Table of Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Free or Open Source Software KiCad is very easy to use and has a huge support in the open source hardware community. Features KiCad is available for different platforms like Windows, Mac and Linux. KiCad has an integrated environment for schematic entry (Eeschema) and PCB design (Pcbnew) along with some tools like 3D visualization of PCB, bill of materials and Gerber file generation (GerbView). It has tools to import components from other EDA tools such as eagle. ExpressPCB is another popular free PCB design software.
Features Here are some features of this software • Add on device drivers • Rats-nest generation from simple net lists • Drawing directly on the silk layer • Netlist window • Trace optimizer • Connectivity verification • Auto router ExpressPCB design software has two applications included: ExpressSCH, for drawing schematics and ExpressPCB, for PCB layout. The schematic files can be easily linked with the PCB application. It is available only for Windows.
PCBWeb is a free PCB design software for Windows. It lets you design PCB on your computer and order it online to the manufacturer. Design your circuit with various components, like: Chips, Diodes, Resistors, Transistors, etc.When you create a new file for PCB design, you are asked for Board Name, Board Size, Layers Required, Silk Screen, Material Thickness, etc.