Easy-PC for Windows 95

By ROBERT PENFOLD
We put another printed circuit design (PCB) program graphics programs at standard
under the microscope. VGA resolution, while Windows
programs on the same comp-
uter operate in SVGA modes at
Over the years I suppose various upgraded MS-DOS double or more the normal VGA
that I have tried most of the versions. I was therefore more resolution. The new Windows
printed circuit design programs than a little happy to try out the version of Easy-PC will no
that have come onto the new Windows version of Easy- doubt be of great interest to
market, from simple shareware PC. This runs under the users of previous versions, as
offerings to up-market profess- Windows 95/98 or Windows NT well as first-time users looking
ional packages providing every operating systems, but not for a modern printed circuit
feature imaginable. under Windows 3.1 or earlier. design package.
Easy-PC is one of the more Running modern Windows
successful printed circuit design software and older MS-DOS
programs on the same comp-
MINIMUM
programs, and this award-
winning software has now been uter can be problematic, and REQUIREMENTS
available for about ten years. the MS-DOS programs often fail In order to run Easy-PC,
to make full use of the facilities you need a reasonably well-
For some reason the
available on a modern PC. For specified PC. The minimum
original MS-DOS version of
example, you often have to run requirements are an 80486
Easy-PC eluded me, as did the
processor with maths co-
processor, 8MB of RAM, 20MB
of hard disk space, and a SVGA
display having a resolution of
800 by 600 or more in 256
colors. However, the minimum
recommended system is a
100MHz Pentium, 16MB of
RAM, and a display resolution
of 1024 by 768. The graphics
performance is not quite as fast
as some other modern Windows
programs, and when designing
large boards there is definite
advantage in using a fast PC.
There is no set limit to the
number of tracks, pads, etc. that
the program can handle, be-
cause its capacity is governed
by the amount of free memory.
Running the program under
Windows 95, 16MB of RAM was
The screen has a conventional Windows layout, complete sufficient to accommodate a
with scrollbars. The graphics are excellent, and with a screen large demonstration board, and
resolution of 800 x 600 or more will clearly show quite large most users will probably not
board layouts. need to worry about a memory
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Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc
 upgrade. The program is supp- Circuit diagrams and boards simply produce a technology file
lied on five high density disks, have their own file types, but for each type of project (audio,
and installation in standard there are other types including digital and radio frequency
Windows fashion proved to be project files, which are used to circuits for example). There are
trouble-free. group together all the files for a further file types to handle
project. This enables circuits symbols, components, and their
split over several pages to be libraries.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS associated with a single printed
On running the program, circuit board.
you are greeted with a con- There are also technology DESIGN PROCESS
ventional Windows screen files, which act rather like The design process starts
having a menu bar and a templates in word processors by selecting “Schematic Design”
toolbar at the top, and a status and suchlike. In other words, a from the file menu, and then
bar at the bottom. This leaves technology file controls layer drawing the circuit diagram in
most of the screen free for settings, the screen grid, etc., the window that this produces.
drawings, but the toolbar and but does not contain a design.
status bar can be switched off if The supplied libraries of
Amongst other things, this components are not quite as
comprehensive as those
supplied with some other
printed circuit design programs,
but there is still an excellent
selection of analog and digital
components. You can, of
course, add your own libraries
of components.

Easy-PC makes
widespread use of pop-up
control panels. This one
controls various aspects of
the display, such as the
screen colors.

