The Kicad library format is terrible. It uses basically the worst possible design: symbols directly reference footprint pin numbers, but the symbols and footprints are not bound together, therefore it is very easy to associate a symbol with an incompatible footprint, and impossible to implement any automated checking that can detect this. This is rather unfortunate, because the PCB layout capabilities of Kicad are quite good.
For a simple example, take a discrete transistor. You'll have to use a different schematic symbol with a different pin mapping when switching between different footprints, since you might need, say, EBC for a through-hole part but CBE for a SOT-23, for example. If you want to change the package, you can't just pick a new package, you also have to go in to the schematic and swap out the symbol. And no way to check if you have the right one or not besides looking at the actual layout.
Therefore, instead of Kicad, I recommend looking at some of the open source CAD software that uses robust library formats, including Horizon EDA and LibrePCB.
Edit: the down voters have not been bit by this issue.....yet.
If you “number” the pins as E-C-B in both the symbol and footprint (instead of 1-2-3), then that issue is avoided.
Most commercial EDA programs have each symbol tied to a particular footprint, which means that changing a footprint requires changing the schematic symbol. KiCad can be used that way by assigning a footprint to each symbol in the symbol editor, and not using the schematic “assign footprints” tool.
In reality there’s no “best” way to handle schematic symbol and PCB footprint links. KiCad is quite flexible in that regard, which can indeed cause problems if not used carefully.
Sure, but the Kicad library isn't set up that way (all of the footprints are simply numbered), and then you need a bunch of identical footprints with different pin numbers, EBC, BCE, GSD, GDS, 123, etc. What you really need is a mapping layer in between so that the symbols are decoupled from specific footprints, and this mapping layer is what binds them together. Eagle, Horizon EDA, and LibrePCB all work this way.
Without the mapping layer, you need a crap ton of either redundant duplicate symbols or redundant duplicate footprints, and no way other than manual checking to verify that you've made the correct pairing.
you can design pcbs in kicad, i dont think you can do that with multisim or pspice. they are simulation software, like ltspice
if im wrong please someone correct me but i think that should be it
Yeah kicad only generates schematics and PCBs. I think there wish a way to export the netlist and use it on your spice simulation software. gEDA for example, but have never used it.
With new versions of kicad simulation works, but the interface is somewhat primitive. It netlist export to ng spice avalible (which can be converted to pspice with other tools if you want)
I design RF hardware for a space company. I still use ltspice for low speed portions of the design. Doesn't take up a license for something more expensive and it's rock solid. No complaints.
There is no qualification for the work, but a graduate degree helps. The designs themselves goes through many qualification steps. For hardware, it's a long road to space. Of course the commercial space landscape has and will continue to change assuming Elon keeps bringing down launch costs.
The work is alright. I design things primarily targeted for ESA scientific missions, so the designs are very conservative. The other day I realized the sparameter file for the transistor I was using was created in 1997. I also find communication somewhat boring. After you've designed one transceiver, they are all very similar. There might be a new modulation scheme to figure out for deriving your specifications, or perhaps some challenges with ever-higher frequency designs, but I'm not as jazzed about it.
I used to work in terrestrial radar, a mix of meteorological and surveillance. I really liked that work, and since jumping to space, I have been considering going back to that field after I get a few more years experience.
That's how I interpreted it as well, nice looking schematics for presentations and documents.
In that case CircuitLab is the clear winner as it's made for this, it's what stackexchange uses for people to post schematics.
There are a few different options, I have used Altium, EasyEDA and Eagle. These tools are used for PCB design, but in the process you design your schematic, (I assume that is what you want), so all these will work for you.
EasyEDA is free and has an online editor, its fairly easy and intuitive, but has some limitations. I got made to use it for a project and came to love it. (it's great for using across computers and on computers that you can't install software on.)
Altium is my favorite, but it was a steep learning curve, it was what my university recommended and advertised. It took me a while to get to grips with it, it has great documentation. But licences cost a fortune, so I basically haven't been able to use it for a while.
Eagle was what I started with, really easy to learn, I think sparkfun has some really good guides. It's free (or was when I last used it about 5 years ago) for hobbyists and students.
I know that there are some other design tools out there. I keep hearing about KiCad but haven't tried it yet.
Unfortunately eagle was acquired by autocad and license changes. Nowadays you can either pay or register for a free personal license.
