hi there what is the best PCB and Circuit Design Software to use?
any help would be most thakfull
Manu,
I think most people (Jon included) use Eagle by Autocad, for circuit board design. You can download their free software here.
The other day I stumbled across another site that really looks promising for both circuit and PCB design. Also they have a cad program for electrical design as in house wiring and panels and such and a mechanical CAD package that looks perfect for 3D printer projects. The software packages appear to be free and although I haven’t had time to do more than download the software, I plan on putting some time in, soon, checking out the different packages. The software looks like easy to use, drag and drop, from an extensive library of components. You can import pre-done circuits and convert them into PCB designs, ready for manufacturing.
Their site says,
Free, easy to use professional CAD software, for mechanical, electrical and electronic designs.
You can check out their software here.
https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/our-software
The more I check out this site the more impressed I am with them. It appears that they also have a free online University where you can take courses to learn to use their software and learn PCB design and also mechanical cad design. I personally plan on taking all of their courses so I can brush up on my CAD skills for my CNC projects and design some PCBs for my house project.
I think their core business is component sales but it looks like they are big supporters of the maker community. Check them out and let me know what you think.
MisterFixIt1952
I finished my first PCB last night and ordered from China. I used Eagle. There was certainly a learning curve for me, and I’ve spent loads of time doing 3D cad and programming and hand soldering circuits on perfboard.
I had used Fritzing in the past before but found it too difficult to make clean professional looking drawings. It works for basic stuff well enough.
Nice job, especially for a first try.