the largest possible drawing Using the “Add Component” button brings up a control
area is required. panel that enables the required component to be selected. It is
Due to the large number of possible to switch to another library via the “Browse” button.
file types and output options,
separate File and Output menus
enables different sets of starting Components are selected
are used. Easy-PC is a com-
conditions to be used for diff- via either the menu system or
bined schematic capture and
erent types of project. You one of the buttons on the
printed circuit design program.
toolbar. In either case this
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Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc
 brings up a window which clicking on an object brings up a components has been comple-
enables you to scroll through control panel that enables it to ted, the nets (that simply run
the available components in the be deleted, rotated in 90 degree straight from one pin to the
current library, and select the increments, the line width to be next) must be routed properly,
one you require. When necess- changed, etc. The exact options one-by-one. Left clicking on a
ary, a second window can be available depend on the type of net converts it to a track, which
brought up, and a different object chosen. The “Properties” can then be dragged around the
library can then be selected. option brings up a further screen and have segments
Each component can have control panel that provides more added. Editing in the printed
more than one physical symbol, precise control, such as rotation circuit part of the program is
and many of the semicond- in 0⋅1-degree increments. broadly the same as when using
uctors are available with both Using the schematic editor the schematic capture section.
conventional and surface mount is generally quite easy and after If you wish to produce a
encapsulations. each net is completed it dumps printed circuit design for an
Although the physical you back into the editing mode, existing circuit diagram, it is not
attributes are irrelevant to the this makes editing easier, necessary to redraw the circuit
circuit diagram, it is still adding new connections can and then convert it to a PCB. If
important to choose the right continue simply by double preferred, Easy-PC can be used
one at this stage, because the clicking on any device connec- as a simple electronic drawing
physical outline of the comp- tion. The diagrams produced by board. The physical symbols
onent will be carried forward the various schematic capture are placed on the screen and
into the printed circuit design. programs tend to be neat if the board outline is added. Then
Selecting the right component rather basic. Easy-PC is no either the nets are added and
and outline is quite straight- exception, but it is possible to routed, or the tracks are laid
forward, but no “thumbnail” use various line widths and text down straight away with no rats-
sketches of components are styles to produce prettier res- nest being used at all. Produc-
shown in the selection window. ults, should you need to do so. ing boards in this fashion is
(We understand there is a quite straightforward using
component preview window on Easy-PC, and all the usual
the new Version 2. Ed.) ALL CHANGE editing facilities are available.
PCB computer-aided design Components are easily
(CAD) programs that use sch- added to a board produced via
INTERCONNECTIONS ematic capture can be rather the schematic capture method.
Once the circuit symbols convoluted in use. Easy-PC is It is again just a matter of add-
have been placed on the screen very user-friendly, and convert- ing the physical symbols for the
the interconnections can be ing a circuit diagram into a components and then putting in
added. There is a “free” mode, corresponding board design is the new nets and (or) tracks.
which permits lines to be added very straightforward. Selecting
at any angle, as well as the “Translate to PCB” from the
usual orthogonal mode that only Tools menu opens a new THE EASY ROUTE
permits horizontal and vertical window into which the basis for Although no autorouter is
lines. Each line carrying inter- the board is placed. At this included as standard with Easy-
connections is called a net. stage the board design is simply PC, an add-on autorouter is
Each net is automatically the physical symbols for the available in the form of Multi-
numbered, but you can use your components with a “rats nest” of router II. This can only handle
own names for supply rails or interconnections. A large up to two layers, but four and
any net that can be given a amount of work is needed in eight layer versions are avail-
useful name. order to turn this into a practical able at higher cost. Multirouter II
Symbols, nets, and text are board design. is supplied on two high-density
easily edited. Left clicking on an The normal way of tackling floppy disks, and is installed
object selects it, and it can then the conversion is to start by separately from Easy-PC. How-
be dragged around the screen. drawing a board outline. Conn- ever, once installed it effectively
Rubber banding ensures that ectors and other major compon- becomes part of Easy-PC, and
moving objects does not alter ents are then moved into the it is activated by way of the
the existing set of inter- required positions. Once any Tools menu.
connections. Simply right additional repositioning of
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Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc
 I think it is fair to say that, in production, and gives a good aborted and a fresh attempt with
general, autorouters do not live chance of the finished board a different strategy is tried. It
up to expectations. They are actually working. also uses shove aside techni-
very good at weaving ultra-fine ques, which can move existing
tracks across boards having two tracks out the way to make
layers, operating on the basis of NEW BREED room for new ones.
mainly working horizontally on Multirouter II is one of a Gridless autorouting
one layer and vertically on the new breed of autorouters that enables awkward components
other. This rather simplistic tries to do things rather more having unusual pin spacings to
approach does not necessarily like a human designer. It has rip be accommodated. Multi-pass
produce boards that are up and retry, where a failed operation enables designs to be
reasonably cheap and easy to attempt to route a track is refined, with unnecessary track
segments being removed,
corners being mitered, and
where possible, tracks are
fattened. Last, and by no means
least, it can operate on a single
layer with no horizontal or
vertical bias on that layer. This
permits efficient routing of
single-sided boards.
So much for the theory, but
does it actually produce
worthwhile results in practice?
As with most autorouters, there
are various design rules that
can be adjusted in an attempt to
get the program to route the
board in the desired fashion.
Provided the component place-
ment and design rules are
sensible, Multirouter II seems to

Multirouter II provides
good control over the routing
strategy via this control
panel. The layer control
panel is used to select the
layers on which tracks can
produce. Also, with some types
of circuit, but particularly analog
types, it tends to produce large
amounts of stray coupling which
could easily prevent the layout
from working at all.
What is often needed is a
single-sided board, aided by
some link-wires or zero ohm
resistors where true single-sided
routing is not possible. This type Right clicking on an object brings up a control panel that
of board is easy for do-it-your-
provides basic editing facilities such as delete and rotation in
self board production, relatively
cheap for commercial 90-degree steps. Selecting ”Properties” produces a control

