PCAD is a software suite for designing printed circuit boards (PCBs) and schematics. It was developed by Altium, a leading provider of electronic design automation (EDA) solutions. PCAD 2006 was the last version of PCAD released by Altium before it was discontinued and replaced by Altium Designer. PCAD 2006 included many features and enhancements, such as support for differential pairs, blind and buried vias, impedance-controlled routing, and 3D visualization. However, PCAD 2006 also had some limitations, such as compatibility issues with newer operating systems and hardware, lack of updates and bug fixes, and limited file format support.
For users who still have PCAD 2006 files and need to view or process them, there are some freeware tools available that can help. One of them is PCAD 2006 SP2 Viewer, a tool that works with PCAD 2006 (including Service Pack 1 and 2), PCAD 2004, PCAD 2002, PCAD 2001 and PCAD 2000 schematic and PCB files, as well as ACCEL EDA V15 schematic and PCB files. PCAD 2006 SP2 Viewer allows users to open, view, print, and export PCAD files to various formats, such as PDF, DXF, Gerber, ODB++, and ASCII. PCAD 2006 SP2 Viewer also supports cross-probing between schematic and PCB documents, as well as viewing the properties and attributes of components, nets, pads, traces, and vias. PCAD 2006 SP2 Viewer can be downloaded from the Altium website.
Another freeware tool for viewing and processing PCAD files is BuddyCAD Viewer+, a set of applications developed by BuddyCAD.org. BuddyCAD Viewer+ supports PCAD 2006 (including Service Pack 1 and 2), PCAD 2004, PCAD 2002, PCAD 2001 and PCAD 2000 schematic and PCB files. BuddyCAD Viewer+ also supports ACCEL EDA V15 schematic and PCB files, as well as Protel DXP (2002 Release), Protel 99 SE, Protel 99, Protel 98, and Protel Version 3 schematic and PCB files. BuddyCAD Viewer+ allows users to view, print, export, compare, edit, modify, convert, import, merge, split, extract, annotate, measure, simulate, verify, and optimize PCAD files. BuddyCAD Viewer+ also includes starter and demo versions of schematic editor (for SCH/SYM-files) and board editor (for PCB/PRT-files). BuddyCAD Viewer+ can be downloaded from the BuddyCAD website.
In conclusion, PCAD 2006 SP2 Viewer and BuddyCAD Viewer+ are two freeware tools that can help users who have PCAD 2006 files and need to view or process them. Both tools offer various features and functions for working with PCAD files. However, users should be aware that these tools may not be able to handle all types of PCAD files or provide the same level of functionality as the original PCAD software. Therefore, users should always backup their files before using these tools and check the results carefully.