but they could change Windows to obsolete the old software.

When Gibson bought Cakewalk (Sonar DAW) from Roland they transitioned to a yearly subscription format, promising monthly updates, each with improvements or new features. Like Eagle, I have been a user since Cakewalk 3.0 on DOS (mid 80's), but their yearly $99 fee was reasonable, so I paid for the first year, and they have delivered new stuff each month. I guess things weren't working out, so about 2 years ago they offered "lifetime updates" for a reasonable one time fee, which I bought. Now they are changing the subscription model again, with no word on those of us who purchased the "lifetime" deal. We will se how this whole software rental thing shakes out, but I try not to play. If I can't "buy" a permanent license for a software package, I will look elsewhere since the yearly model will obviously keep changing and things don't usually get cheaper over time.
 
Although I am an Eagle user at work, I use it in an off-label manner and have found ways to do as I please with it by direct editing the *.BRD file. In my previous electronics life I used a PCB editor by GraphiCode which was quite nice to use. Unfortunately they too have gone to the subscription model which does not work for me. I browse the news group sci.electronic.design and their preference is Kicad.
 
tubelab.com said:
RS / Allied Electronics offers a free tool called Design Spark which I read very little about, and what I find isn't very positive, but I read the same stuff about Eagle......Anybody out there have any experience with DesignSpark?
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OK, nowadays, I'm only using DesignSpark on Windows and find it impossible to understand or work with Eagle.
(I did use Orcad, Kicad and had no problems with Design Spark, but Eagle is crazy, far too many layers, never understood them)
I guess, once you started to learn the tricks of any tool and adapted your thinking to what you are working with, any other Philosophy is a barrier.
Had never a problem with getting PCB boards made from my DesignSpark brd and of course Gerber files.

I stick with DS 6.1 as I have not understood advantage of new DS7 business model.

One negative comment I read is the automatic Add presented by RS at startup, but I simply click cancel and go on. (So far I could not find anything interesting in the Add)

Obviously, I do the routing myself. It is far too easy to do it manually, so autorouter is not needed.
 
WMXZ, thanks for the info. I downloaded DS two days ago and haven't had time to dig into it yet. The version I got was PCB 8.0. What was different about the DS7 business model, it's a free tool. If I need to see a commercial message or two at startup, it won't bother me. My email tool makes me watch an ad before the mail will open. That annoys me about as much ad the ad's that pop up in the middle of a Youtube video. I kill those videos immediately hoping that Google gets the message.

I have to make a 2200 mile road trip in a few days, so I plan to put DS on a W10 laptop (if it works) and play with it while my wife drives. The laptop came with W8.1 which was OK, but one day it woke up with W10 and hasn't been right since.

Obviously, I do the routing myself. It is far too easy to do it manually, so autorouter is not needed.
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I never even tried the autorouter on Eagle. My boards are rather simple. We had a 3rd party autorouter at work by Cooper Chyan Technology that worked really good on complex digital stuff. On things like 8 layer cell phone boards with big BGA's for DSP, main processor, and memory (before HDI) I would place and route all the RF and audio with associated power and ground, then another team would place the digital, set up some routing boundaries, then turn CCT loose on it overnight.
 
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