Can You Easily Switch Between PCB Design Software?

We all tend to get extremely set in our ways when it comes to using certain things. Some people happen to like Android smartphones while others swear by Apple. Head to the cinema and some people have to get salted popcorn and others need sweet. The same analogy can be applied to something technical like PCB design software. If you are used to using something like EAGLE, how easy is the transition to something like CircuitStudio by Altium going to be?

Let’s take a look.

Why Migrate?

People choose to migrate between software for a number of reasons. If they are a professional PCB designer then their company might decide that they want to use a different software. Altium is used by many professional organisations all around the world and you might decide that you want to use it because of this high level of quality they can offer you.

A decision to switch to Altium might come about because someone no longer likes the current system you use. An upgrade or update might make what was once a useful platform completely unusable to you. This will give you no choice but to go elsewhere to find a new design software to use.

Complete Support

Moving to a new system can be risky if you have a long and rich design history with a certain program. However, something like CircuitStudio by Altium offers you the support you need for this transition. One of the major things they offer is the chance to offer your complete design history.

Therefore, it does not matter what you are working on as you will be able to always refer back to previous projects. This is an invaluable feature and it will help to make the transition process much easier for anyone switching between different PCB design softwares.

Take the Time to Acclimatise

If you are making a complete switch between providers then you are going to need some time to acclimatise. A mere update will just require you learning a little about the new tools but a new program will have a different UI and all sorts of extras which you will need to contend with.

It is therefore important that you lay aside some training time to get everyone on the team up to speed with the new software. Something which could massively help here is a free trial. If you aren’t exactly sure which software you wish to go for, a free trial will give you the time you need to work out whether the software is for you without having to commit anything financially.

Choosing to move to another PCB design software is no easy move but it is one which can be quite necessary depending on your circumstances. Any sort of migration is not to be undertaken lightly but you can be certain that there are programs which want to make this as easy as possible for you. If you feel like you need a new PCB design software, start looking into alternatives today.