![]() There is a decent component library, and it is easy to add your own components & footprints. You can be designing circuits in DipTrace on day one. ![]() If it weren't for KiCAD's poor forward/back annotation, it would get my recommendation. RecommendationĭipTrace is the software I recommend first, followed by KiCAD. Most open hardware projects will never run into them. While it is commercial software, it comes in a freeware version with generous limitations. It has a modern interface, short learning curve and is quick and easy to get things done. While this is a Windows application, it is very well behaved under Wine, and I run it on Linux without any problem. One can only hope the developers will eventually fix this problem. This issue is a real show stopper for me. You have to go through a tedious multi-step process every time. However, I find it is equally difficult to do either forward or back-annotate any changes made to the schematic or the PCB. If that was the only problem, it would be minor. However, it is difficult to convert a schematic to a PCB. It also has a smattering of support in the open hardware community. This application is free and open source and has a lot to commend it. If you choose this package, be prepared to spend a lot of time using it. The learning curve is steep and once you learn how to use it, it still does not get any better. The worst though is not only that it is different, but it is incredibly inefficient and really difficult to use. The user interface is all backwards from the normal mouse driven interface on all modern operating systems. It seems like it is a relic from the DOS era. They are not bugs, nor are they limitations in its capabilities. I my opinion, they are show stopping issues. While it is a commercial program, the company offers a freeware version limited only by the PCB size.ĭespite all these advantages, Eagle suffers from some major issues. For that reason there are a lot of extensive component and footprint libraries available for many of the parts used by hobbyists and the open source community. Eagle CADĮagle CAD is the favorite PCB layout software among open source hardware designers. For that reason I don't give these programs a second look. If you want to have your PCB made elsewhere, you are out of luck. While some of these products may be quite capable, they suffer from one huge drawback - you are locked into their services. Some commercial PCB fabricators offer their own free online software. I also have a more extensive comparison here. This guide will look at the options and make recommendations based on the author's knowledge and preferences. ![]() Compare price, features, and reviews of the software side-by-side to make the best choice for your business. While there are a plethora of commercial products (most of them expensive - very expensive), there are relatively few that are low cost or free for the open source designer. OrCAD PCB Designer using this comparison chart. When you finish the design and prototyping of your project and you want to make a PCB, you need to use some kind of PCB layout software. ![]()
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