Schematic software

J

jeff77indy

Aluminum

Joined

May 17, 2006

Location

Grantsburg, Indiana

• Aug 21, 2008

• #1

Anyone know of a decent software package similar to The Constructor to draw ladder diagrams with the capability to draw PLC I/O layouts also?
I do a lot of these for work. I've used The Constructor program and like it but would like to find something less expensive if a program is out there.
Thanks

 

D

Doug S.

Cast Iron

Joined

Apr 1, 2007

Location

West Michigan

• Aug 22, 2008

• #2

I use TinyCad to document simple circuits. It's a bit clunky but the price was right! I don't think they had ladder logic in mind when they designed it, but you could do it easy enough.

http://tinycad.sourceforge.net/screenshots.html

I'll be watching the thread to see what pops up! ??


Good Luck,

Doug S.

 

W

wippin' boy

Diamond

Joined

Sep 14, 2005

Location

il.

• Aug 23, 2008

• #3

i run visio engineering 2000 edition on windows xp
should be able to get that for about 10 bucks

 

jim rozen

Diamond

Joined

Feb 26, 2004

Location

peekskill, NY

• Aug 23, 2008

• #4

OK, call me a luddite but ladder diagrams like that are
so straightforward, I'd just draw them by hand on a
piece of (gasp) paper with a (gasp gasp) pencil.

I always mean to go back and draft things like that up
purty but somehow it just never happens.



Jim

 

The real Leigh

Diamond

Joined

Nov 23, 2005

Location

Maryland

• Aug 23, 2008

• #5

I've used Visio Technical for many years with excellent results. Never encountered a task I couldn't handle with it, including sheet metal drawings, hard metal, mechanical layouts, panel graphics, schematics of all types, etc.

- Leigh

 

jim rozen

Diamond

Joined

Feb 26, 2004

Location

peekskill, NY

• Aug 23, 2008

• #6

Odd, I could say the same thing about my piece of paper, T-square, and pencil...



Jim

 

D

Doug S.

Cast Iron

Joined

Apr 1, 2007

Location

West Michigan

• Aug 24, 2008

• #7

luddite

 

D

DaveKamp

Titanium

Joined

Oct 3, 2004

Location

LeClaire, Ia

• Aug 24, 2008

• #8

Hee hee....

Well, I guess that since a pencil isn't involved, I'm not THAT far out-of-date...

But I've had excellent results using a gigahertz-class PC running Windows '95 and CorelDraw 5.

Yep, always upgrade the hardware, and downgrade the software... like strippin' out a Model T and shoving in a supercharged Merlin V12...

One advantage over paper-and-pencil...

The quality of the PDF file is much better, and much more compact. To Email a luddite pencil-paper drawing, 'ya gotta scan it first... and for some reason, people always ask for copies of my drawings...

(oh, and I can't afford all the erasers I'd otherwise use fixing my pencil-mistakes...)

(and erasers won't fix the fact that I drool)

 

U

USMCPOP

Titanium

Joined

Jul 15, 2005

Location

Midlothian, Virginia

• Aug 24, 2008

• #9

One thing I like about Visio is that you can create your own objects and templates for things you use often.

(I found it easier to use before Microsoft bought Visio and over-featured it years ago. Visio Technical was nice.)

I haven't tried SmartDraw, but if I were on a budget, I think I might try it for $30.
http://soft-buy.net/buy-cheap-smartdraw-2007-at-low-price.php

Here's Visio for $80. http://buysoftware.buytickets1.us/info-Microsoft_Office_Visio_Professional_2007.html

(Haven't dealt with either vendor, so buyer beware...)

 

jim rozen

Diamond

Joined

Feb 26, 2004

Location

peekskill, NY

• Aug 24, 2008

• #10

That's not gonna work. The merlin weighs more than the model T, you have to
put the Ford inside of the V-12 for that to work out.

Want to see a real luddite? My favorite drafting program at work is microcadam.
The windows-based version of mainframe CADAM....

Somehow that always creates bigger shudders in folks, than when I say "T-square
and pencil..."

Jim

 

The real Leigh

Diamond

Joined

Nov 23, 2005

Location

Maryland

• Aug 24, 2008

• #11

USMCPOP said:

Visio Technical was nice.

Click to expand...

That's what I use. I bought Technical 4.5 a long time ago (before µ$oft bought the product), and it's served me very well.

- Leigh

 

BillyDsl

Plastic

Joined

Jun 5, 2008

Location

Houston, TX

• Aug 28, 2008

• #12

DaveKamp said:

Well, I guess that since a pencil isn't involved, I'm not THAT far out-of-date...

But I've had excellent results using a gigahertz-class PC running Windows '95 and CorelDraw 5.

Yep, always upgrade the hardware, and downgrade the software... like strippin' out a Model T and shoving in a supercharged Merlin V12...

One advantage over paper-and-pencil...

The quality of the PDF file is much better, and much more compact. To Email a luddite pencil-paper drawing, 'ya gotta scan it first... and for some reason, people always ask for copies of my drawings...

(oh, and I can't afford all the erasers I'd otherwise use fixing my pencil-mistakes...)

(and erasers won't fix the fact that I drool)

Click to expand...

Hard to beat good old Corel Draw!. Ver 5 probably being my fav as it is fast without to many extras we don't need like in later 12 etc..

I'm wondering if anyone has some schematic drawings to share in .drw or .dxf or any editable vector format.

And or elec symbols libraries for corel. I know I've had them and even added symbols etc. but it's been a few yrs and thinking there might be some nicer ones out.

Thanks
X/BillyD..