Circuits are the most basic and integral part of every electronic device and therefore, anyone belonging to the field of electronics must familiarize themselves with their design and development. In such a situation, these softwares allow everyone to learn and design circuits for educational and professional purposes.
Here is a compilation of some online and offline circuit design software that are quite popular among designers and hobbyists.
1. Zenit PCB (FREE DOWNLOAD)
Zenit PCB is excellent software for designing electronic circuits using various components. It is intended for semi-professional projects, as it imposes a restriction on the use of up to 800 pins. There is a black frame with a grid to which components can be added with a right click. Another click on the parts option will provide access to a parts library. Additionally, clicking on placed components will reveal their properties in the left pane.
The project can be saved in .ZSC format and a copy can also be made as a printout. Furthermore, the project report can be exported in TXT format including project name, author, part number, pins, etc. There is also a user guide in PDF format in the help menu.
2. KiCad EDA (FREE DOWNLOAD)
KiCad is a free software package intended for electronic design automation (EDA). It is a cross-platform circuit design software compatible with all operating systems like Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. It is available with three tools: schematic editor, PCB layout and 3D viewer, which allow you to design the circuit by adding and editing components , decide the PCB layout and then have a 3D view of the prepared circuit.
The components offered in the software include microchip, display, audio device, memory, power, transistor, etc. Additional components such as wire, ground, junction and bus can also be chosen. Additionally, there is a PCB Footprint Editor to add footprint to PCB and two more tools namely Bitmap2Component converter and a PCB calculator.
3. Fritzing (FREE DOWNLOAD)
Fritzing is open source circuit design software aimed at Windows users. It is an initiative that aims to make electronics accessible to everyone and can be used for both Arduino prototyping and PCB design. It is an ideal tool not only for hobbyists but also for non-engineers to learn, design and share circuit knowledge.
The components available in Fritzing are resistors, ICs, switches, gates, diodes, junctions, wires and so on. The file can be saved in .FZZ format and users can even add a note or rotate the PCB board. It also allows the user to export the designs as PDF or image. Additionally, there are different project viewing modes, namely breadboard, schematic, PCB, and code. Finally, there is a Help page to assist if the user has any difficulties with the design.
4. Easy EDA (Online)
EasyEDA is a free web-based and cloud-based EDA toolset that requires no installation. It is an integration of powerful schematic capture with mixed-mode circuit simulation and PCB layout in a cross-platform environment. It can be used by a wide range of users, including students, educators, hobbyists, and engineers.
This software allows users to create and edit schematic diagrams and PCB layouts, analog and digital circuit simulation along with PCB manufacturing option. Some other features offered by the software are: creation of bill of materials, Gerber and pick or place files, as well as document outputs in PDF, PNG and SVG formats.
5. TinyCAD (FREE DOWNLOAD)
TinyCAD is yet another free and open source program for Windows users. It is offered with complete signage symbol libraries along with tools such as schematic capture and PCB layouts. Circuits can be designed with the help of the following components such as logic gates, relays, capacitors, diodes, switches, power supplies and microcontrollers. In addition, there are wires, texts, symbols and shapes to finalize the circuit connections.
Users can also print their designs and publish them via copy and paste as a document, or save them as a PNG bitmap image or on the web. After finalizing the design, the file is saved in .dsn format.
6. Proteus (PAID)
Proteus is a paid tool for EDA available for different platforms including Windows, MAC and Linux. It allows users to create and deliver PCB designs with highly professional appeal. It is claimed to be a complete software package aimed at engineers. The software brings an integrated STEP export and global format-based automatic router as a standard feature. Additionally, there are more than 785 microcontroller variants for simulation.
It has modules such as schematic capture, microcontroller simulation, PCB design, and 3D verification. As it is paid software, users can purchase different configurations, depending on the size of the projects and the need for microcontroller simulation.
Pricing
The standard feature set is available for purchase for $487, while the professional feature set is offered for $1,642.
7. PCB Artist (FREE DOWNLOAD)
This is a free PCB design software that offers the best PCB layout features along with live technical support. Users can also enjoy features like “Multi-Page Layout and “Netlist Import”. Another advantage is that it contains a component library with more than 500,000 parts. Some of these components are EEPROM, relays, LEDs, diodes, switches, capacitors and other ICs. The designed files are saved in .pcb format and there is even an option called order now to order the designed PCBs
8. Circuit Maker (FREE DOWNLOAD AFTER SIGNUP)
Circuit Maker is an online desktop-based software that helps in designing circuits on Windows. Users must first register on the website and then launch the application. This software needs an internet connection to work and therefore the designed circuit is saved online and not on your device.
An interesting feature of this tool is that it has a collaboration feature that allows you to work as a team. The user can add members and then work collaboratively on the electrical design project. Once complete, you can release the design to be seen by anyone or you can send it to be shared with team members.
9. Free PCB (Free Download)
It is an open source PCB design software intended for use on Windows system and supports up to 16 copper layers and board sizes up to 60X60 inches. Users can also apply footprints and utilize the Design Rule Checker feature.
The list of components available with this software includes resistors, capacitors, connections, transistors, ICs, LEDs and connectors. The Project menu contains the Parts option that reveals all the parts of the circuit with information and then the Networks option is used to view all the connections.
10. Eagle (PAID)
Eagle stands for Easy Applicable Graphical Layout Editor and its free version can be used to design circuits for non-commercial purposes. It is compatible with all operating systems such as Windows, Mac and Linux and offers 3 modules: Schematic Editor, Layout Editor and Autorouter.
Users can build circuits using components like optos, filters, comparators, diode, symbols, power, opams, etc. Furthermore, clicking on each component reveals the attributes such as name, symbol, property, etc. on a device and apply functions such as rotate, delete and copy. Eagle circuit drawing and bitmap files can be imported while network list, pin list and parts list can be exported.
Pricing
It has 5 versions called Standard ($69), Premium ($820), Ultimate ($1,640), and Premium LS ($575) and Ultimate LS ($1,145).
11. ProfiCAD (FREE DOWNLOAD)
This software is designed to draw electronic diagrams, schematics, control circuit diagrams and can also be used to draw other types of technical diagrams. The components found in this software are namely LCD, measuring devices, circuit breakers, diodes, resistors, indicators, rheostats, household electrical devices and so on.
The grids available on the desktop allow the user to create uncomplicated diagrams that can be saved in .sxe format. You can also view and print the design directly from this software. It integrates modern programming and advanced optimization which in turn requires less disk space and also fits within your budget.
12. Logisim (FREE DOWNLOAD)
Logisim is a free and open-source tool for designing and simulating digital logic circuits. It is very useful for learning about the basics of logic circuits as it offers an easy-to-use toolbar interface. You can find the following list of components in this software:
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