Reasons Why PCB Design Software Will Save You Time

Have you been using the same PCB design software for as long as you can remember and aren’t convinced that it’s time to update or upgrade? Maybe you don’t even use software or perhaps you are still manually drawing out much of your design, or you’re just starting out and aren’t sure the latest PCAD design software is worth the expense.

Did you know that by not using the software that provides key design features, you could be making your job a whole lot more difficult than it needs to be? Sure, there is a lot of know-how involved in PCB design but the software you use also plays a huge role in the process. Still not convinced? Why not take a look at these top reasons why PCB design software will save you time?

Take Advantage of Auto Routers in the Software

The auto router is somewhat of a mystical creature in the design world. While designers want to believe it exists and it can save them all kinds of time and hassle, more often than that it ends up being a disappointment. This is where design software comes into play. These auto routers are now embedded into much of the PCAD design software provided by companies such as Altium, whose software prevents you from having to convert to ASCII during the design translation process. No longer is there a need to get a third party black box application that isn’t necessarily going to work with your design.

What does this mean to you? It means the design rules that you’ve spent so many time creating will work. It also means that you can target very specific areas of the design and work on them individually. This means more customized designs, which clients love.

Streamline the Design

Another big way that PCB software speeds up the process is through streamlining the various steps. It’s also important to understand that some software works better for certain projects over others thanks to the tools it offers. What this means is that you may want to switch up the actual software you use, or find the one that best acts as an all-in-one solution.

Your design software needs to limit the amount of risks your design takes, be user-friendly, and contain a healthy components library. Integrated schematics are another feature that saves time and hassle.

When discussing the ease of use of a particular design software package those in the field often explain it through the easiness measurement. What this means is how many clicks, mouse moves, and keystrokes are needed in order to perform one function. The less steps you have to take in order to complete the step, the faster it’s going to be. Today’s latest software offerings keep this measurement metric in mind and try to provide an intuitive user experience.

The Ultimate Time-Saver

At the end of the day, design software is able to not only make the design process smoother and more streamlined through a variety of tools and functions, but it can speed the process up without making any critical mistakes that set the whole project back.