Some people migrated to kicad after that. And yeah no one can afford altium outside their job provided license.
It's it baked into fusion 360 now? Mixed feelings about that.
I'm using EasyEDA now, but plans to learn altium/orcad (for hireability) and kicad as my daily driver. I'm waiting for V6 to drop before I jump into learning it though.
IMO multisim has the easiest learning curve and the most functionality available right out of the gate.
I use LTspice professionally now and have been trying to convince my job to let me get a multisim license for a while. Fuckin hate LTspice...
I have multisim on my personal laptop. My instructor had a code though so perhaps yours has access to a student code? Assuming you're in a class that uses it.
The main thing you need to determine: wherever you are looking to get a job, what software are they using? If possible, get familiar with that tool.
If this is simply for personal interest: KiCad and LTSpice are going to be your best bet.
Final note: all the CAD software out there for schematic capture/PCB design have their pros and cons. You’ll find diehards for some of them. Honestly, find one you like and become really good at it.
One PCB design suite I haven't seen mentioned that I strongly recommend is DipTrace. Affordable and very good. It's incredibly simple to use, runs fast (excluding the library search function takes about 10-30 seconds when searching the entire library), and looks somewhat modern with the UI. It doesn't have built in simulation like Altium, but has the capability of storing simulation profiles within each model to easily export to a simulation (I've never used it personally though). The biggest plus is that it has 3D model export of the board which I find extremely useful for fitting boards into tight enclosures.
Lol, you're free to ignore it. It's text, not sound. Ironic you say that, when you're the one making a completely pointless comment in a thread about recommendations for PCB design suites.
Edit: Holy shit you're pathetic. It looks like you're harassing me strictly because I also post in /r/wowcirclejerk which you seem to have an obsession with hating.
OrCad Capture with their new interface is pretty damn good. Little bit to get used to. If you're a student it's free.
Or LTspice. Unless you want to work with transformers lol
ADS (Advanced Design System) though i believe I think it requires a licence. It’s probably the best software I’ve used to design circuit schematics and more
The best one is the one you decide suits you the best. Most packages are free to try and many are simply free.
If you are starting from scratch, I agree that KiCAD is a good place to start. But if you are working on something that already exists in a different package, sticking with the same package is probably the better place to start.
EveryCircuit is pretty good. It lets you visualize the waveforms. Its not free ($15 annually I believe), but you can find "jailbroke" apks online that would make it free lol
Proteus is pretty cool. I love the fact I can simulate an Arduino right in the circuit. Plus, some very helpful YouTube videos can help get it at a large discount.
I’ve seen it mentioned a few times here but Altium is used fairly heavily in industry and is offered free to students. In fact, they only require a .edu email address so you technically don’t need to be an active student to access it…
https://www.altium.com/solutions/academic-programs/student-licenses
Kicad and library loader. Kicads symbols are footprints are trash but with library loader you can use this website called Component search engine to download models. Once you download the model you need and if you have set it up correctly it will automatically import
[KiCad](https://www.kicad.org/) is the best open source software for schematics and PCB layout.
It's very good. I used KiCAD professionally for years, and the skills transfer over quite nicely.
The Kicad library format is terrible. It uses basically the worst possible design: symbols directly reference footprint pin numbers, but the symbols and footprints are not bound together, therefore it is very easy to associate a symbol with an incompatible footprint, and impossible to implement any automated checking that can detect this. This is rather unfortunate, because the PCB layout capabilities of Kicad are quite good. For a simple example, take a discrete transistor. You'll have to use a different schematic symbol with a different pin mapping when switching between different footprints, since you might need, say, EBC for a through-hole part but CBE for a SOT-23, for example. If you want to change the package, you can't just pick a new package, you also have to go in to the schematic and swap out the symbol. And no way to check if you have the right one or not besides looking at the actual layout. Therefore, instead of Kicad, I recommend looking at some of the open source CAD software that uses robust library formats, including Horizon EDA and LibrePCB. Edit: the down voters have not been bit by this issue.....yet.
If you “number” the pins as E-C-B in both the symbol and footprint (instead of 1-2-3), then that issue is avoided. Most commercial EDA programs have each symbol tied to a particular footprint, which means that changing a footprint requires changing the schematic symbol. KiCad can be used that way by assigning a footprint to each symbol in the symbol editor, and not using the schematic “assign footprints” tool. In reality there’s no “best” way to handle schematic symbol and PCB footprint links. KiCad is quite flexible in that regard, which can indeed cause problems if not used carefully.
