CircuitMaker vs Altium Designer 18: A Comprehensive Comparison of PCB Design Software

When it comes to Printed Circuit Board (PCB) design software, there are numerous options available in the market. Two popular choices that often find themselves at loggerheads with designers and engineers alike are Cadsoft Eagle and KiCad. However, for this article, we will be pitting two industry heavyweights against each other - Altium Designer 18 vs CircuitMaker.

Altium Designer is a powerful PCB design software developed by the Australian company, Altium Limited. It offers an array of features that make it an ideal choice for complex and large-scale designs. On the other hand, we have CircuitMaker, another product from Altux Inc., which was acquired by Cadsoft in 1998.

In this article, we will be comparing these two PCB design software programs head-to-shoulder to help you decide which one is best suited for your needs.

Designing a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) can be an arduous task, especially when dealing with complex designs. To make the process easier and more efficient, various PCB design software options are available in the market today. Two such popular choices that often find themselves at loggerheads among designers and engineers alike are Altium Designer 18 and CircuitMaker.

In this article, we will be comparing these two industry giants to help you decide which one is best suited for your needs. We'll also look into some of their key features, pros, cons, pricing options, system requirements, supported operating systems, customer support offered by the manufacturers, ease-of-use factor, and more.

Altium Designer 18 Features:

1. Advanced PCB Design Capabilities: Altium Designer offers advanced capabilities for designing complex printed circuit boards (PCB) with ease.

2. Multi-board design: It supports multi-board designs that allow you to create large-scale projects efficiently.

3. High-speed Board Routing: The software features high-speed board routing options that help in reducing the overall PCB area and improving performance.

4. Mixed-Signal Design Support: Altium Designer 18 provides support for mixed-sigma design, which makes it ideal for designing complex digital- analog boards.

CircuitMaker Features:

1. Easy-to-use Schematic Editor: CircuitMaker uses a similar easy-to-use and great-looking schematic editor that has made Altium famous.

2. Multi-sheet Design Support: You can easily create complex multi-sheet designs using this software, which makes it ideal for large-scale projects.

3. Hierarchical Design Blocks: It supports hierarchical design blocks that allow you to reuse existing components in your project.

When comparing these two PCB design software options head-to-head, there are several factors that one should consider before making a final decision. Here's an objective comparison of Altium Designer 18 and CircuitMaker based on some key features:

Ease-of-Use:

CircuitMaker wins hands down when it comes to ease-of-use factor due to its simple yet intuitive user interface.

Learning Curve:

Both software options have similar learning curves, but if you're already familiar with Cadsoft Eagle or KiCad, then switching over to Circuitmaker won't be a problem at all. However, for beginners who are new to PCB design altogether, Altium Designer might require some time getting accustomed to its features and functionality.

Performance:

Altium Designer 18 is known for its fast performance even when working on large-scale projects with complex designs. On the other hand, Circuitmaker can sometimes lag behind if you're dealing with very intricate board layouts or huge schematics.

Pricing Options:

CircuitMaker offers a free version that comes packed with all basic features required to get started with PCB design. However, for advanced capabilities like multi-board support and high-speed routing options, you'll need to upgrade to one of their paid plans starting from $995 per year. On the other hand, Altium Designer 18 doesn't offer any freeware version; instead, it offers a free trial period that lasts up to 30 days after which you'll be required to purchase a license key.

Customer Support:

Altium Limited is known for its excellent customer support services offered through various channels such as phone numbers, email addresses, forums etc. On the other hand, Circuitmaker's technical assistance can sometimes leave much to desire due to long response times and limited availability of resources online.

System Requirements & Operating Systems Supported:

- Altium Designer 18 requires Windows XP or later operating systems (32-bit/64bit) with a minimum RAM requirement of 4 GB.

- On the other hand, Circuitmaker supports both Mac OS X Lion/Snow Leopard (Intel-only) and Microsoft Windows Vista/7/8/x64 architectures.

In conclusion, whether you're an experienced PCB designer looking for advanced features or just starting out in this field, there's a software option available that suits your needs perfectly well. Altium Designer 18 offers all the bells and whistles required to create complex digital- analog boards efficiently while CircuitMaker provides ease-of-use at affordable prices without compromising on functionality too much.

So what do you think? Have any experiences with these two PCB design software programs yourself? Share them in the comments section below!

Circuitmaker, altium designer 18