SparkFun Forums

[JOReynolds]

I am still using PADS Perform (1997) on an early Pentium under Windows ME, with a pink dongle and a parallel-port laser printer. I have learned to live with its quirks and I have huge part and decal libraries. But I need to retire the hardware and run it on a more modern PC. Can anyone help?

[InactiveUser001]

You may have success using DOSbox if you cannot get it to run under the new OS using compatibility mode.

I have had problems in the past with older software not running because the new PC is way too fast etc for it (ISTR the parallel dongle was the problem).
Boardmodeller1 was one, the hardware was no good at WinXP times so I had to keep a Win98 PC just for it - eventually upgraded the software.
I still have a Win98 pc for an old CADSTAR conversion program.

Be aware that if your dongle is a parallel one then you need a PC that has a parallel port, plug in PCI LPT cards do not work especially if the dongle is Flexlm based.
Also make damn sure that you backup everything related to the licensing.
Have you still got the install files?

BTW - is it not now time to upgrade? I would have thought that one of the free packages would have provided more than such old software by now?

[JOReynolds]

Thanks for your reply.
Yes, the problem is that the parallel-port dongle is slow and PADS appears to lose interest when it doesn't get a prompt response.
Yes, I should upgrade, principally because the .DXF In/Out function in PADS Perform doesn't work, which is annoying. I tried Labcenter Proteus/Ares but footprint creation from scratch is weak (compared with PADS). I couldn't port my libraries across and I encountered the same problem with Eagle, which relies on the component-vendor-sponsored library offering exactly the footprint I need. I am now retired, but in the course of a long career in design engineering I learned to avoid the expense of hand wiring, so I designed with board-mounted components and connectors, thus the importance of my footprint libraries.
No, I no longer have the installation disks. I bought the package used, on a CD, with the dongle.
I will look into your suggestion of using DOSbox, for which many thanks. I Googled it and found that it supports DOS versions, which, fortunately, I have. The alternative is to hack the timing of the dongle driver, which might allow PADS to run a Pentium speed.

[lyndon]

If you have the DOS install disks, you may be able to install DOS on VMware virtual machine. I use VMWare to run windows XP on a Win 7 PC and it works very well.

[ezflyr]

Hi,

My employer has been a PADS customer since day 1, and I've used all their versions, including the current ones offered by Mentor Graphics. PADS, IMHO, has never been particularly great software - quirky to use, and not intuitive - but it gets the job done. A couple of years ago I advocated that we get Cadsoft Eagle software for some of our smaller 'quickie' type projects. After the very short learning curve, and minimal parts creation (Eagle has pretty extensive libraries available), the Eagle software has now almost completely replaced PADS for our PCB design work. The only time we use PADS now is for maintaining our legacy products! Like you, we assumed that our extensive PADS libraries would be impossible to replace/replicate, but in reality we found this was not the case. If the part is not readily available (in Eagle, or via a 3rd party source), then new parts creation is trivial in Eagle, and should not be feared!! Mostly, it's just finding a predefined (standard) package outline, and then assigning it to your specific part, but even when you need to create a package outline, it's no big deal.

Lastly, newer software offers so many more useful features than the old stuff, that it really is worth the time/effort to obtain/learn the latest offerings! Ha, ha, besides you saif you are retired, so what else do you have to do

John

[InactiveUser001]

For the footprints, 'd not worry at all as the free library wizard tool from pcblibraries will enable you to make the majority of them easily and output them to your chosen cad tool.

[JOReynolds]

Thanks, ezflyr and mattylad. I have downloaded Eagle Light freeware and I will start trying it soon. One benefit will be not having to pay PCB manufacturer to merge the Gerber and aperture files into GC-Prevue format. And since this software is up-to-date I am sure that the PCB libraries will be compatible.