Once again, you're pushing in the wrong direction.

First of all, how well the software allows you to enter a schematic, or any perform other task, is completely independent of the research, trade study, and computation, etc, that's required in order to design a circuit. The software is supposed to help make the trip from design to routed PCB.

While the design may take a day or a week, How long it takes to locate and place the schematic symbols, how long it takes to generate a netlist, etc, is associated with the software. How long it takes to figure out where to put the components on the schematic or, for that matter, the PCB, is up to the designer, and what matters is how well the software helps him/her do that, not how long it takes to figure out exactly where the component/connector, or whatever, has to be located.

We're discussing evaluation of a software package at the moment, and I use a small circuit so I can get a "feel" for how things work in a short time. I use a circuit with which I'm familiar so "design time" doesn't become a factor, as that's not the software's job. I use a PCB layout that I know so I'm comparing like features. The routing problem isn't the same if the component locations aren't the same, irrespective of whether they're optimal. I'm trying to evaluate a software package against a known standard, namely the old '80's and early '90's DOS-based OrCAD tools. So far, nothing can touch it.

Secondly, Erik, you're pushing away from the current topic, off-topic though it may be.

After all, we're supposed to be hashing out how the O/P can get a suitable package outline for his circuit board. I've gone off chasing a rabbit, as we all often do. But I think you're just being evasive because you want to be contrary. I don't think this helps.

What I'd suggest you do is get a copy of the old DOS-Based '386+ OrCAD tool set, available at no cost in many places, and evaluate it for yourself. That will give you a "feel" for how well a schematic entry package can be made to work. You said you once used the DOS-based OrCAD. It still works the same, and it's still just as easy to create symbols, print schematics, etc. (It expects a paralle port printer, though, and it likes HP PCL. All bets are off with the older printers. You can generate PDF from PCL files, though I haven't got the tools to do that.)

When you've done that, you'll know I'm not comparing dissimilar quantities.

RE