TARGET 3001!

TARGET 3001! is a CAD program for EDA and PCB design, developed by Ing.-Buero Friedrich in Germany. It supports the design of electronic schematics, PCBs, and device front panels. It runs under Windows OS and is available in English, German and French.

A special branch of the program is "ASIC Designer", which allows design of an integrated circuit.

The free version (for non-commercial use) is limited to 250 connection pins or pads on two copper layers. The manufacturer PCB Pool provide a free unlimited version.

Functions

TARGET 3001! collects several facilities in one user interface. All project information is stored in one file. Design begins with creation of a schematic diagram and usually ends with the layout of a PCB or chip.

Library components are important to all CAD programs. In TARGET 3001!, these are resistors, capacitors, inductors, integrated circuits etc. A component management system (CMS) handles these parts, which are stored in libraries. It also provides links to datasheets and component supplier information

In TARGET 3001!, a component is a schematic symbol and a footprint pattern (to represent the package). Many components provide simulation information and a 3-D model of the package outline.

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

Simulation

A PSPICE-compatible mixed-mode facility allows circuit simulation before a prototype is built.

History

A predecessor of TARGET 3001! was "RULE", a DOS-based program for PCB layout (1989). After hobbyists used this, there were calls for a schematic tool and autorouter. In response, TARGET 2.1 (for MS-DOS) was released in 1992. The move to Windows OS was difficult: early versions of "TARGET V3 for Windows" were prone to crash. The package became stable and more accepted among hobby, educational and professional users.

Developments in versions V7 to V12 included an EMC tool and PSPICE-compatible simulation. The name TARGET was changed to TARGET 2001!, but, as year 2001 approached, TARGET 3001! was registered as a trademark.

TARGET 3001! is used also by industrial designers. For example, TOYOTA use it for all cable harnesses in their Formula 1 racing car. TARGET 3001! PCB designs are found in helicopters, satellites and jet engines. ASICs designed with TARGET 3001! can be found in mobile telephones and precision measuring equipment. Recent versions offer tools for front panel engraving and 3-D viewing to give a realistic impression of a PCB before production.

Today, TARGET 3001! is one of the most popular PCB layout systems in Germany. Readers of electronics magazine Elektor voted it number two. [Elektor (May 2004), p. 73]

References

External links

* [http://www.ibfriedrich.com/ Official website]
* [http://www.friedrich-eichenzell.de/ibfwiki_e/index.php?title=Main_Page Official user wiki]
* [http://www.pcb-pool.com/ppuk/service_downloads.html PCB Pool unlimited version]