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Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc
 make a good job of things, and The preview router is a There are also compreh-
avoids excessive use of vias simple single pass type that can ensive on-line help systems
(through-board connections). It help the user to set up the main included in both programs. Hard
is also quite fast, generally router with the optimum design copy can be produced via the
taking no more than a few rules. With a fast PC the main Windows printer, and users of
seconds to route simple boards, router is usually so fast that this HPGL compatible plotters will
and a few minutes to route the facility is not really required, but welcome the inclusion of a
more complex ones. it could be useful when using an direct output for plotters of this
As an initial test of the older PC. type. There are also NC drill,
program's single-sided routing Gerber, and DXF outputs,
capability, I gave it a very together with parts lists and
simple preamplifier circuit with MANUALS reports generators. No Windows
component placement that Both Easy-PC and metafile output facility is avail-
made the board very easy to Multirouter II are supplied with able. However, I understand
route. With the right design A5 ring-bound manuals. There that in the new Version 2
rules Multirouter II produced the are some 290 pages in the anything added to the clipboard
intended track pattern, albeit Easy-PC manual and 57 pages using cut or copy can be pasted
with one or two tracks taking in the manual for Multirouter II. into other Windows programs.
slightly circuitous
routes. This may not
seem like much of a
test, but most
autorouters would
actually fail to
completely route this
board, or would go “all
round the houses.”
Trying some more
complex circuits
produced very good
results with both
double and single-
sided boards.

MEMORY AND
PREVIEW
In addition to the
normal router, there
are preview and mem-
ory autorouters. The Using the right routing options enables single-sided boards to be
memory router is auto-routed. Some of the tracks in this preamplifier take the “scenic
intended for use with
route,” but Multirouter II has found what is essentially the right track
boards that have
simple repeating track pattern.
patterns, as found in
many memory circuits, and Both manuals are fairly compre-
digital circuits in general. In hensive, explaining principles TRACK RECORD
most cases this would only be as well as telling you how to Easy-PC is a well-estab-
used to route appropriate operate the program. The Easy- lished and much respected
sections of a board. It is a rather PC manual includes a large program, and for the many
specialized facility, but one that section at the back giving existing users who wish to move
could be very useful when details of the component sym- on to a modern Windows PCB
designing certain types of bols supplied. Both include CAD program this new version
board. thorough indexes. probably represents the only

Copyright © 1998 Wimborne Publishing Ltd and EPE Online, November 1998 - www.epemag.com - 48
Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc
 sensible upgrade path. New With most autorouters you think that Multirouter II might be
users have several other have little real control over the the deciding factor for some
programs in the same price way the board is routed, and prospective purchasers of Easy-
range to consider. have to accept things the way PC, and it is a program that I
In some minor ways I found the program does them. am happy to recommend.
Easy-PC a little disappointing. Multirouter II attempts to route
For example, some more boards in a more sophisticated
fashion than most other auto- MORE INFORMATION
buttons on the toolbar could
speed up operation of the routers, and also gives the user Easy-PC for Windows,
program. There is plenty of more control over the finished Easy-PC 500 for Windows,
room for them, and plenty of result. It is the only autorouter I Multirouter II for Windows, and
keyboard shortcuts they could have tried that could properly Multirouter II 500 for Windows
replace or augment. (We under- handle the single-sided boards I are all available from Number
stand a Zoom All button has produce for EPE and EPE One Systems. You can find out
been included in Version 2. Ed.) Online projects, and certainly more about these and other
rates as the best program of this tools by bouncing over to their
One of the big selling points type that I have tried so far. I Web (www.numberone.com).
of Easy-PC has always been
the ease with which new users
could learn to use it. I certainly
found that it was easier to learn
than other PCB CAD programs
of similar capabilities, and new
users should be able to start
using it in earnest almost imm-
ediately. It proved to be entirely
stable during the test period,
with no crashes, Windows error
messages, or odd happenings.
Although Easy-PC does not
stand out from the crowd, it
compares quite well with other
PCB CAD programs, and
having moved on to Windows
95 software it is the one that I
will probably use from now on.
Unfortunately, the price tag is
probably too high for most
home users, but there is now a
limited version of the software
called Easy-PC 500 which can
be used for designs containing
the equivalent of over thirty 16-
pin ICs, i.e. 500 pins.
Multirouter II does stand out
from the crowd. This is a ser-
iously clever piece of software
that seems to reach the pads
that other autorouters cannot
reach! Apart from producing
efficient two layer boards, it is
one of the few autorouters that
can make a worthwhile attempt
at producing single-sided board
designs.

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Maxfield & Montrose Interactive Inc