Electronics Forum / CAD / April 2008

Have you looked at FreePCB?  I think pretty much everyone (or anyone)
will like the UI.  It just plain makes sense even if you have never
looked at a PCB layout program.

The only thing about the UI I don't care for is the way they handle
branches and connections to power planes.  This is treated as a
special case reflecting the fact that the data base has to include a
"special" feature to describe them.  A branch is done by selecting the
virtex and "connecting" it to a pin in the same net.  This adds a
ratline between the two and allows you to route a trace.  If you start
the trace first, you can never get the data base to understand that
the two points are connected.

A connection to a power plane is done with a similar construct he
calls a "stub".  Select the pin and start a "stub route".  Where this
ends a via is added with a "forced" or "fixed" (not sure of the proper
name) attribute.

Personally I find both of these a bit awkward and feel that the
software should recognize anytime traces of the same net are
electrically connected.  But it seems this is a big job and the author
liked his way better.

How do other PCB layout packages handle routing branches and power
plane connections?

The main thing I like about it is the fact that there is tons of
support available from the author and especially other users.  There
is one person in particular who has written supporting software for
FreePCB who seems to always reply to requests for help or suggestions
on how to best do a task.  This is better than the support I have ever
gotten from any company.