PCB design program Boardmaker 2 - dongle required

[David Chapman]

Hi all,

I own a legitimate copy of the DOS based Tsien Boardmaker 2 PCB design
program which operates with a 'dongle' module connected to the parallel
printer port.

Of late, the dongle has become rather erratic in operation and Tsien
no longer offer any support for this obsolete program. They now only
wish to sell a very expensive annual rental contract for their new
Boardmaker 3 software.

I am entirely happy with the capabilities of the DOS based system. It
does all that I need for the occasional design of PCBs and I keep an old
DOS PC just for running this, and a few other old programs.

If anyone in this NG has replaced their Boardmaker 2 design program by
a more modern one and would now be willing to sell me a working dongle
at a reasonable price, I'd appreciate hearing from them.

TIA - Dave

David C.Chapman - ([email protected])
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[JM]

Hi all,

I own a legitimate copy of the DOS based Tsien Boardmaker 2 PCB design
program which operates with a 'dongle' module connected to the parallel
printer port.

Of late, the dongle has become rather erratic in operation and Tsien
no longer offer any support for this obsolete program. They now only
wish to sell a very expensive annual rental contract for their new
Boardmaker 3 software.

I am entirely happy with the capabilities of the DOS based system. It
does all that I need for the occasional design of PCBs and I keep an old
DOS PC just for running this, and a few other old programs.

If anyone in this NG has replaced their Boardmaker 2 design program by
a more modern one and would now be willing to sell me a working dongle
at a reasonable price, I'd appreciate hearing from them.

TIA - Dave

David C.Chapman - ([email protected])

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Dave,
I had the same problem with Tsien and Boardmaker 2.
I first used Boardmaker 1 which was £100.
I upgraded about a year plus later to Boardmaker 2 which if I remember
was £160 extra.
I used it for circa 2 years and the dongle went faulty.
They wanted £50 to replace it.
They were no help at all, and to be honest were quite rude.
Pointing out that 2 years was good life of the dongle.

I did pick up a dongle that would not run with my Version number.
Its still around some place.
What Version of Boardmaker are you running.
I will see what the dongle is for.

But as you say the aftersales from Tsien was C**P.
And yearly license now.
There was a forum at the time about them.
Most there would have updated if the company had been fair.

I use just another companies package I picked up in Micro Mart.
It was an older full licensed version but all I require.

de Johnny G3LIV

 

[Rene Tschaggelar]

Hi all,

I own a legitimate copy of the DOS based Tsien Boardmaker 2 PCB design
program which operates with a 'dongle' module connected to the parallel
printer port.

Of late, the dongle has become rather erratic in operation and Tsien
no longer offer any support for this obsolete program. They now only
wish to sell a very expensive annual rental contract for their new
Boardmaker 3 software.

I am entirely happy with the capabilities of the DOS based system. It
does all that I need for the occasional design of PCBs and I keep an old
DOS PC just for running this, and a few other old programs.

If anyone in this NG has replaced their Boardmaker 2 design program by
a more modern one and would now be willing to sell me a working dongle
at a reasonable price, I'd appreciate hearing from them.

If the dongle becomes faulty, that very likely
is not the fault of semiconductors. Thus I'd try
to resolder the dongle. And perhaps have a look at
the used capacitors. Perhaps any tantal running
out of spec / overvoltage ?

Rene

 

[JeffM]

If anyone[...]would now be willing to sell me a working dongle
at a reasonable price[...]

Sometimes knowing WHEN to cast aside a vendor who treats you like crap
is a hard call. Sometimes it's not.
http://groups.google.com/group/comp...less+*-*-*-projects-could-no-longer-be-opened

....and the longer you put it off, the more you will suffer
when you finally do get so fed up that you jump ship.

ISTM that to continue to fight an ever-widening sinkhole
(I note Johnny's "yearly license now" comment)
is like the guy who when asked why he's hitting himself over the head
says, "Because it feels so good when I stop".

Ever thought about using an app that is gratis and libre?
http://groups.google.com/group/sci....use-it-*-*-*-for-a-new-design+uu+find-*-*-one
news:[email protected]

 

[John Devereux]

If the dongle becomes faulty, that very likely
is not the fault of semiconductors. Thus I'd try
to resolder the dongle. And perhaps have a look at
the used capacitors. Perhaps any tantal running
out of spec / overvoltage ?

Or perhaps he upgraded the computer and it is now too fast for the
dongle (a common problem in my experience).

Agree absolutely with suggestion to migrate to something else,
preferably free, and definitely dongle-less!

 

[Paul E. Schoen]

Hi all,

I own a legitimate copy of the DOS based Tsien Boardmaker 2 PCB design
program which operates with a 'dongle' module connected to the parallel
printer port.

Of late, the dongle has become rather erratic in operation and Tsien
no longer offer any support for this obsolete program. They now only
wish to sell a very expensive annual rental contract for their new
Boardmaker 3 software.

I am entirely happy with the capabilities of the DOS based system. It
does all that I need for the occasional design of PCBs and I keep an old
DOS PC just for running this, and a few other old programs.

If anyone in this NG has replaced their Boardmaker 2 design program by
a more modern one and would now be willing to sell me a working dongle
at a reasonable price, I'd appreciate hearing from them.

TIA - Dave

David C.Chapman - ([email protected])
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

You might want to try the user-supported free open source program for board
design: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kicad-users/

I do not use it personally as I have a fully functional version of PADS,
but I have declined to renew maintenance and my parallel dongle may
eventually fail or my next PC might not have a parallel port.

I do have an MSDOS PCB design package called Project-PCB for which I paid
over $1000 for over 15 years ago, and never really used. I also had demos
of Eagle, Protel, and others that I didn't find good enough. There are
others that look interesting. Something called "Ranger", and also "Tina",
which integrates board design with simulation software.

Paul

Good luck,

Paul

 

[Frithiof Andreas Jensen]

If the dongle becomes faulty, that very likely
is not the fault of semiconductors. Thus I'd try
to resolder the dongle. And perhaps have a look at
the used capacitors. Perhaps any tantal running
out of spec / overvoltage ?

It is *designed* to fail, *It runs Out* and you must buy "support" to reactivate
it!
When the supplier no longer cares - tuff titties; proprietary software at it's
finest!!
I had the very same experience with my bough version.

Perhaps there is a crack for it, I.M.O. it is entirely appropriate to crack
software to unlock the access to ones own intellectual property. Maybe looking
at the printer port allows "debugging" of the dongle?

PS:
I use Eagle now, it is fiddly but the price is right for what I do with it.

There is an open-source PCB package which appears OK except the symbol libraries
are a bit slim. Google for "GEDA" and there should be links for it. At least
*that* will never run out.

 

[David Chapman]

My grateful thanks to those people who have taken the time to reply
to my posting, and for the most useful contributions that they have
made.

ATB - Dave

David C.Chapman - ([email protected])
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Paul E. Schoen]

My grateful thanks to those people who have taken the time to reply
to my posting, and for the most useful contributions that they have
made.

ATB - Dave

David C.Chapman - ([email protected])
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did anyone else get an email reply to this, as follows?


----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: "Paul E. Schoen" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 4:36 AM
Subject: Re: PCB design program Boardmaker 2 - dongle required

 

[[email protected]]

Paul,
Sorry, I thought I had sent that message to David