Alibre’s prices now include Alibre Translate (which was $499).  (Alibre pricing info via World CAD Access).

VX’s current sale (through March 1, 2010) is VX Innovator for $495, VX Designer for $2000, VX Mold & Die for $3000, VX 3D Machinist for $4000, and VX End To End for $5000.

VX definitely looks more capable than Alibre, but it’s significantly more expensive (including, I’m sure, the annual maintenance fees).  So far, I’ve been able to do some things in VX Innovator I can’t do in Alibre, but Alibre has very few license restrictions.  For example, VX Innovator limits assembly creation to 40 parts maximum (it can import models with more), while Alibre Design Standard does not have any hard limits.  Also, Alibre lets you install Design on up to three computers, which is very nice for those of us with multiple PCs.

I think that if you do anything with 3D solid modeling (not surfacing), then Alibre is definitely worth a look due to its low price, lack of artificial limits, and good import/export options (especially now with Alibre Translate).  If Alibre can improve the ease of use, maybe it can become what SpaceClaim originally claimed to be: MCAD for the rest of us (non-designers), people who need to occasionally work with 3D, but aren’t designing complex parts all day long.

Right now, I’m still sticking with Alibre Design Standard V11 and VX Innovator; if I do a lot of CAD this year, I’ll look at upgrading to Alibre V12.

NOTE: Updated 2/4/10 to reflect Max Freeman’s comment.

I own licenses of Alibre Design Standard V11 (which I bought during the $99 sale) and VX Innovator V14 (which I bought on sale for $195).  I also have free licenses for DoubleCAD XT and CoCreate PE.

I mainly plan on using Alibre and VX Innovator, and reporting my experiences here.  They are somewhat complimentary; Alibre is a pretty standard history-based parametric modeler (with some nice features such as Acrobat 3D output), and VX is a hybrid modeler (solid and surface).

DoubleCAD looks very capable for 2D CAD, but I don’t expect to use it a lot.  I mainly use it for viewing and experimenting with DXF files created by Eagle PCB.

I do like CoCreate PE, but don’t plan on using it much now that I have Alibre Design and VX Innovator.  It’s limited to 60 parts per assembly, which I could easily exceed when modeling a PCB, and cannot export STEP files.  PTC has offered some very big discounts in the past to upgrade to the full version, but the annual maintenance  cost is way too high for my budget.

However, this is not a MCAD blog; my interest in still primarily in automation software and system integration (including PCBs).  OK, I do plan on writing more, but mostly I want to write about my experiences with affordable MCAD.  I do not have the time or interest to keep up with all the latest deals.  But I still might mention deals or MCAD news occasionally.

If you want to keep up on the latest special offers, you should visit MCAD sites such as Deelip.com and World CAD Access.  Also, if you register for the free versions (e.g. Alibre Design Xpress, CoCreate PE, DoubleCAD XT) you will receive e-mail offers.

Alibre has had a lot of good deals (maybe too many).  I’m currently sticking with V11 because I haven’t used it enough, and the improvements in V12 aren’t compelling for my uses.

VX had another sale on VX Innovator around Christmas, but they aren’t as good at marketing as Alibre; if you’re interested in a deal on VX, you should check their web store frequently.

Kubotek has had some sales, too, such as Kubotek Spectrum for $99; current deals include $700 off KeyCreator.

My latest MCAD news is here.

First, it’s hard to get all the details right.   After I assembled my CO-DB9-RJ45-2 adapter board, I plugged it into a AMC DX15 servo drive and then I finally realized: oh, no, the power plug is on the wrong side and will hit the next connector!  (BTW, the simple solution is to use a fixed terminal block instead of a header and plug).

Second, there’s no substitute for actually trying to use, first, the components, and second, the whole machine.  You can’t simulate the feel of quality components.  And there are lots of little things that can bite you later.  That’s why I now prefer to get samples of connectors I’m interested in before using them on a PCB.

I really like the concept of IDC (insulation displacement) terminal blocks: all you have to do is insert the wire and clamp down.  There’s no wire stripping, no ferrules to crimp, and no screws.  So I used a lot of Phoenix IDC terminal blocks in one of my first PCBs.  They worked great for many wires, but one set had problems: one component had wires with really thick insulation (for no good reason IMNSHO), so we really had to cram the wires in, which isn’t a good thing.

So while I still like IDC connectors, such as the eCon style connectors (3M MiniClamp, Tyco RITS) I only use them when I know what the wire gauge and insulation diameter will be.

