Editing Software tool

One of several [[techniques]] for building [[Printed Circuit Boards]] and other kinds of electronics involves software design tools.

== Software design tools ==

Some people still build circuits without ever using any software tools.
For complicated circuits, software design tools can save a lot of time.

'''This section is being reorgnized and expanded, it may be a bit messed up for a few days.'''

The design tools fall into several classes:
=== Schematic Capture ===
Listed in Class as SchCap

=== PCB Layout ===
Listed in Class as '''PCB''', generally includes a footprint editor to make new parts.

=== Circuit Simulation ===
Listed in Class as '''CirSim'''.

=== Other ===
Other tools that do not fall in the classes above

=== Suites ===

"Suites" that combine schematic capture, component editor for the components used in schematic capture, circuit simulation, PCB layout, autorouter, and footprint editor for the footprints used in PCB layout.  A suite can be nice as you need draw the circuit only once.

Quite often people mix-and-match tools -- using a schematic capture from one suite to generate pretty schematics and a netlist, then importing the netlist a third party Specctra autorouter, then importing the result into a PCB layout program from another suite for the final manual clean-up and design rule checking.  For this to work the tools must have compatible import and export tools.

(Is there another place for listing stand-alone tools such as a [[switching regulator|switching power supply]] "wizard" and a RF analysis tool? -- yes as this section is not limited to suites [anymore] )

=== Links ===

In no particular order:
<!-- Please use a valid license ie, BSD, GPL, Crippleware, Nagware, Shareware, Payware etc.. And specify platform. There's usually a lot of free win32 crippleware without sources makeing you victim of the design file hostage scenario. Also some packages are sub-packages to others, thus maybe no needing an entry of their own. -->
{| class="wikitable"
|-valign="top"	
! Class !! Name !! Platform !! License !! AutoRouter !! Comments

|-valign="top"	
|*SchCap *CirSim *PCB 
|| [http://www.easyeda.com/ EasyEDA] 
|| Web-based 
|| Free || yes || Web-based EDA suite; runs in browser. Schematic capture, Ngspice based simulation, PCB layout. Tool is free for an unlimited number of public and a small number of private projects. More private projects can be earned by contributing high quality, well documented symbols, footprints etc., or can be paid for by a small subscription. All files in open format JSON. Can import Altium, Eagle schematics and also LTspice schematics for (limited) simulation and for conversion to PCB with full BoM support. Spice netlist import and export. Altium, PADS and Free PCB netlist export. PDF, PNG and SVG image export of all files. 

Users can download Gerbers and are not tied to the tool for PCB manufacture but they can buy PCBs and fully assembled PCBAs from EasyEDA if they wish. 

[https://easyeda.com/Doc/Tutorial/ Tutorial]

[https://easyeda.com/Doc/Simulation-eBook/ Simulation eBook]

|-valign="top"	
|*PCB 
|| [http://www.liquidpcb.org/ Liquid PCB] 
|| Linux, Win32 
|| GPL || no || [http://liquidpcb.wiki.sourceforge.net/ Liquid PCB wiki at SourceForge] Liquid PCB is a computer aided design application for designing printed circuit boards. You are not restricted to straight tracks and 45º angles, you can draw tracks any way you like. The tracks will move and bend as required to maintain your design rules. It is open source, and still in the Alpha stage.

|-valign="top"	
|*PCB ||[http://geda.seul.org/ [[gEDA]]] || Linux, *BSD || Free, OSS || autorouter 
||This may be the goto open source tool for schematic capture through PCB.  Generally does not run on Windows. There are no restrictions on the package to cripple it for a paid version.  Boards may be very big.  Would be nice to have a full review sometime.  [http://geda.seul.org/wiki/ gEDA wiki] includes schematic and [http://sourceforge.net/projects/pcb/ PCB] for makeing [[gerber|gerbers]] etc...

