<s>
Autotrax	B-Algorithm
was	O
a	O
free	O
software	O
application	O
that	O
ran	O
on	O
DOS	B-Device
on	O
an	O
IBM	O
or	O
compatible	O
PC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
designed	O
by	O
Protel	B-Algorithm
Systems	O
(	O
now	O
Altium	B-Algorithm
)	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
professional	O
printed	O
circuit	O
board	O
CAD	O
applications	O
available	O
for	O
personal	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
freeware	O
download	O
and	O
also	O
available	O
in	O
a	O
stripped-down	O
version	O
marketed	O
as	O
Easytrax	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1985	O
,	O
Protel	B-Algorithm
Systems	O
developed	O
the	O
DOS-based	O
PCB	O
design	O
tool	O
Protel	B-Algorithm
PCB	I-Algorithm
,	O
which	O
was	O
sold	O
only	O
in	O
Australia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
1986	O
the	O
San	O
Diego-based	O
ACCEL	O
Technologies	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
acquired	O
marketing	O
and	O
support	O
responsibilities	O
of	O
the	O
PCB	O
program	O
for	O
the	O
US	O
,	O
Canada	O
and	O
Mexico	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
Tango	B-Algorithm
PCB	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
combining	O
it	O
with	O
their	O
own	O
Tango	B-Algorithm
Route	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1987	O
,	O
Protel	B-Algorithm
launched	O
the	O
circuit	O
diagram	O
editor	O
Protel	B-Algorithm
Schematic	I-Algorithm
for	O
DOS	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1988	O
the	O
company	O
launched	O
Autotrax	B-Algorithm
for	O
DOS	B-Device
in	O
the	O
US	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
stripped-down	O
version	O
of	O
Autotrax	B-Algorithm
was	O
marketed	O
as	O
Easytrax	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Autotrax	B-Algorithm
was	O
sold	O
throughout	O
the	O
world	O
until	O
the	O
company	O
ported	O
the	O
application	O
to	O
Windows	B-Application
3.1	I-Application
to	O
create	O
the	O
first	O
Windows-based	O
PCB	O
CAD	O
tool	O
,	O
Protel	B-Algorithm
Advanced	I-Algorithm
Schematic/PCB	I-Algorithm
1.0	O
for	O
Windows	O
in	O
1991	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
the	O
forerunner	O
to	O
the	O
software	O
Altium	B-Algorithm
Designer	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Protel	B-Algorithm
Autotrax	I-Algorithm
runs	O
under	O
DOS	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
will	O
run	O
under	O
Windows98	O
and	O
XP	B-Application
but	O
only	O
as	O
a	O
console	O
window	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
native	O
file	O
format	O
for	O
Autotrax	B-Algorithm
is	O
PCB	B-Algorithm
File	I-Algorithm
4	I-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Protel	B-Algorithm
also	O
produced	O
a	O
less	O
expensive	O
,	O
cut-down	O
package	O
called	O
Easytrax	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Easytrax	B-Algorithm
is	O
identified	O
by	O
"	O
PCB	O
File	O
5	O
"	O
in	O
its	O
file	O
headers	O
and	O
differs	O
primarily	O
in	O
not	O
allocating	O
hole	O
sizes	O
to	O
pads	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
native	O
file	O
format	O
for	O
Autotrax	B-Algorithm
and	O
Easytrax	B-Algorithm
is	O
based	O
on	O
1mil	O
(	O
0.001inch	O
)	O
increments	O
,	O
although	O
the	O
package	O
shows	O
measurements	O
in	O
millimetres	O
if	O
metric	O
is	O
selected	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
because	O
a	O
de	O
facto	O
industry	O
standard	O
has	O
emerged	O
which	O
assumes	O
that	O
if	O
a	O
pad	O
is	O
smaller	O
than	O
its	O
associated	O
hole	O
,	O
the	O
hole	O
is	O
not	O
plated	O
through	O
,	O
while	O
Autotrax	B-Algorithm
will	O
only	O
permit	O
pads	O
that	O
are	O
at	O
least	O
2mil	O
larger	O
than	O
the	O
hole	O
diameter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
bugs	O
in	O
the	O
Protel	B-Algorithm
Autotrax	I-Algorithm
format	O
have	O
to	O
do	O
with	O
octagonal	O
pads	O
,	O
which	O
on	O
inspection	O
can	O
be	O
seen	O
to	O
be	O
not	O
quite	O
regular	O
octagons	O
,	O
and	O
string	O
sizes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Autotrax	B-Algorithm
,	O
string	O
sizes	O
are	O
only	O
ever	O
displayed	O
in	O
multiples	O
of	O
12mil	O
,	O
so	O
specification	O
of	O
a	O
string	O
size	O
as	O
something	O
other	O
than	O
a	O
multiple	O
of	O
12mil	O
may	O
lead	O
to	O
incorrect	O
import	O
into	O
another	O
package	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
PCB	O
manufacturers	O
in	O
Australia	O
and	O
some	O
PCB	O
manufacturers	O
in	O
Asia	O
will	O
still	O
accept	O
boards	O
in	O
native	O
Protel	B-Algorithm
Autotrax	I-Algorithm
format	O
rather	O
than	O
requiring	O
export	O
to	O
PCB	O
industry	O
standard	O
Gerber	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Autotrax	B-Algorithm
will	O
run	O
in	O
a	O
DOS	B-Device
window	O
under	O
Windows	O
9x	O
and	O
Windows	B-Device
NT	I-Device
up	O
to	O
XP	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
does	O
not	O
run	O
on	O
Windows	O
Vista	O
and	O
later	O
,	O
but	O
can	O
be	O
run	O
successfully	O
using	O
generic	O
VESA	O
video	O
drivers	O
in	O
a	O
DOS	B-Device
virtual	O
machine	O
.	O
</s>