I’ve also started using a lot of spring clamp connectors.  They can handle a much wider range of wire (and insulation) sizes than IDC, but can still be quicker to assemble than screw clamps.  However, they have their quirks, too:

1. I have a bunch of used early Wago DIN rail spring clamp terminal blocks which are significantly harder to use than the newer models.
2. Large spring clamps can take a lot of force.  I realized that when using some 4.0mm 32A Phoenix DIN Rail spring clamp terminal blocks.  I’m not sure I’d want to use anything larger.
3. It can be hard to get the wires into a spring cage plug: it takes one hand to hold it, one hand to operate the screw driver, and one hand to insert the wire — but I only have two hands.  When the plug is in its header, it’s easy to operate.

First Batch of PCBs (assembled)

I’ve been slowly working on a bunch of PCBs, and the first batch is finally here.

In the coming weeks, I will discuss each board in more detail, fill in the trac pages, and add the Eagle PCB files to my subversion repository.  I will also cover any mistakes I find, and possible improvements.

The initial lineup consists of the:

• FP-SMC-1, which is finally here!  It’s a demo board designed to show how to design a custom PCB to replace typical control cabinet wiring.  It connects a Panasonic FP series PLC to a SMC pneumatic manifold.
• CO-DB9-RJ45-2, designed to convert a CANOpen DB9 connector to dual RJ45 connectors.
• CO-HDR-RJ45, designed to convert a CANOpen terminal block header to dual RJ45 connectors.
• CO-M12-RJ45, designed to convert a CANOpen M12 connector to dual RJ45 connectors.
• CO-TB-RJ45, designed to convert a CANOpen terminal block to dual RJ45 connectors.

The footprint is what a part looks like on the PCB: the holes, the pads, the silkscreen, etc.  PCB design software typically comes with footprint libraries, but some people (including myself and the guys at Sparkfun) prefer to do their own.

It’s easy to make a mistake when creating your own footprints.  You should still check all footprints, because the creator could have made a mistake or it could have been designed for a different part (for example, not all DB9F right angle through hole connectors have the same footprint).

There are two ways of verifying a part’s PCB footprint:

Model the PCB using a MCAD (mechanical CAD) program

1. You have to create a PCB first that uses the footprint.
2. You need a 3D model of the part, preferably from the manufacturer.
3. You need a suitable MCAD program.  Links to some free personal use possibilities (such as CoCreate PE, PowerSHAPE-e, and Medusa4 Personal) are here.
4. I discussed how I modeled the FP-SMC-1 here.

Mock the PCB using a life size printout

1. You have to have the parts you are going to verify.  I like to have the parts first, anyway, since I like to see what the look like and how they work before I use them in a design.
2. You have to create a PCB first that uses the footprint.
3. You then print the footprint at life size (1:1 scale), with the pads, holes, and (optional) silkscreen showing.  You should check that the printout really is life size (printers aren’t perfect).
4. Cut out the PCB, and then mount the parts onto the paper.  I find it’s easier to punch through hole parts through the paper when it’s backed by something like foam.
5. Check the footprint with the parts mounted and removed: holes in right places, pads line up, silkscreen is visible, etc.

Parts inserted into paper PCB printout

Pictured above is a printout of the FP-SMC-1 PCB layout with the parts inserted.  You can see that the text is readable, and silkscreen outlines appear correct, and such.

Paper PCB printout after parts inserted

Pictured above is a view of the FP-SMC-1 layout printout after I removed the parts.  You can see, especially in the larger version, that all the holes (made by the connectors’ pins) line up with the layout’s holes.  (Click on the picture to see the full size version).

In some ways, it’s easier to use the second method.  MCAD programs are fun, but they do have a substantial learning curve; I’ve found mating parts is often very challenging.  But it can also be challenging to poke parts through paper accurately, and I haven’t tried the second method with surface mount parts yet.

Since I’ve been posting a lot about affordable Mechanical CAD software, here’s an update on two great deals:

• Alibre’s $99 offer for Design Standard V11.2 ends on September 29, 2009; also on sale for $99 are Alibre Translate and Alibre Training Bundle.  The maintenance contract is still $299, and includes the upgrade to V12 (due on 9/29/09).
• Time to give some attention to VX Innovator: it’s on sale for $195 until September 4, 2009 for Americas, India, and Africa (with a note that price will increase to $295 — we’ll see if that’s a permanent price cut).

I’ ve been playing with Innovator for the past couple days, and will probably buy it, too.  Some initial comments:

• I’ve had problems installing it on two XP systems, but did get it to install on a Vista (yuck!) system.
• There’s not much about it on the web.  I’ve tried searching for VX topics, and had a hard time coming up with useful results;  there’s much more information available on Alibre and CoCreate.
• I was able to get it do some basic stuff without reading the manual, but with a fair amount of fiddling; overall, I’d say it’s not too difficult to use.
• It can do some things Alibre can’t do, and works in a very different manner (which is good — if it was very similar to Alibre, Solidworks, Solid Edge, etc I wouldn’t be interested).