|-valign="top"
|*PCB ||[http://mccad.com/ McCAD EDS Lite] || MacOSX, Win32 || Free demo max 200 pin || autorouter || Free demo version available for download, 200 pin limit

|-valign="top"
|*PCB ||[http://applefritter.com/replica McCAD EDS SE] || MacOSX, Win32 || "free"? || autorouter || Free with book, "Apple I Replica Creation". Supports 750 pins, 11"x17" sheet size, 6-8 data layers. <tangent>(any useful tips in this book for those who want to build a CPU from scratch?) <reply>No, there are not.  The book is more entry-level. - Tom Owad</reply></tangent> 

|-valign="top"
|*PCB ||[http://www.freepcb.com/ FreePCB] || Win32 || GPL || can use [http://www.freerouting.net/ FreeRoute] || PCB Design Software

|-valign="top"
|*SchCap ||[http://tinycad.sourceforge.net/ TinyCAD] || Win32 || LGPL || n/a
| Schematic Drawing Software. [http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/tinycad/ TinyCAD wiki].

|-valign="top"
|*SchCap, PCB
|[http://kicad.sourceforge.net/ KiCad] || BSD, Linux, MacOSX, Win32 || GPL || autorouter || Free and open-source. http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/ EDA suite ; [http://kicad.sourceforge.net/wiki/ KiCad wiki]. [http://kicadhowto.org/ KiCadHowTo.org] (Help and tutorials)

|-valign="top"
|*SchCap *PCB 
|[http://expresspcb.com/ Express SCH/PCB] || Win32 || Free use crippleware || ?  || ExpressPCB's propietatary free schematic capture & PCB layout designer locking you to use ExpressPCB for manufacture explicitly. Manufacture in 3 business days of two boards for ~100 USD.

|-valign="top"
||*PCB 
||[http://altium.com/ Protel DXP] || Win32 ||  || autorouter
| [http://techref.massmind.org/techref/app/protel.htm independent Protel users FAQ]; [http://protel-users.org/ Protel users wiki]

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://cadsoftusa.com/ Eagle] [[Eagle Links]] || Win32, Linux || Free use crippleware ||  || ( Russ Hensel says>> ) I have been kicking around as a hobbyist for a while and Eagle seems to be the main hobbyist circuit/pcb cad program.  It supports schematics and board layout with an auto-router.  The free version can easily support 2 dual op amps with wide traces and a one sided board.  There is quite a lot of info on the Internet and many projects supply eagle files.  There is also a $125 non profit version supporting larger boards.  It then gets expensive.  Eagle is not really easy to learn: cut for it would be copy in almost any other program.  It probably deserves a page or more of its own. ( << end RH ) <br>http://cadsoft.de/ <br>[http://www.sparkfun.com/tutorial/PCB/eagle-output-tutorial.htm Eagle tutorial from Sparkfun] <br>[http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/03/how_to_make_a_custom_library_p.html Eagle tutorial (makezine)]
 
|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://diptrace.com/ DipTrace] ||  || Crippleware || ||  250-pin Freeware or Purchase more advanced versions

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://winqcad.com/ WinQcad] ||  || Crippleware || || Demo with max 499 pins available for download
 
|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://www.hutson.co.nz/ Rimu Schematic and Rimu PCB] || Win32 || Payware || || Schematic & PCB design for MS-Windows

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://mentala.com/ SuperCAD and SuperPCB] || Win32 ||  ||  || Mental Automation schematic & PCB for MS-Windows

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://www.autotraxeda.com/ autotraxeda.com] ||  || ||  || AUTOTraxEDA needs MS-NT, won't work on MS-W98/ME. User forums have shown a certain lack of satisfaction with the program.

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://www.holophase.com/dleval.htm holophase.com/dleval] || Win32 || Crippleware ||  || Circad's DOS version is free for non-commercial use.

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://www.geda.seul.org/ geda.seul.org] || BSD, Linux, MacOSX || GPL || autorouter || xNIX Electronic Design Automation project has Schematic capture with PCB CAD.

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://www.vutrax.co.uk/pricing.htm vutrax.co.uk/pricing] || Win32 ||  || autorouter || Vutrax for MS-Windows. Free for under 256 component pins.

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://www.interactiv.com interactiv.com] ||  ||  ||  || Electronic Workbench, 400 USD for 500 pins. Includes schematic capture and simulation, virtual instruments and PCB layout. Said to be stable.

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://pcb.sourceforge.net Harry Eaton's PCB] || BSD?, Linux?, MacOSX?, Win32  || GPL || autorouter || PCB design program which can work under any POSIX compliant operating system like Linux (or BSD under API compability layer). Have Gerber and PostScript output options.

