TARGET 3001!
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TARGET 3001! is a CAD program for EDA and PCB design, developped by Ing.-Buero Friedrich in Germany. It aids the design of electronic schematics, PCBs, and device front panels. The package runs under Windows OS and is available in English, German and French language.
A special branch of the program is the ASIC Designer. This allows the circuit to be designed and manufactured as an integrated circuit.
The free version is for non-commercial use and is limited to 250 connection pins or pads on two copper layers.
Contents |
[edit] Functions
The package subsumes several different operating spheres in one user interface. Also all project information is stored in one single data file. The design process starts with the creation of a schematic and it normally ends with the layout of a PCB or a chip. An important basis for all CAD programs is the availability of library components. In TARGET 3001! those components e.g. are resistors, capacitors, inductivities or integrated circuits (ICs). Those components, stored in libraries, are handled by a component management system (CMS). It also provides individual links to datasheets and information on component suppliers. A component in TARGET 3001! consists of a schematic symbol and a footprint pattern, matching to the component's package. Lots of components provide simulation information as well as a 3D-model of the outlines of the package.
[edit] Features
- Electronic component library with component management system (CMS)
- Schematic design
- Simulation (PSPICE compatible)
- PCB or ASIC design with autoplacer and autorouter
- Design rule check (DRC) for schematic and layout
- EMC check
- Front panel design
- 3D visualisation
[edit] Simulation
By the use of the PSPICE compatible mixed-mode schematic simulation the behaviour of the electronic circuit can be simulated and parts of the function can be tested even though a PCB prototype is not built yet.
[edit] History
Predecessor of TARGET 3001! was "RULE", a DOS based software for PCB layout from 1989. After this software had been spread amongst hobbyists, more and more users called for a schematic tool. An autorouter had been demanded too. In 1992 TARGET 2.1 for DOS was released, contributing to those needs. The development towards Windows OS came out difficult. The first versions of "TARGET V3 for Windows" were crash prone. But soon the complete package became stable and besides hobby and educational use the software found more and more acceptance among professional users. Further developments were implemented in versions V7 to V12. An EMC tool and a PSPICE compatible simulation were added. The name TARGET had been changed to TARGET 2001! and when the year 2001 came closer, TARGET 3001! had been registered as a trademark. Meanwhile TARGET 3001! is used by industrial designers also. TOYOTA for instance design all cable harnesses for their Formula 1 racing car using TARGET 3001!. You will find TARGET 3001! PCB designs in helicopters, satellites, and jet engines. ASICs designed with TARGET 3001! can be found in handys or precision measuring equipment. The latest versions offer a frontpanel engraving tool as well as a 3D viewing tool giving a realistic impression a PCB prior to production.
Today TARGET 3001! is one of the most common PCB layout CAD systems in Germany. The readers of the electronics magazine ELEKTOR voted TARGET 3001! number two of all systems used.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ Elektor (May 2004), p. 73
