Autotrax
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| Original author(s) | DEX 2020 Ltd. |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | DEX 2020 Ltd. |
| Stable release | 6.40.04 |
| Operating system | MS-Windows XP, MS-Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10 |
| Type | EDA |
| License | Commercial |
| Website | http://www.kov.com |
| Original author(s) | Protel International Pty Ltd. (now Altium Ltd.) |
|---|---|
| Stable release | 1.61 |
| Development status | Obsolete |
| Operating system | MS-DOS |
| Platform | IBM PC and compatible |
| Type | EDA |
| License | Commercial |
| Website | http://techdocs.altium.com/display/ALEG/Legacy+Downloads |
AutoTRAX DEX is a free MS-Windows XP/MS-Windows Vista 7/8/10 schematic design and PCB layout program with built-in Spice simulator and 3D part and board visualization.
Unlike other EDA program, AutoTRAX DEX integrated all of the schematic and PCB design into a single XML project file. It uses parametric parts which define the parts schematic symbols, PCB footprint and 3D package models using numeric parameters. This allow a simple parametric model to be quickly changed to represent an of a family of similar parts, e.g. DIP and BGAs.
AutoTRAX Design Express (DEX) has now replaced AutoTRAX EDA. It is based on Microsoft .NET 4 and has both a Microsoft Office 2007 and 2010 interface as well as a classic Dropdown menu with toolbars.
AutoTRAX DEX uses the Microsoft Windows platform and runs on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. The file format is open and viewable with any text editor as it is XML based, and the XML schema is fully documented.
AutoTRAX is the US registered trademark (No 2,469,410 July 2001) of DEX 2020 Ltd..
HISTORICAL Protel Autotrax is the name of a Printed Circuit Board CAD software packages available for the personal computer. It ran on MS-DOS or PC-DOS on an IBM or compatible PC. Autotrax was sold widely throughout the world in the mid 1980s and early 1990s until Protel International Pty. Ltd. (the proprietor) ported the software to Windows 3.1 to create the first ever Windows-based PCB CAD tool, Protel 1.0 for Windows. Since then Protel International became Altium Ltd. after successful I.P.O. and later on made Autotrax a freeware download on their web site.
The obsolete Protel Autotrax is not to be confused with the newer Windows based AutoTRAX by DEX 2020 Ltd..
External links
AutoTRAX DEX (Windows)
- AutoTRAX Web Site
- AutoTRAX Manual
- AutoTRAX User Group
- YouTube tutorial videos
- File format documentation
Protel Autotrax (DOS)
- More Protel Autotrax utilities, from Jim Patchell
- A laser plotting utility for Protel Autotrax
- Newer (VESA) video drivers for Protel Autotrax
- A HowTo for using Protel AutoTrax under SuSE Linux and DOSemu
- Protel Autotrax companion programs - Directly generate RS274X gerbers from Autotrax PCB files, rotate PCBs, etc, From Les Hildenbrandt
Protel Autotrax runs under DOS. It will run under Windows 98 and XP but only as a console window. Protel Autotrax does not run on Vista or Window 7. It can be run successfully using generic VESA video drivers in a DOS-6.22 Virtual Machine, as shown below. For more details on how to do this, visit the Airborn Electronics pages linked to above.
