[Cryptech Tech] design software

[Randy Bush]

tl;dr: if you will be using cryptech designs to make real products,
       would you prefer freeware schematic/layout software or
       professional level tools?

the current schmatic in review [0] is done using eagle [1], a $500
package (for multi-sheet multi-layer) at our scale of use.  this choice
was made for a number of reasons:

  o there is no better open source tool-set, and our design engineers
    think Eagle is the best low-cost chouce  :(

  o we could easily afford it, but more important

  o we thought that it would widen the community using cryptech designs
    as hackers and pros would be able to adapt the designs usin tools
    affordable by all.

but, as we move from schematic to layout, our engineers are feeling a
bit of strain.

   "it is pretty limited, and it may be difficult do design Alpha with
   it, because even the simplest instrument for pin swapping doesn't
   work very well :("

and

   "A rough analogy of our situation is that we have a thousand of
   screws in our product.  They can be cross-threaded with a very cheap
   hand screw driver, that nearly everyone has at home, but it will take
   a very long time, because the instrument itself is rather primitive.
   This can also be done easily with a powered screwdriver, but people
   will have to buy it.  I think, companies are refusing to work in
   EAGLE, because it would be tedious for their designers, like why use
   inconvenient instrument, when you can use a better tool to accomplish
   the same task faster?"

on the other hand

   "What software we use have different ramifications for different
   potential downstream users of our designs."

   "If we ... go with Eagle, we better serve the long tail of hobbyists and
   people with few resources."

   For large potential users (e.g. big companies) ... this is
   indifferent - they would re-do our schematics/layout anyway."

if we move to a more pro tool-set, there is a small chance we could do
the layout in-house, giving us more control and maybe saving money.  but
we do not have the time to do it in eagle, so we will have to go out of
house, and a pro design house may not use eagle anyway.

randy


[0] https://lists.cryptech.is/archives/tech/2015-December/002382.html
    https://lists.cryptech.is/archives/tech/2016-January/002406.html

[1] http://www.cadsoftusa.com/eagle-pcb-design-software/