BTW, I’m not interested in running cracked copies of software (e.g. Solidworks).  I’m interested in using software that’s affordable for anyone to use commercially, and I think that companies that produce good software should be rewarded.

I am using MCAD software to model the PCBs I design because I can catch several types of design errors, including incorrect footprints and mechanical interference.

My requirements are pretty simple; what I want is an affordable system that can:

• import STEP and IGES files, since I want to use the manufacturer’s models if at all possible
• import and extrude DXF files, so I can easily create a model of the printed circuit board itself
• create assemblies using a fair number of parts (>50 should  be enough most of the time)
• export to STEP file (required) and 3D PDF, so I can share my work with others who aren’t using the same CAD software
• be fairly easy to learn and use — I’m primarily a software guy, occasionally designing PCBs, but I’m definitely not a mechanical designer.
• cost under $250

None of currently available free commercial MCAD programs meets all these requirements.  For example, I am fond of CoCreate PE, but it does not export to STEP or 3D PDF, and is limited to 60 parts per assembly.

At $99, however, Alibre Design Standard meets all these requirements, so I will be using it now for all my PCB modeling.  I still want to experiment with and blog about other possibilities, but I don’t expect to get around to that anytime soon.

Some commentators feel this is a desperation move by Alibre.  I think it is a good deal, because:

1. Alibre is getting a lot of publicity
2. They are getting cash flow from Design Xpress users they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise (I’ll call these people, including myself, the non-serious users).  In my case, Design Standard currently isn’t worth $999 (or even $500) to me, so Alibre received $99 from me that they wouldn’t have earned otherwise.
3. Since Alibre has not cut their other pricing, and support and maintenance is not included (Design Standard + 1 year support and upgrades is $398), their support costs are not going to skyrocket, and they probably won’t be devaluing their products.
4. They will still be getting more money from the “serious users” (who would be willing to pay >$500) because these users will be paying annual maintenance.
5. They have increased their chances of upselling in the future.  Once I am used to modelling with Design Standard, I am more likely to pay for maintenance or upgrades in the future.

Go here for my latest MCAD news posts.

I’ve used Xpress occasionally since it was introduced in 2005, and I’ve never had problems importing STEP  (or IGES) files until recently.  Since I mainly use mechanical CAD to model PCBs populated with manufacturer provided part models (typically in STEP or IGES formats), this means Xpress is no longer useful.  As far as I’m concerned, Xpress is now basically just a trial version — great if you want to evaluate Alibre Design before buying, but not useful on its own.

Since I’m not making any money from the PCBs, my budget for MCAD software is basically $0 (OK, I might go up to $250 for software that did a really great job).  If I were primarily doing mechanical design, especially for money, then my budget would be different.

I’m still thinking about what I want to do; my default option is to model in CoCreate PE, which only exports STL and VRML files, but at least it imports DWG, DXF, STP, and IGES files, so it’s still easy to model PCBs in CoCreate and check that all the pieces fit together.

Go here for my latest MCAD news posts.

IDEC LW7L Push Buttons

Industrial style does matter.   That’s one reason I like IDEC’s LW7L flush mount pushbuttons.  Recently I was looking at some of our old equipment with Telemecanique pushbuttons that stick out over 5/8″ — those buttons are functional, but look dated.

The LW family of buttons is extensive (well over 10,000 combinations are available), but the models I like are the  LW7L-M1C64MG and similar.  What is good about them?

• They only need a light touch to operate (lighter than some other IDEC push buttons such as the HW2L series)
• High quality
• Long life LED lights available in amber, green, red, blue, white, and yellow.
• Powered directly by 24V (no resistors to worry about — I’ve destroyed LED lights from other companies).  6V, 12V, 120V, and 240V models are available, but I always use 24VDC.
• They are easy to install.
• The price is reasonable (around $30).  The Telemecanique buttons were much more expensive.   They aren’t the cheapest (e.g. the HW2L buttons are about $20), but I think the difference is well worth it because of the next point.
• They look great, with the square shape and flush mounting.  The traditional round, stick out 22mm push button makes equipment look like a retro-encabulator from the 1950’s.  I consider the extra cost over the HW2L buttons a marketing expense.

I also really like IDEC’s XW series of E-STOP switches — especially the models with a LED light.

Although I haven’t tried downloading and installing to verify, it appears Xpress still does exist, since the registration page for the Design Professional trial still says: “After 30 days your trial converts to Alibre Design Xpress, which has no time limit.”

Go here for my latest MCAD news posts.