You are right Terry !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just the learning curve alone for a layout package in order to get proficient in making quick artworks for a prototype takes many hours and several design flows. Then yet being good enough at it to take a full fledged production design through the development cycle.

Most places I have been involved (companies that is) will select a package that proports to support their requirements and fits their cost requirments. Then we, the engineers, have made our own quickie stuff and small boards and projects. Any major design is normally taken to a outside contract house where the same design package is used. Subsequent artwork support and changes through the product life cycle are then handled inhouse. Seems to work but sometimes in this process the contract design house will shove a Spectra auto routed board down my throat. On the first pass of a production PC board it turns out that there are usually so many details that the engineers have to deal with that having the extra outside help is useful for keeping the project on-track. A second consideration is that most small companies do not have enough designs going through the pipe ot keep a full time team or board layout on staff. And in my experience, engineers that are good enough at layout that can also do good engineering work are more expensive per burdened man-hour than an outside contract service. Successful use of an outside service does however require careful selection, checking references, writing down your design rules requirements, and having much 2-way commmunication.
Michael Karas

Michael Karas