Q1 : What post-sales technical support do I get?
A1 : Post-sales support is available free for the life of the product, by telephone, facsimile, e-mail or letter. As we are the sole authors of the software we are confident that you will find us both helpful and knowledgeable about our subject.

Q2 : Is a printed manual supplied with Proteus VSM Professional/Proteus PCB Design Professional?
A2 : Yes, a full printed manual is supplied. Context sensitive help is also available with Proteus VSM and detailed online help is included with all the Professional products.

Q3 : Is there a recognised upgrade path for the Professional versions of the software?
A3 : Yes, all upgrades are charged at the price difference between your existing package and that to which you want to upgrade. The sole proviso is that you must be current with the last major release of our software. If this is not the case you will have to pay an upgrade charge to the current version and then the price difference between levels as normal.

Q4 : Will your software produce files that I can send to a PCB manufacturer?
A4 : Yes. All versions of Proteus PCB Design Professional can produce Gerber photoplot and Excellon drill files which are the industry standard way of doing this. Output is available in both the 274D and 274X Gerber formats. The PCB design software also includes a Gerber Viewer which enables you to verify that the Gerber artwork is correct before sending it off for manufacture.

Q5 : Is the software protected with a hardware key ('dongle')?
A5 : No. We take the general view that hardware security keys (often called 'dongles') are a nuisance both to ourselves and to our customers. Instead, we have adopted a system based around software registration numbers which are used to serialise the software. This makes all copies of the software directly traceable to their original owner.

Q6 : What is your policy on updates and upgrades?
A6 : The term update implies bug fixes and minor enhancements of the software and is usually signified by a change in the minor version number of the software (e.g. 5.01, 5.02, 5.03, etc.). The term upgrade implies new releases of the software that provide improved functionality, new features or support for new operating systems and is signified in by a change in the major version number of the software (for example 5.03 to 5.50 or 4.47 to 5.0). Updates to the current release of our software are available free of charge on request. Upgrades are charged for at the time of their release with the price being determined by the features and benefits the new release provides. Details of every new release are highlighted on the website and widely advertised in the Electronics press. You then have the option to take or leave the upgrade according to whether or not the new features meet your needs. We feel such a scheme (where you pay for what you get) is preferable and more fair than annual maintenance charges (where you pay for what you may or may not get). Please note, that, like most companies, our support for older versions of our software is limited.

Q7 : Can I buy multiple licences and do I get a discount?
A7 : Yes. Having bought a licence for one copy of the Professional software, additional licences for software at the same or lower feature level attract a 40% (forty percent) discount. For example, having bought a Proteus PCB Design System at Level 2 you can then buy additional copies Proteus PCB Design System at Level 2, Level 1+ or Level 1 with a discount of 40% on their list prices. The additional copies are identical to the original and include CDs and manuals.

Q8 : How extensive are your libraries and can I create my own parts?
A8 : Proteus includes a comprehensive set (over 6000 parts) of schematic devices and PCB packages with the same libraries included at all levels of the software. The schematic libraries include TTL, CMOS, memory, analogue and microprocessor devices, whilst the PCB libraries include a footprints for a wide range of standard packages together with a near-complete set of all industry standard SMT discrete and chip packages. A complete list of libraries and their contents together with technical notes can be found in both the demonstration and retail versions of Proteus as a Adobe Acrobat (PDF) document called LIBRARY.PDF. If you haven't downloaded or installed the demonstration version you can find the file here. Please note that you will need Adobe Acrobat reader v3 or later installed in order to read it. All our software packages support creation of new schematic devices and symbols and new PCB packages and symbols. ISIS provides the means to create not only new schematic devices but also your own pin types, port types and terminals, allowing you complete flexibility in the appearance of new components. ARES supports an unlimited number of pad styles based on the built-in shapes. Both products support creation of new objects directly on the schematic or PCB with no need to exit the package or start a separate program. This allows you to create new devices, packages, etc. by decomposing and recomposing existing objects on the fly as you need them.