Engineers engage in PCB design, which software should I learn?
Today I discuss a question that many beginners are concerned about. It is also a question recently asked by many small partners: At present, there are so many PCB design softwares. Which PCB design software should I learn? (for reference only)
Controlled impedance PCB supplier in china
At present, there are three major PCB design softwares that are not mainstream.
1. Altium Designer is referred to as AD. It can be said that it is an upgraded version of PROTEL.
2, PADS
3, Cadence allegro
In addition to these three softwares, there are a lot of software, such as Cadstar, CR5000, PCAD, Mentor EE, Mentor WG, Mentor en, PADS Professional Edition, etc., and these softwares are also very powerful, than the above 3 major software features are powerful. However, the market share is not high, so I will not say it here. At present, the market share is not high. At present, it is not meaningful for you to learn from him. It is difficult to find a job for a beginner. No company used.
So we mainly discuss these three major software.
1, AD software analysis
AD (including PROTEL99) The market positioning of this software is some simple boards, such as single-chip microcomputers, simple industrial classes, some relatively simple boards, and more with this software. Relatively low-end product design. Most are simple boards.
Most of the company's products using this software are relatively simple. Generally, it is 2 layers and 4 layers. In the Chinese market, there are more cities in the mainland, and developed cities are less used. Basically, in developed cities, this software is not easy to find when using this software. However, this software has a high market share in the cities in the Mainland.
Why is this software so high in the mainland cities? I personally think that this software is better because it promotes the software in the school, because every student who reads electronic or electromechanical related majors teaches this in the school, or asks to go. Learn this. So the engineers who are still using this software, I can be sure that more than 80% are used in the school, and continue to use after the society. So it can be said that if this software does not have a market for Chinese college students, it is very rare for this software to be estimated in the Chinese market.
2, PADS software analysis
The predecessor of PADS is POWER PCB. This software interface menu is rare and it is not difficult to get started. I guess this is also recognized by the market. In particular, the market share of consumer electronics products is very high.
In the early days, it can be said that it is almost monopolized in consumer products, such as from the early VCD, DVD, MP3, MP4, U disk, LCD TV, to the current tablet. Driving recorders, car electronics, navigators, digital set-top boxes, Android smart TV boxes, mobile phones, etc. are all absolute market share. Especially for mobile phone PCB design, PADS software has almost occupied the monopoly advantage.
Almost all PADS accounts for the bulk of consumer electronics. Especially in the past few years, the market share is absolutely high. In the past few years, the software of allegro has slowly gotten up. The PADS share feels a downward trend. However, PADS still dominates the mainstream market in coastal developed cities. In particular, most companies in Shenzhen still use PADS, followed by allegro. It is easy for PADS to find a job in Shenzhen.
3, allegro software analysis
Cadence allegro The advantage of this software is its powerful, shortcomings are not easy to learn, not easy to get started. Therefore, this software 10 years ago or 7 8 years ago, the market share is still relatively low, generally only used by large companies, especially for companies that use computer motherboards, because this software is powerful, drawing a large board has an advantage. Such as computer motherboards, large industrial control panels, server motherboards, and other large boards, his efficiency and advantages are very obvious.
Therefore, his market is still mainly on computer motherboards, large industrial control boards, server motherboards, and other large boards, and now some tablet computers, mobile phone boards will also be used by a small number of companies. Used by large companies. In the long run, the market prospects of allegro are relatively large.
Multilayer PCB manufacturer in china
Learning software conclusions:
Want to draw a simple board, learn AD. I want to draw consumer electronics to learn PADS. I want to draw a large board to learn allegro. If you learn PADS and allegro, you are basically working in developed cities such as the coast. The mainland cities are not so good looking for work. If you learn AD, it is mainly working in the Mainland, and there are not many coastal cities. . . Of course, this is a relative proportion, just like Shenzhen uses a lot of PADS, but there are still companies using AD, just to say that very few.
In addition, if you want to learn AD, don't think about painting consumer products. For example, if you learn AD to draw a driving recorder, you can use P. If you want to find a driving recorder with AD software, you can't find it. At that time, companies that do not have a driving recorder at all use the AD drawing board, who wants you. Doing tablets, LCD TVs, cell phones, etc. These are the same.
If you want to draw this kind of product, you are very difficult to find a job or you can't find such a job at all. This kind of person may be refuted. I am using AD to draw a tablet. Now it is not wrong to use AD to draw a tablet, or to use AD to draw a mobile phone. But how much do you use to see the whole market? But no matter how few people use it, there should still be some companies to reuse, there are not many companies used, it is hard to find a job for a newcomer who just learned.
In terms of wages, different software is used to draw different boards, and wages are far away. For example, there are some mainland city artboards, more than 3K. There are some places to take more than 2W, this specific depends on what board you draw. If the board is almost the same, I personally feel that the salary of ALLEGRO is slightly higher than that of PADS. This is because I personally think about the income of many friends around me. personal opinion.
Learning is mainly for work, so learning should learn the right things, such as learning AD should learn to draw some simple boards and industrial relatively simple boards are almost the same, and then complex boards, and less companies use AD.
Learn PADS, you want to learn to draw a computer motherboard, or a large industrial control board, there is no use of P, you can not find a job. Basically no company uses PADS to draw computer motherboards. Learn allegro If you want to draw an LCD TV or a driving recorder, there is no use for P. You want to find a LCD TV with allegro. The work of the driving recorder is not found, and there is no company at all.
Let's discuss the current employment issues, and positioning:
Employment, this is the problem that everyone wants to enter this industry, that is to say, after I learned this PCB design software. Can you find a job? If you can't find a job, it is white. These softwares are currently divided into cities in China, and there is still a regional division. For example, most mainland cities have a high occupancy rate of AD (PROTEL).
1. If you want to work in a city in the mainland, draw some simple 2 layers, 4 layers, then I suggest you learn AD software. It is easier for mainland cities to find work with this software, but because the company board with this software is generally It is relatively simple, so the salary is generally not high.
2. If you want to be in a coastal city, especially want to be at
Working in Shenzhen, if you want to paint this kind of consumer products, it is recommended to learn PADS. This software is easy to use, and it is very easy to find a job in Shenzhen. There are many companies used.
3. If you want to draw a large product board, it is recommended to learn allegro. The software currently has a high market share, especially in large boards.
Learning PCB design, most people are working for, after learning, can find a good job, this is everyone's expectations. So you want to learn which design software, you have to locate yourself, because this has several factors, such as which city you want to work in the future, mainly want to design what products.