Proteus PCB Design Packages
Proteus PCB design combines the ISIS schematic capture and ARES PCB layout programs to provide a powerful, yet easy to use suite of tools for designing printed circuit board.
Whilst the ARES package can be used as a 'computerized light box', the usual approach is to draw the circuit diagram in ISIS, and then to create a PCB from it using ARES. The netlist integration between the two packages ensures that the connectivity of the PCB exactly matches that drawn on the schematic.
All Proteus PCB design products also include a basic SPICE simulation capability which can be extended by purchasing the Advanced Simulation option.
The products are offered at a number of levels which offer increasing levels of functionality and design capacity:
PCB Design Feature Summary
Feature Starter Kit Level 1 / 1+ Level 2 / 2+ Level 3
 Max. Number of Pins1 In Netlist 500 1000 / 2000 1000 / 2000 Unlimited
 Shape-based Power Planes2 1 Per Layer 1 Per Layer Unlimited Unlimited
 Standard Autorouting Yes Yes Yes Yes
 Rip-up & Retry Autorouting     Yes Yes
 Electra Autorouter Interface3 Yes  Yes  Yes Yes
 Auto Component Placement     Yes Yes
 Gate-Swap Optimizer     Yes Yes
 Basic Simulation Yes Yes Yes Yes
1 Pins refers to a physical pin in the netlist. Terminals and vias do not count towards your limit!
2 In the Starter and Level 1/1+ power planes must cover and entire layer (board edge to edge) and cut-outs are not allowed.
3 Electra itself must be purchased separately. Click here for more information.
Proteus Professional Starter Kit
Full feature ISIS schematic capture with support for hierarchical design, bus pins, configurable bill of materials and much, much more.
Netlist based ARES PCB layout with support of up to 16 copper layers, 10nm resolution, any angle component placement, full electrical and physical design rule checks and much more.
Standard version of our integrated auto-router.
Support for one shaped based ground plane per layer.
Component libraries containing over 8000 schematic parts and 1000 PCB footprints.
Includes ProSPICE mixed mode simulator with 6000 models and 9 virtual instruments.
500 pin capacity for PCB design.
Please note that the Starter Kit is limited to netlists of 500 physical pins and does not support automatic component placement, gate-swap optimization, partial power planes (including cut-outs) or rip-up and retry autorouting. These features are only available in Level 2 and above.
Proteus PCB Design Level 1 and Level 1+
These products offer exactly the same functionality as the Starter Kit but offer more realistic design capacities of 1000 or 2000 pins.
Full feature ISIS schematic capture with support for hierarchical design, bus pins, configurable bill of materials and much, much more.
Netlist based ARES PCB layout with support of up to 16 copper layers, 10nm resolution, any angle component placement, full electrical and physical design rule checks and much more.
Standard version of our integrated auto-router.
Support for one shaped based ground plane per layer.
Component libraries containing over 8000 schematic parts and 1000 PCB footprints.
Includes ProSPICE mixed mode simulator with 6000 models and 9 virtual instruments.
1000 pin capacity in Level 1; 2000 pin capacity in Level 1+.
Please note that Level 1/1+ is limited to netlists of 1000/2000 physical pins and does not support automatic component placement, gate-swap optimization, partial power planes (including cut-outs) or rip-up and retry autorouting. These features are only available in Level 2 and above.
Proteus PCB Design Level 2 and Level 2+
These products are restricted in terms of pin count only, and same set of features as the top of the range Level 3. Extra functionality over Level 1 includes:
Automatic component placement – this tool will automatic place the component specified in the netlist onto the board.
Rip up and retry autorouting. This enables the router achieve 100% completion on many boards.
Electra Shape Based Autorouter Interface - allows export and import of designs from the Electra Autorouter.
Unlimited shape based power planes per layer.
Automatic gateswap optimization.
1000 pin capacity in Level2; 2000 pin capacity in Level 2+.
Proteus PCB Design Level 3
This is the top of the range package and offers all system features as above plus unlimited design capacity.