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://www.labcenter.co.uk/ labcenter.co.uk] ||  || ||  ||  They have a lite version "PIC bundle" ~149 USD includes schematic + simulation + pcb layout. You can write pic code for your pic schematic design and simulate. Even multi-pic, keypad, lcd display. Right now it can only simulate PIC16x83, PIC16x84 (lite version limited to 1k program code). Working on more pic modules. Will not produce Gerber or Excellion drill files. Only dxf, bmp, hpgl, tiff output (not sufficient!).

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://www.ivex.com/ ivex.com] ||  || Payware ||  ||  Winboard PCB Layout, now [http://www.calcentron.com/Pages/NTEHomePage/ivex_cad_software.htm calcentron.com].

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://www.illuminated.com.au/ illuminated.com.au] || Linux, Win32, DOS<!-- Claimed --> ||  ||  || Draftcad, Schematic Capture and PCB Design

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
|[http://www.winqcad.com/ winqcad.com] || Win32, Linux+Wine || ||  || MicroCad

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
| [http://www.4pcb.com/index.php?load=content&page_id=46 "PCB ARTIST"]  || Win32 || ? ||  || schematic + layout. Seems to lock you into using Advanced Circuits for manufacture (?).

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
| [http://www.sunstone.com/PCB123.aspx PCB123]  || Win32 || ? ||  || schematic + layout. Seems to lock you into using Sunstone for manufacture (?).

|-valign="top"
|*tbd 
| [http://www.best-microcontroller-projects.com/schematic-drawing-program.html ProSchematic] || Win32 || "free trial" || no || can make schematics that look almost like photographs of a solderless breadboard.

<!------------------------------->
|-valign="top"	
|*CirSim
|Spice
|Various
|Various
|na
|The generic term for many simulation programs.
<!------------------------------->
|-valign="top"	
|*CirSim
|[http://www.linear.com/designtools/software/ LTSpice]
|Windows
|free
|na
|A free version of Spice from Linear Technology.  Draw the schematic and see its simulations.  Many components.  Seems to be very popular.  Should ( will ) have a page here of its own.
<!------------------------------->
|-valign="top"	
|* PCB
|[http://opencircuitdesign.com/pcb PCB 3.0]
|
|
|
|
<!------------------------------->
|-valign="top"	
|* PCB
|[http://veecad.com/ VeeCAD]
|
|
| autorouter
| VeeCAD Stripboard Editor
<!------------------------------->
|-valign="top"	
|* CirSim
|[http://qucs.sourceforge.net/ Qucs]
|
|
|
|
<!------------------------------->
|-valign="top"	
|* CirSim
| Java Breadboard Simulator[http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/jbb][http://www.stephen-halstead.co.uk/breadboard_simulator/index.php]
|
|
|
|
<!------------------------------->
|-valign="top"	
|* SchCap, PCB
| [http://fritzing.org/learning/get-started/project-view/ Fritzing]
|
|
| autorouter
|
<!------------------------------->
|-valign="top"	
|* CirSim
| [http://garlicsim.org/ GarlicSim]
| Windows, Linux
| mostly LGPL2.1
|
| If you want to write a circuit simulator or a microcontroller simulator, GarlicSim may be a nice starting point.

<!------------------------------->
|-valign="top"	
|* SchCap, PCB
| [http://www.designspark.com/pcb DesignSpark PCB]
| Windows, WINE[http://www.designspark.com/content/designspark-pcb-which-operating-systems-are-supported]
| freeware
| autorouter[http://www.designspark.com/knowledge/autorouting-design-spark-pcb]
| seems to require some kind of on-line activation?




<!------------------------------->
|-valign="top"	
|* SchCap, PCB
| [http://repo.hu/projects/pcb-rnd pcb-rnd as a pcb editor]

| 
| freeware
| 
| It's free (GPL 2+), runs on *NIX (inlcuding old UNIX systems, Linux, macOSX). It has a builtin autorouter and can interface to 2 different external autorouters at the moment.

Some minor fix porposals in the gEDA group of tools:

 - pcb-3.0 was a fork of geda/pcb from the mid 2000s - it's not maintained anymore. It basically supports similar things to what you listed as Harry Eaton's pcb, plus tcl bindings.

