OPEN DISCUSSION: Which PCB design software do you use and why?

Design and Layout Design tools and software
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Tell us your go-to PCB design software—what makes it your favorite, and what feature can you not live without?

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My go-to PCB design software is KiCad. I like its open-source nature, which fosters continuous improvement from a global community of users and developers. The feature I like the most is the push-and-shove router, it makes routing in tight spaces much easier by automatically handling trace collisions and respecting design constraints. It’s a huge time-saver for dense layouts.

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We’ve heard KiCad a lot, too, on our LinkedIn post. Glad to see more and more designers embracing this tool every day. FYI, we’ll be at KiCon in San Diego at the end of the month. :slight_smile:

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I personally like Cadence Allegro. It’s a fully integrated environment that handles everything from schematic capture and library management through PCB layout and output generation. What really sets it apart for me is its powerful constraint management system. It gives you full control over electrical and physical design rules, which is essential for complex or high-speed layouts. I also rely heavily on its real-time DRC and interactive routing features, which help maintain design integrity while speeding up the workflow.

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Have you watched our Trace Talks with Patrick Davis on Cadence X AI?

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I primarily work with Cadence Allegro, especially on projects that require tight collaboration across disciplines and precise manufacturing standards. One standout feature for me is its support for concurrent team design (in enterprise configurations), which allows multiple engineers to work on the same layout in parallel, critical for fast-paced development cycles.
I also appreciate how Allegro integrates with Cadence’s broader collaboration platforms, like Allegro Pulse, which supports lifecycle tracking and team coordination across design domains. When paired with tools for ECAD-MCAD co-design and thermal analysis, it makes Allegro a powerful choice for demanding sectors like automotive and aerospace where cross-functional feedback loops are vital.

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