In PCB development, software capability is only part of the equation. Equally important is how easily the tool fits into daily work. That is where the PCB-Investigator license systems stand out: they offer several deployment models for teams, individual users, and secure environments.
Modern engineering organizations rarely operate from a single location. Teams work across offices, labs, home offices, and restricted network environments. A rigid licensing approach quickly becomes a bottleneck, adding unnecessary cost, limiting access, or creating IT overhead.
Three practical licensing options
PCB-Investigator provides three proven licensing variants:
- SOD / Online-License for distributed teams, home offices, and location-independent access
- Floating license server for companies with internal networks and multiple users sharing a common pool
- Dongle-based licensing for single users or secure environments without network dependency
The SOD model enables centralized license management, high scalability, and worldwide access. It is ideal when engineers need flexibility across locations, but it does require a stable internet connection for validation.
The floating license model runs on an internal company server. Licenses are checked out from a shared pool, which improves utilization because not every user needs a dedicated seat. It is a strong fit for organizations that want to keep licensing fully inside the corporate network.
The best license model is not the most convenient one in theory — it is the one that aligns with your infrastructure, security policy, and collaboration pattern.
The dongle option binds access to a physical USB device. That creates a hardware-based, locally available license with no dependency on internet or server infrastructure. It is a practical choice for secure environments or individual workstations.
Why this matters for engineering teams
- Flexible access for remote and distributed work
- Efficient utilization through shared license pools
- Strong security with hardware-bound or internal-server setups
- Better visibility through statistics and detailed logs
- Scalability for small teams and parallel usage alike
If your team is evaluating PCB software licensing, take a closer look at the available models and choose the one that supports your workflow instead of constraining it.
Learn more, compare the options, and request a quote or free trial.
