Circuit design software list

What is the best free or cheap electronics design software? It is hard to say in this ever changing field. I some time ago mentioned some software examples in Top Free Electronics Design Tools posting and you can find a long comparison list at Wikipedia Comparison of EDA software page.

For the circuit design I would say that this list from  Mostly free engineering software article is a good list of free/cheap software I can agree:

  • KiCad seems the best known open-source EDA system.
  • gEDA looks very similar.
  • EAGLE is a commercial package with a free version that will handle small double-sided boards.
  • DesignSpark PCB is not open-source, but looks very capable given the cost ($0). It is adware

From has done some playing with KiCad and gEDA (years ago) but I felt that they were lacking something in easy to use (some improvement needed here I think). From those alternatives EAGLE feels the best for me.

Here are also some new on-line focused alternatives:

CircuitBee is an online platform that promises to allow you to share live versions of your circuit schematics on your websites, blogs or forums that I covered three years ago.

Digi-Key Corporation and Aspen Labs launched two years ago one-of-a-kind online ‘Scheme-it’ tool for drawing schematics.

HackEDA is an interesting looking new on-line electronics design tool introduced last year. The premise is simple: most electronic projects are just electronic Lego: You connect your microcontroller to a sensor, add in a battery, throw in a few caps and resistors for good measure, and hopefully everything will work.

circuits.io was promising looking free circuit editor in your browser introduced two years ago. I has browser based schematic and board layout. Anyone familiar with Autodesk knows they have a bit of a habit of taking over the world. Autodesk started with 123D modeling tool that is suitable for designing models for 3D printing. Now Autodesk has followed with 123D Circuits: Autodesk’s free design tool. 123D is web-based software, and using it requires account creation on the circuits.io website. Anything you design sits on the cloud: you can collaborate with others and even embed your circuit (with functioning simulation). All your work is public unless you pay. There are many things similar to Fritzing in this.

CircuitMaker from Altium posting that tells that Altium recently announced CircuitMaker, their entry into the free/low-cost PCB design tool market. They’re entering a big industry, with the likes of Eagle, KiCad, gEDA, and a host of other tool suites. CircuitMaker from Altium posting has introductory video on CircuitMaker and discussion on it. CircuitMaker’s website is pushing the collaboration aspect of the software. The software is still in pre-beta phase.

EasyEDA is an integrated tool for schematic capture, circuit simulation and PCB layout that you use with your web browser. Read more about it from my posting on EasyEDA.

 

Related links: Check my postings on electronics design software.

 

297 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Measuring Impedance Virtually
    https://hackaday.com/2022/09/26/measuring-impedance-virtually/

    We always enjoy a [FesZ] video and we wonder if the “Z” stands for impedance? That’s the topic of his latest video series: measuring impedance with LTSpice. Of course, he also does his usual thorough job of mapping the virtual world to the real one. You can see the video below.

    LTspice tutorial – Measuring Impedance (part 1/2)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0f6c3AkTvA

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    SnapEDA tarjoaa CAD-mallit suoraan suunnittelijan käteen
    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14061-snapeda-tarjoaa-cad-mallit-suoraan-suunnittelijan-kaeteen

    SnapEDA on nopeasti suosiotaan kasvattava elektroniikan komponenttien CAD-mallien hakukone. Nyt se on käynnistänyt verkoston, jossa suunnittelija saa CAD-mallit suoraan komponenttijakelijoiden, PCB-työkalujen kehittäjien ja eri sivustojen kautta. Syndication Networkissa on mukana yli 30 jakelukumppania.

    SnapEDAn verkosto avaa elektroniikkasuunnittelijoiden käyttöön miljoonien elektronisten komponenttien suunnittelusisällön. Sen avulla voidaan tehdä suunnitteluja nopeammin. Komponenttivalmistajille verkosta antaa mahdollisuuden saada arvokkaita suunnitteluvoittoja.

    SnapEDAN tilastojen mukaan yli 80 prosenttia sen suunnitteludataa lataavista suunnittelijoista ostaa tuotteen. Tämä luo kilpailuetua SnapEDAn verkostoon kuuluville elektroniikkakomponenttien jakelijoille ja valmistajille.

    Insinöörit voivat myös tuoda automaattisesti CAD-malleja SnapEDA-laajennuksilla Altiumille, KiCADille, Eaglelle ja PCB123:lle.

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Scripting Coils For PCB Motors
    https://hackaday.com/2022/10/25/scripting-coils-for-pcb-motors/

    PCB inductors are a subject that has appeared here at Hackaday many times, perhaps most notably in the electromagnetic exploits of [Carl Bugeja]. But there is still much to be learned in the creation of the inductors themselves, and [atomic14] has recently been investigating their automatic creation through scripting.

    A simple spiral trace is easy enough to create, but when for example creating a circular array of coils for an electric motor there’s a need for more complex shapes. Drawing a trapezoidal spiral is a surprisingly difficult task for a script, and we’re treated to a variety of algorithms in the path to achieving a usable design.

    Having perfected the algorithm, how to bring it into KiCAD? The PCB CAD package has its own Python environment built-in, but it’s not the most flexible in which to develop. The solution is to write a simple JSON interpreter in KiCAD, and leave the spiral generation to an external script that passes a JSON. This also leaves the possibility of using the same code in other PCB packages.

    https://github.com/atomic14/kicad-coil-plugins

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Prototyping The Prototype
    https://hackaday.com/2022/11/29/prototyping-the-prototype/

    For basic prototyping, the go-to tool to piece together a functioning circuit is the breadboard. It’s a great way to prove a concept works before spending money and time on a PCB. For more complex tasks we can make use of simulation software such as SPICE. But there hasn’t really been a tool to blend these two concepts together. That’s what CRUMB is hoping to solve as a tool that allows simulating breadboard circuits.

    Currently, most basic circuit functions are working for version 1.0. This includes passive components like resistors, capacitors, switches, some LEDs, and potentiometers, as well as some active components like transistors and diodes. There are some logic chips available such as 74XX series chips and 555 timers, which opens up a vast array of circuit building. There’s even an oscilloscope feature, plus audio output to incorporate buzzers into the circuit simulation. Currently in development is an LCD display module and improvements to the oscilloscope.

    MULTI-PLATFORM ELECTRONIC SIMULATION
    https://www.crumbsim.com/

    3D Rendered Components based on real-life

    Our modern world is dominated by electronics. With a diverse range of careers in electronics available for young and adult minds alike, CRUMB offers an easy to use and interactive introduction to electronic circuitry

    Fully realised in 3D, you can construct prototype circuits as you would at the workbench without the risk of terminal component failure or the hassle of ordering individual components

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    TI And Cadence Make PSpice Free
    https://hackaday.com/2020/09/20/ti-and-cadence-make-pspice-free/

    We like simulation software. Texas Instruments long offered TINA, but recently they’ve joined with Cadence to make OrCAD PSpice available for free with some restrictions. You’ve probably heard of PSpice — it’s widely used in academia and industry, but is usually quite costly. You can see a promotional overview video below.

    The program requires registration and an approval step to get a license key. The downloaded program has TI models along with other standard models.

    https://e2e.ti.com/blogs_/b/analogwire/posts/how-to-simulate-complex-analog-power-and-signal-chain-circuits-with-pspice-for-ti

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    LT Spice – Boost Converter Design & Simulation -YouTube
    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BzTxpPiAetY&feature=youtu.be

    In This video,
    I have explained the design & simulation of boost converter using LT Spice.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    OpenSPICE: A Portable Python Circuit Simulator
    https://hackaday.com/2023/02/14/openspice-a-portable-python-circuit-simulator/

    [Roman Parise] and [Georgios Is. Detorakis] have created OpenSPICE a fork of the PySpice project, adding a new simulation engine written entirely in Python. This enables the same PySpice simulations to be executed on any platform that runs python (which we reckon is quite a few!) whilst leveraging the full power of the python infrastructure. Since it is a fork — for supported platforms — you can also run your simulations upon Ngspice as well as Xyce, giving options for scaling up to larger systems when required, but importantly without having to recreate your circuit from scratch.

    The OpenSPICE simulator first converts the parsed netlist into a set of data structures that represent the equations describing the various parts of the system. These are then in turn passed along the scipy library “optimize.root” function which solves the system, generating a list of branch currents and node voltages. The output of the simulation is a numpy array, which can be further processed and visualized with the mathplotlib library. All pretty standard stuff in python circles. Since this is based upon PySpice, it’s also possible to use KiCAD netlists, so you have a nice way to enter those schematics.

