myCableEngineering is designed to provide a cost-effective, easy to use cable engineering tool.  It is not designed to be a system analysis tool, which will carry out system-wide studies such as fault studies and load flow. For system type studies numerous other tools are available, with Amtech ProDesign and ETAP being two of these.

As a consulting company [myElectrical Engineering] we use both Amtech and ETAP.  However, we have found many of our projects involve cables only, and that some clients wanted a simpler approach.  Hence we developed myCableEngineering. Our software application [myCableEngineering] is a great tool for looking at cables individually, having a simple interface without much need for specialist knowledge and providing an experience similar to that of using a spreadsheet or other online package.  If you need to carry out detailed system studies than myCableEngineering is probably not the right package.

Amtech is a popular software in the UK, for carrying out low voltage designs for buildings.  If you are doing a building electrical installation it is a great package to use, particularly if you are in the UK and wanting to ensure your design complies with BS 7671.  ETAP is a larger and more fully functioned power systems analysis package.  If you are dealing with complex electrical systems, distributed generation and DNO connections or other similar complex analysis than ETAP is the best choice (in our opinion).  However, if you are not wanting to carry out a full system analysis and only interested in the cables on your project, myCableEngineering may be the right choice.

Specifically for cables, we are often asked what the advantages and differences are between myCableEngineering and Amtech or ETAP.  The following table highlights some of the similarities and differences: