where to get Allegro?

[siriusbliss]

...on a month-to-month lease deal (NOT a stupid yearly deal).

I don't want to own it, just want to rent it for use - month by month.

Allegro is not worth paying $2K per month for 'the little guy' like me whose working at home

Greg

ghurley@cox.net

[padmaster]

$2K/month? I'm not sure they lease the software at all.


Best bet for the little guy is to buy PCB Studio (http://www.cadencepcb.com/products/studiosuite/datasheets/default.asp). Regular price is about $12k, but occasionally they have a trade-in deal for about half that. Annual maintenence is $1600. Even if you had to get a loan to buy it, I would think it would be worth it.

[cadpro2k]

wanna be even more creative? Buy a version of PADS from someone (it'll need to be a registered/legal version), then get the trade in deal from Cadence for Allegro Studio WITH the "performance option". Saves BIG time.

No, I don't think Cadence nor Mentor will do a "lease the tool" option plan. Sorry.

Good day.

[padmaster]

That performance option is gonna kick up the price tremendously.... I don't think it's worth it :moon:

[cadpro2k]

ever try to run Allegro without SKILL? or clipboard? or...?

get the performance option.

BTW, what is the price of "tremendous" now-a-daz?

M

[siriusbliss]

went right by studio and am using 'expert' these days.

I NEED those features.

won't go the Pads route just to get a 'deal' on the still overpriced studio (or whatever).

A month to month 'use fee' is fine with me. I don't need to own it.

[padmaster]

Originally posted by cadpro2k
ever try to run Allegro without SKILL? or clipboard? or...?

get the performance option.

BTW, what is the price of "tremendous" now-a-daz?

M



Just curious cadpro2k, what skill files do you run that are worth all that money? What does it do for you that you can't accomplish by other means?

[cadpro2k]

PadMan,

What is "all that money"? Skill functions, let me count the ways...

1) Create an IPC356 netlist on the fly to go with my gerbers to fab.
2) Highlight no fanned out pins
3) Highlight no testprep'd pins
4) Create thermal relief symbols automatically.
5) Edit the netslist logic INSIDE of allegro.
6) Walk thru the DRCs
7) Walk thru the "dangling" lines report

as for Clipboard, how do you get misc. stuff between boards, or copy misc stuff to another layer easily?

As well, how do you do "matched delays" and differential pairs? By hand? Sorry, I like the DRC capability,

No, if I had to use the straight up Studio now, I'd just as soon use PADS. Good cheap tool to easily do things Studio doesn't do easily.

Good day.

[siriusbliss]

try pushing a button and having the program consolidate all drills in padstacks (INCLUDING symbols), spit out NC drill data, generate a drill table, and not only spit out IPC data, but regenerate the drill chart in the correct format for Valor export (which doesn't see Allegro's figures).

Or try matching line lengths on 150 lines to within .1 mil and verifying in the constraint manager.

Or generate blind/buried vias in a flash using a wizard.

Power to the LAZY man/woman!

(Despite all this, I am STILL under the opinion that ALL software, including Allegro, in this wacked industry is OVERPRICED!)

[padmaster]

Well, they do have to pay all those people to decide they're not gonna implement all those cool enhancements we've suggested ;)

[padmaster]

Originally posted by cadpro2k

What is "all that money"?

I tried to contact a sales person yesterday to find out what the cost of the performance option is, but she wasn't available. I believe it runs around 7k-8k (correct me if I'm wrong), not to mention the additional $1600 annual maintenence fee.

Originally posted by cadpro2k
Skill functions, let me count the ways...

1) Create an IPC356 netlist on the fly to go with my gerbers to fab.
2) Highlight no fanned out pins
3) Highlight no testprep'd pins
4) Create thermal relief symbols automatically.
5) Edit the netslist logic INSIDE of allegro.
6) Walk thru the DRCs
7) Walk thru the "dangling" lines report


1. It only takes a couple of minutes to do a File>Export>IPC-356 from the menu.

2-7. I'm not saying running skill files aren't convenient. My point was, for the little guy, the additional cost can't be justified (IMHO) for sporatic jobs......assuming that was siriusbliss' intention when he said he wanted to lease the software.

Originally posted by cadpro2k
as for Clipboard, how do you get misc. stuff between boards, or copy misc stuff to another layer easily?

I'm not sure what you mean by misc. stuff. The copy and change command work just fine in Studio.

Originally posted by cadpro2k
As well, how do you do "matched delays" and differential pairs? By hand? Sorry, I like the DRC capability,

Here again, I'm not saying the performance option doesn't have some usefullness. The matched delays, differential pairs and testprep are all great features, but can be achieved by other means.

[ejlersen]

Hi all,

Just to let you all know : Today running Skill programs is included in PCB Design Studio

Best regards,

Ole Ejlersen

[Scicards]

Skill is now free with Allegro....