    OpenSPICE may well be a good starting point for learning about circuit simulations, without the steep learning curve of some simulation platforms and all the worry about installing and maintaining prerequisites. Why not give it a whirl?

    https://github.com/thejackal360/OpenSPICE

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    13 reasons to start using Power Stage Designer
    https://e2e.ti.com/blogs_/b/powerhouse/posts/13-reasons-to-start-using-power-stage-designer?HQS=app-null-null-powerdesignresources_powerstagedesigner-exexnl-ta-electronicdesign_0322-wwe_cons&DCM=yes&dclid=COn2kcmU_v0CFY2PmgodKgQJkg

    For more than a decade, TI’s Power Stage DesignerTm tool has been a great design aid for electrical engineers when calculating the currents and voltages of different power-supply topologies. I believe it is an easy tool to start a new power-supply design, because it executes all calculations in real time, and you get direct feedback.

    Our latest version of Power Stage Designer includes a new topology and two new design functions on top of its existing set of features that will help you further accelerate your design time for developing power supplies.

    The new tool contains a field-effect transistor (FET) losses calculator, a current-sharing calculator for parallel capacitors, an AC/DC bulk capacitor calculator, a resistor-capacitor (RC) snubber calculator for damping ringing across rectifiers, a resistor-capacitor-diode (RCD) snubber calculator for flyback converters, an output-voltage resistor-divider calculator, dynamic analog and digital output-voltage scaling calculators, a unit converter, a Bode plotting tool for loop compensation, a load-step calculator, and a filter designer. Let’s look at each of these 13 features in detail.

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Eagle:n viimeiset hengenvedot…

    The Future of Autodesk EAGLE: Our Path Forward with Fusion 360 Electronics
    https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/future-of-autodesk-eagle-fusion-360-electronics/?fbclid=IwAR35TIpSmE2O81mFNe2mPH5gAMtkCbpXzdSbmtInE3mSJUpMXW8i165fiSk

    Changes are coming to Autodesk EAGLE, so we’d like to take the time to share our strategy with you. In the early days following the Autodesk acquisition of EAGLE, we openly spoke about our intent to bring electronics, mechanical design, and manufacturing under one roof. Our end goal has always been to give users what they truly need to tackle end-to-end product development in ways never before possible. Now, we are taking the next step toward making this vision a reality.

    What’s changing?
    Effective June 7, 2026, Autodesk will no longer sell or support EAGLE. Moving forward, we will continue to invest our energy in Fusion 360 Electronics.

    https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/electronics-engineer

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/VintageElectronicTestEquipment/permalink/6283888345061638/

    Anyone play around with “EverCircuit” Android app? It’s an easy to use circuit simulator that is actually very cool for small circuits. Great for reviewing the basics or introducing someone to electronics.

    There is another called “Proto” which also very good.

    Here is a circuit that was suggested by Joel Taylor to demonstrate how a bridge rectifier works. His idea was to use LED’s for bridge diodes and a signal generator to slow down the AC frequency so you can see the diodes switching on and off.

    I whipped it up in EveryCircuit in a few minutes. And my new S23 phone has a built in screen recorder to capture the simulation!

    How cool is that?

    https://photos.app.goo.gl/mHejQVSdjr5dPbi66

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    They Used To Be A Big Shot, Now Eagle Is No More
    https://hackaday.com/2023/06/09/they-used-to-be-a-big-shot-now-eagle-is-no-more/

    There once was a time when to make a PCB in our community was to use CadSoft EAGLE, a PCB design package which neatly filled the entry level of that category with a free version for non-commercial designs. Upgrading it to the commercial version was fairly inexpensive, and indeed that was a path which quite a few designers making the step from hobby project to small production would take.

    Then back in 2017, CadSoft were bought by Autodesk, and their new version 8 of the software changed its licensing model from purchase to rental. It became a product with a monthly subscription and an online side, and there began an exodus of users for whom pay-to-play meant too much risk of losing access to their designs. Now six years later the end has come, as the software behemoth has announced EAGLE’s final demise after a long and slow decline.

    The Future of Autodesk EAGLE: Our Path Forward with Fusion 360 Electronics
    https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/blog/future-of-autodesk-eagle-fusion-360-electronics/

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Libre Gates
    https://hackaday.io/project/174585-libre-gates

    A Libre VHDL framework for the static and dynamic analysis of mapped, gate-level circuits for FPGA and ASIC. Design For Test or nothing !