 - Harry Eaton's pcb is the same as gEDA/PCB; it's just the previous name of gEDA/PCB. Harry used to maintain it from the mid 90s to the early 2000s, way before gEDA happened. Later on the project joined the gEDA effort and we started to call it gEDA/PCB. Here's a timeline of the project's full history, traced back to the very roots: http://repo.hu/projects/pcb-history/timeline.png

 - gEDA is more than just pcb - it's actually not a project, but a group of interconnected projects - including multiple pcb editors, simulators, netlist tools, and a schematics editor. It's like a linux distribution, which is not a kernel, not an X server, not a web browser, not a shell, but all these together.

Tibor 'Igor2' Palinkas pcb-rnd lead developer


<!--
|-
! Class !! Name !! Platform !! License !! AutoRouter !! Comments
-->
|}

(Some of this information in this table came from the [http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcbcads.htm list of software design tools at the Massmind]).

A [http://sourceforge.net/search/?type_of_search=soft&words=schematic SourceForge search for "schematic"] lists dozens of tools.
Other than the ones already listed above, what tools in that list are useful for open circuits?

Is there any way to objectively compare these tools?
How well did they do at the
[http://www.pcbwest.com/topgun/ PCB Top Gun contest] ?

Timing diagrams:
* GTKWave Electronic Waveform Viewer http://intranet.cs.man.ac.uk/apt/projects/tools/gtkwave/
* TimingTool  http://www.timingtool.com/

When you want to post a picture of a schematic or timing diagram on a web site, should you use JPEG or PNG?
I hope these 2 pictures answer your question:

* http://www.ninechime.com/gallery/sketch/StopJPEGing.jpg
* http://www.ninechime.com/gallery/sketch/StopJPEGing.png

----

== Circuit simulation tools ==

''Should this be integrated into the above list?''
''Or should this be split out into a separate page?''

Which kind of circuit simulation tool is most appropriate for experimenting with various [[relay CPU]] configurations?

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic_simulation
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_software
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_circuit_simulation
* http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/7022/circuit-simulation-software

In no particular order:

=== analog electronic simulators ===

Quite Universal Circuit Simulator
http://qucs.sourceforge.net/
has a wiki
https://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/qucs/

Quite Universal Circuit Simulator (Qucs) is a open source electronics circuit simulator software released under GPL.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quite_Universal_Circuit_Simulator

[[gEDA]] is an open-source suite that comes with, among many other tools:
* ngspice, a mixed-signal circuit simulator based on: Spice3f5, Cider1b1 and Xspice.
* Gnucap is the Gnu Circuit Analysis Package, designed for mixed-mode simulation.
* gspiceui (GNU Spice GUI) provides a GUI for GNU-Cap and Ng-Spice.

"Oregano is a schematic capture and circuit simulation program using the GNOME libraries. Coupled with ngspice, it can do DC sweeps, AC Sweeps, Time domain analysis, and Fourier analysis. All kinds of good stuff, and GPL licensed to boot."
http://www.electronicschat.org/index.cgi/Oregano
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregano_%28software%29


LTSpice/SwitcherCad

http://sim4kicad.sf.net simulator

http://edacious.org/ simulator http://sf.net/projects/edacious/

"Can you simulate a schematic?"
http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/4866/can-you-simulate-a-schematic

Circuit simulation software
http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/7022/circuit-simulation-software

What are the freeware SPICE simulators available?
http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/1206/what-are-the-freeware-spice-simulators-available

Program for simulating circuits on linux
http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/12400/program-for-simulating-circuits-on-linux


NSPICE, a Forth Package to Simulate Electronic Circuits
http://home.claranet.nl/users/mhx/nspice.html

Electrical Circuit Simulator
http://mark.madscientist.ws/
http://markworld.com/
circuit editor written in JavaScript to run in a web browser;
passes to circuit simulator on the server written in C.


