I've been a tech for 30 or so years, and a hobbyist even longer. I've
drawn PCBs using sharpies and the little transfer pads Radio Shack
used to sell, then moved on to transfers. Lately I've been playing
around with using Staples photographic paper for transfers, something
I picked up on elsewhere on the net.
I currently use M/S paint to draw schematics, and overall am happy
with the results. I've created a set of templates I cut and past off
of to draw my ideas. I've also played around with using Paint for
drawing board layouts with less than satisfactory results, the 1" =
1.06" size translations built into Paint doesn't cut it. I've worked
around it to some extent, but I would like something better.
I've played around with EagleSoft, but as near as I can tell they
require that you draw the schematics in their format, which is a real
downer. Plus, many of the components I use (I buy surplus a lot)
simply don't exist in their libraries.
Is there any Windows programs I can input pad shapes and define the
connection points that will help me layout boards? I will be
outputing the files through my Laser 6P printer, and of course it
needs to be reversed for transfering. I am new to the jargon, so
please be kind on the acronyms.
Any ideas? Thanks.
On a separate note, this is my first usernet post. The amount of spam
is a bit intimidating, I feel I may have trashed my email account
using it. It does have some meat however, and I was referred here by
Bill Bowden's website, which is very nicely done. I may try something
similar myself. How do you guys control the enormous bulk of spam I
see on the open forum? Thanks again.
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