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    RF Device Model Generator Accelerates Circuit Library Creation
    June 28, 2023
    Python-based software speeds up the building of circuit libraries for advanced RF semiconductor process technologies as well as customizes device-modeling workflows.
    https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/test-measurement/article/21268649/electronic-design-rf-device-model-generator-accelerates-circuit-library-creation?utm_source=EG+ED+Analog+%26+Power+Source&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230621093&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The original circuit simulation software, called the Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis, or SPICE as it is more commonly known, was originally developed at the University of Califorina Berkeley in the 1970s with an open-source license. That’s the reason for the vast versions of SPICE available now decades after the original was released, not all of which are as open or free as we might like….

    https://hackaday.com/2023/07/30/an-open-source-free-circuit-simulator/?fbclid=IwAR3AvGMLtn7FfChU65QlP2M8JJab9qldmD4n4xek7S1TfOp81DHLPDUR9Mw

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/DIYAudio/permalink/6693860827346373/

    What software do you recommend for Audio DYI design?

    Looking for:
    – graphical editor for schematics, with common parts library where I can find typical audio op-amps, discrete elements, preferably also transformers
    – curcuit output modelling (like pspice)
    – breadboard / prototype board design
    – PCB design, material list

    And another one, oscilloscope for working with diy audio? Would be great if it could do frequency response analysis as well.
    Software can be free, but does not have to be – however, as a hobbyist, I have to live with limited budgets, so prefer to spend money smart

    Background: want build solid-state, mid-side, “pultec-style passive EQ” as the next project

    Comments:

    Begin with a pencil and paper

    I use LT spice and Kicad.

    Kicad. Newest version has integrated simulator

    Kicad + LTspice/Multisim

    I use Simetrix from Catena. They have free version and good manuals. Simetrix is very good for transistor level design. It was meant for IC design.

    Schematics and PCBs: Kicad or Diptrace. Also have decent other things.
    Mechanical layouts: DIYLC or general CAD programs
    For BOMs Both Kicad and Diptrace have them in, but even ordinary Excell is quite good.

    https://easyeda.com/

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    You could try to use WebCopy or Wget and download alldatasheet.com. You’ll likely need a ludicrous amount of storage space though

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    QSPICE Picks Up Where LTSpice Left Us
    https://hackaday.com/2023/08/25/qspice-picks-up-where-ltspice-left-us/

    [Mike Engelhardt] is a name that should be very familiar to the hardcore electronics nerd. [Mike] is the developer responsible for LTSpice, which is quite likely the most widely used spice-compatible simulator in the free software domain. When you move away from digital electronics and the comfort of software with its helpful IDEs and toolchains, and dip a wary toe into the murky grey waters of analog or power electronics, LTSpice is your best friend. And, like all best friends, it’s a bit quirky, but it always has your back. Sadly, LTSpice development seems to have stalled some years ago, but luckily for us [Mike] has been busy on the successor, QSpice, under the watchful eye of Qorvo.

    QSPICE Revolutionizes Power, Analog Device Circuit Simulation
    https://www.eetimes.com/qspice-revolutionizes-power-analog-device-circuit-simulation/

    Qorvo has raised the bar in the field of circuit simulation with the release of QSPICE. The software’s designed to enhance the design productivity of power and analog device designers by offering improved simulation speed, functionality and reliability.

    Qorvo’s QSPICE is offered free of charge and readily available for download on the official QSPICE website.

    Today, PowerElectronicsNews.com will launch a tutorial on QSPICE consisting of multiple articles that explain this tool in detail and provide schematic examples.

    https://www.qorvo.com/design-hub/design-tools/interactive/qspice/

    https://www.powerelectronicsnews.com/?s=qspice+&_gl=1*1yxg3qm*_ga*ODMzMDgwNDQ4LjE2OTM1NTQ5NzY.*_ga_ZLV02RYCZ8*MTY5MzU1NDk3Ni4xLjAuMTY5MzU1NDk3Ni4wLjAuMA..&_ga=2.230481243.639749634.1693554978-833080448.1693554976

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    LTspice is dead but QSPICE is born – A Great New FREE Circuit Simulation Software
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3xkLTgoQec

    In this video ‘LTspice is dead but QSPICE is born – A Great New FREE Circuit Simulation Software’, I’ll talk about Mike Engelhardt’s LTspice and now his new free SPICE tool ‘QSPICE’.