Gnucap is the Gnu Circuit Analysis Package.
The primary component is a general purpose circuit simulator.
It performs nonlinear dc and transient analyses, fourier analysis, and ac analysis.
Gnucap is not based on Spice, but some of the models have been derived from the Berkeley models.
http://freeelectron.net/gnucap/
http://directory.fsf.org/project/gnucap/



"Web lectures on electronic circuits"
"The circuits are emulated using Javascript functions, which make it feel like you are interacting with the circuitry itself."
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/02/web_lectures_on_electronic_cir.htm
l
http://spsu.edu/cs/faculty/bbrown/web_lectures/

Hans Summers.
"Huff & Puff Oscillator Stabiliser Frequency Simulator" (source code in Java can be downloaded here)
http://www.hanssummers.com/huffpuff.html


=== digital electronic simulators ===

tkgate open-source gate-level schematic entry and simulator
http://www.tkgate.org/

LogicLab
http://www.idcomm.com/personal/lorenblaney/

The Iowa Logic Simulator: a tool for modelling digital systems.
http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/logicsim/


the Tofu relay circuit simulator.
http://meatfighter.com/tofu/
http://meatfighter.com/tofu/tutorial/index.html
might be useful for designing a [[Relay CPU]].

FGDIANASYM digital simulator http://www.germinara.it/fgdianasym.htm


=== microcontroller simulators ===

[[A Really Basic Guide to the PIC Microprocessor and BoostC]]
describes how to use the PIC simulator included with BoostC.

[PIC simulators]
"Hades includes simulation models for ... the 8-bit PIC16 microcontrollers ..."
http://tams-www.informatik.uni-hamburg.de/applets/hades/webdemos/index.html

[PIC simulators]
miSim DE 2.1 is now FREE
miSim DE 2.1 development environment ... It includes an editor, assembler and disassembler ... a simulator that simulates not only the microcontroller itself, but also devices connected to it in real time - from simple switches and LEDs to video displays and stepper motors.
...
Also runs as web Applet
http://www.feertech.com/misim/welcome.html

[68HC11 simulators]
"THRSim11, ... allows you to edit, assemble, simulate and debug programs for the 68HC11 on Windows 95/98. THRSim11 simulates the CPU, ROM, RAM, all memory mapped I/O ports, and the on board peripherals."
http://www.bdti.com/faq/3.htm

==== 8051 simulators ====

JSIM-51 is a free 8051 simulator by Jens Altmann.
[http://bit.kuas.edu.tw/~8051/]

"uCsim: the 8051 simulator for SDCC"[http://mcu-programming.blogspot.com/2006/11/ucsim-8051-simulator-for-sdcc.html]

The Moravia Microsystems MCU 8051 IDE apparently includes a 8051 simulator and SDCC.
[http://www.moravia-microsystems.com/mcu-8051-ide/]

==== Z80 simulators ====
SDCC includes uCsim, which supports the 8051, Z80, and other microcontrollers.
[https://packages.debian.org/wheezy/electronics/sdcc-ucsim]

==== Atmel AVR simulators ====
ucSim also supports the AVR family.
[http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/utopic/man1/ucsim.1.html]

== visual diff tools ==

"Improving open source hardware: Visual diffs"
[http://www.evilmadscientist.com/article.php/visdiff]
via
"Hardware version control using visual DIFF"
[http://hackaday.com/2011/10/14/hardware-version-control-using-visual-diff/]

"Visual Diff Tools Revisited"
[http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2004/12/visual-diff-tools-revisited.html]

"The Power of Visual Diff for Schematics & Layouts"
[http://www.cliosoft.com/products/whitepaper-vdd.pdf]

(Didn't [[User:DavidCary|DavidCary]] write up a description of
"blink" alt-tab comparing files somewhere?)

== Further reading ==

* [[Techniques]]
* [[hardware tool]]s
* Even though PCB part of a stripboard circuit was more or less "finished" years ago, some people use the above schematic and PCB layout tools to design and document the parts placement for new gadgets built on [[stripboard]].
* A similar list of software tools at [http://reprap.org/wiki/Useful_Software_Packages#CAD_software_for_electronics RepRap: CAD software for electronics] lists tools that people working on the RepRap project have found useful. ''(Have we already listed all those tools here?)''
* Yet another list of electronics software tools at Electronics and Robotics: [http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/4866/can-you-simulate-a-schematic circuit simulation] and [http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/1222/what-are-low-cost-circuit-and-pcb-design-software PCB design]. ''(Have we already listed all those tools here?)''
* [http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/1024/good-tools-for-drawing-schematics/3035#comment-32446 "Good Tools for Drawing Schematics"]
* [http://www.designspark.com/knowledge/pcb-convertor-source-code PCB Convertor for SketchUp] is now open-source.