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    QuickStart Guide for QSPICE™ Simulation Tool
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QVFJBlTieQ

    Hear from the creator of QSPICE
    Mike Engelhardt about how to get started with the simulation tool.

    https://www.qorvo.com/design-hub/design-tools/interactive/qspice

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Using C++ and Verilog in QSPICE
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPA6FIYPa3E

    Creator Mike Engelhardt talks step-by-step how to use C++ and Verilog in the new QSPICE™ simulator tool

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Filter Design Tool
    Fix your filter in minuets: TI’s Filter Design Tool helps you design, optimize, and simulate complete multi-stage active filter solutions.
    https://webench.ti.com/filter-design-tool/?HQS=asc-der-null-catan_gen-agg-webench-electronicdesign_der-wwe_cons&DCM=yes&dclid=CJmUkqnOxYEDFRQNogMdEX0KoA

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.facebook.com/groups/ElectronicParts/permalink/2268195466703109/

    do you guys know a good software to make pcb?

    Kicad. Eagle is dead, unfortunately.
    I have used Altium and Cadence at work

    KiCad for features EasyEDA for ease of use

    KiCAD is good and free. Altium is good but very expensive.

    KiCAD, I would suggest.
    Plenty of users, plenty of examples.
    I’m an Altium guy, but the license cost is more than the value of my car.

    if KiCAD is good enough for CERN, it’s good enough for me!

    Anyone know if any of these deal with just footprints? Having to find the exact component in kicad is tiring

    Unless I’m using it wrong lmao

    if you are including a BOM you need the exact component. If you are just doing a board layout you can drop anything that has the same footprint.

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Review: LibrePCB Hits Version 1.0
    https://hackaday.com/2023/10/03/review-librepcb-hits-version-1-0/

    Nearly three years ago at the start of 2020 and before the pandemic hit, we took a look at an up-and-coming player in the world of PCB design. LibrePCB is by no means as old as the more established players, but at the time it was joining the ranks of open-source EDA packages with its first early stable releases. It showed a lot of promise but was still a little rough around the edges back then, but in the years since it’s advanced to the extent that in September they released version 1.0. That’s a significant moment for any open source package, so it’s time to return and take another look. It’s a cross-platform package with builds available for Linux, Windows, MacOS and FreeBSD, of which I needed the Linux version. There are one or two options to choose from, I went for the appImage as probably the least trouble. Very quickly I was in a new EDA package, and I set out to make a simple Schmitt trigger oscillator as a test project.

    In my review of the earlier version I made the observation that the user interface was particularly intuitive for me as a former Eagle user, and in that respect it remains a very easy package to get to know. It fortunately lacks the arcane tricks which users have to learn that plague so many CAD and EDA packages, I fount it all very quick to get back into and soon had my project set up and was creating a schematic. If there was a feature I wish it had at this point it would be to import projects from other packages, in particular Eagle. However it’s understood that this is no easy task, and shouldn’t stop an ex-Eagle user from diving in.

    So then, LibrePCB version 1.0. I advised waiting before using it in anger last time, because there were plenty of areas that needed attention back then. I think that in this version they’ve delivered an extremely usable EDA package, and while it’s probably not going to tempt a huge number away from some of the more established players I think it’s a sure-fire winner for ex-Eagle users despite not having an import feature for Eagle projects. I like it so much I’m keeping it on my machine, and I’m going to use it for my projects.

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Tekoälyä voi nyt komentaa suunnittelemaan siruja
    https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/15438-tekoaelyae-voi-nyt-komentaa-suunnittelemaan-siruja

    Copilot on jo tuttu käsite koodarien käsissä: tekoäly osaa generoida virheetöntä koodia kehotteiden avulla. Nyt SnapMagic on esitellyt oman tekoälypohjaisen ”siipimiehen” elektroniikkapiirien suunnitteluun.

    SnapMagic tunnettiin EDA-maailmassa nimellä SnapEDA. Tekoälymaailmaan siirtymisen myötä yritys brändää itsensä uudelleen. SnapMagic Copilot on näin tavallaan uusi alku koko firmalle. Yhtiö myös kertoo keränneen lisärahoitusta maailman johtavilta tekoäly- ja kehittäjätyökalusijoittajilta.

    Mistä sitten on kyse? SnapMagic Copilot yhdistää huippuluokan tekoälyn massiiviseen patentoituun datasarjaansa automatisoidakseen jotkin elektroniikan suunnittelun eniten aikaa vievistä prosesseista. Se pystyy esimerkiksi täydentämään suunnitteluja. Suunnittelija voi työkalua lisäämään piiriin mikro-ohjaimen, ja SnapMagic sijoittaa paikalleen myös tarvittavat liitäntä irrotuskondensaattorit.

    Suunnittelijat voivat ohjata piirilevytyökaluaan luonnollisella kielellä. He voivat esimerkiksi pyytää “ei-invertoivaa vahvistinta, jonka vahvistus on 2″, ja SnapMagic luo nämä piirit ja lisää suunnitteluun komponentit, jotka ovat tilattavissa.

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Excellent program for the simulation of electronic circuits
    https://www.electrician-1.com/2021/05/excellent-program-for-simulation-of.html

    Today, I wanted to briefly introduce a free EDA Web tool, EasyEDA. You can use EasyEDA to draw a drawing, fill a PCB and download manufacturing files (ie Gerber files).

    EasyEDA also offers a SPICE simulation function.

    EasyEDA provides users with exactly what their name says: an easier EDA experience. Open EasyEDA in any browser and start creating a new schematic or circuit board to test the tool online. Once you are done with the schematics, you can click on the PCB icon “Convert Project to PCB” and then organize the component. as required. Then you can generate and export the Gerber and BoM files, save or export your project (EasyEDA, PDF, svg or image only). It is also possible to order the circuit board via EasyEDA, which seems to be the only way to monetize the system.

    https://easyeda.com/page/download

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Saturn PCB Design Toolkit Version 8.35
    https://saturnpcb.com/saturn-pcb-toolkit/

    Microstrip calculator || Stripline calculator || Differential pair calculator || Via current calculator || PCB trace current calculator || Planar inductor calculator || Padstack calculator || Crosstalk calculator || Ohm’s Law calculator || XC XL Reactance calculator || BGA Land calculator || Er Effective calculator || Wavelength calculator || PPM Calculator

    The Saturn PCB Toolkit is the best freeware resource for PCB related calculations you can find.
    It incorporates many features that PCB designers and engineers are in regular need of like current capacity of a PCB trace, via current, differential pairs and much more. Please download our PCB Toolkit today for free and enjoy!

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    https://www.facebook.com/share/p/wSQjq4DE9wFbha9U/

    Hiya Folks, just wondering if their is a computer program available to design circuits and possibly test them ??
    Tinkercad has a feature where you can wire up circuitry on the screen and click a button to emulate the circuit.

    Nothing about circuit boards there but you never mentioned that.

    Also https://wokwi.com lets you design ESP32 and other Arduino circuits including some discrete electronics parts, so that’s an option.

    How about Electronic workbench?

    Apps: everycircuit or proto or voltsim

    Couple to look into.

    Also,
    https://circuitmaker.com/

    Let me know what you pic

    I use Tina Pro. Works great for circuit design, analysis and even board design.

    In college we used Pspice. (It came free with our textbook.). But someone told me LTSpice was the current free spice training program. Great for circuit stimulation.

    Let me start the list:

    First off it is there and not their.

    2nd:

    SPICE
    LTSPICE
    PCBs with Eagle software
    Etc.

    Basically, they are all just SPICE software programs. SPICE was open source so everyone could make a profit.

    LtSpice is free.

    Auto Cad and OrCAD are two I got to know

    Wasn’t there a program called PCB Express? It had a design space and maybe a tab for making masks? It was free. I bet I still have it. I think it was mostly for thru-hole stuff.

    try designspark. the free version is great

    Try Flux

    I use Autotrax (now called DEX) for drafting and PCB layout and manufacturing, and LTspice for circuit evaluation. Beware however, any spice is only as good as it’s models…and some of those really suck.

    KICAD for me.

    Lots of available softwares.

    https://www.analog.com/en/resources/design-tools-and-calculators/ltspice-simulator.html

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Is there software to simulate simple transistor circuits?

    LTSpice google it

    A soldering iron and some components

    Simple web based (java) circuit simulator – https://www.falstad.com/circuit/

    Nobody has mentioned Kicad yet!

    Multisim is very useful.

    Circuit Wizard, Proteus

    another option you may like. https://www.circuitlab.com/

    Proteus and altium

    Nothing beats Fingers10 breadboarding…

    The fist and most important thing an electronic enthusiast should know is that all the information you need are available in the world wide web. Otherwise you are not real.

    for very simpe – Crocodile : https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=-qo2LKvXV2g&ab_channel=ASXLabRecursosTICs

    tinkercad.com

    https://ngspice.sourceforge.io/

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_free_electronics_circuit_simulators

    Reply

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