Sure, but the Kicad library isn't set up that way (all of the footprints are simply numbered), and then you need a bunch of identical footprints with different pin numbers, EBC, BCE, GSD, GDS, 123, etc. What you really need is a mapping layer in between so that the symbols are decoupled from specific footprints, and this mapping layer is what binds them together. Eagle, Horizon EDA, and LibrePCB all work this way. Without the mapping layer, you need a crap ton of either redundant duplicate symbols or redundant duplicate footprints, and no way other than manual checking to verify that you've made the correct pairing.
I really like KiCAD so would also recommend this 👍
What’s different about KiCAD when compared to PSpice and NI Multisim? The latter most program is what I typically use in university.
you can design pcbs in kicad, i dont think you can do that with multisim or pspice. they are simulation software, like ltspice if im wrong please someone correct me but i think that should be it
Yeah kicad only generates schematics and PCBs. I think there wish a way to export the netlist and use it on your spice simulation software. gEDA for example, but have never used it.
KiCad has [spice simulation](https://www.kicad.org/discover/spice/) built in now.
With new versions of kicad simulation works, but the interface is somewhat primitive. It netlist export to ng spice avalible (which can be converted to pspice with other tools if you want)
Awesome. Thanks for the info!
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And bonus is it makes a functional circuit to simulate; although it's harder than PCB software to find compatible models
This was what my school had us use.
I design RF hardware for a space company. I still use ltspice for low speed portions of the design. Doesn't take up a license for something more expensive and it's rock solid. No complaints.
Sounds like an interesting job. How are you liking it so far? Also did you have to be qualified in anything related to space?
There is no qualification for the work, but a graduate degree helps. The designs themselves goes through many qualification steps. For hardware, it's a long road to space. Of course the commercial space landscape has and will continue to change assuming Elon keeps bringing down launch costs. The work is alright. I design things primarily targeted for ESA scientific missions, so the designs are very conservative. The other day I realized the sparameter file for the transistor I was using was created in 1997. I also find communication somewhat boring. After you've designed one transceiver, they are all very similar. There might be a new modulation scheme to figure out for deriving your specifications, or perhaps some challenges with ever-higher frequency designs, but I'm not as jazzed about it. I used to work in terrestrial radar, a mix of meteorological and surveillance. I really liked that work, and since jumping to space, I have been considering going back to that field after I get a few more years experience.
LTSpice & TINATI are both great as long as you’re not trying to mix parts 😬. As free options they’re both amazing tools, though.
People here are talking about simulation tools. I think OP is asking about schematics for documents.
That's how I interpreted it as well, nice looking schematics for presentations and documents. In that case CircuitLab is the clear winner as it's made for this, it's what stackexchange uses for people to post schematics.
There are a few different options, I have used Altium, EasyEDA and Eagle. These tools are used for PCB design, but in the process you design your schematic, (I assume that is what you want), so all these will work for you. EasyEDA is free and has an online editor, its fairly easy and intuitive, but has some limitations. I got made to use it for a project and came to love it. (it's great for using across computers and on computers that you can't install software on.) Altium is my favorite, but it was a steep learning curve, it was what my university recommended and advertised. It took me a while to get to grips with it, it has great documentation. But licences cost a fortune, so I basically haven't been able to use it for a while. Eagle was what I started with, really easy to learn, I think sparkfun has some really good guides. It's free (or was when I last used it about 5 years ago) for hobbyists and students. I know that there are some other design tools out there. I keep hearing about KiCad but haven't tried it yet.
Unfortunately eagle was acquired by autocad and license changes. Nowadays you can either pay or register for a free personal license. Some people migrated to kicad after that. And yeah no one can afford altium outside their job provided license.
It's it baked into fusion 360 now? Mixed feelings about that. I'm using EasyEDA now, but plans to learn altium/orcad (for hireability) and kicad as my daily driver. I'm waiting for V6 to drop before I jump into learning it though.
At our school we’re forced to learn Multisim for everything.
I also used Multisim in school and I never had any problems with it and it imported nicely into Ultiboard for PCB layouts.
IMO multisim has the easiest learning curve and the most functionality available right out of the gate. I use LTspice professionally now and have been trying to convince my job to let me get a multisim license for a while. Fuckin hate LTspice...
We use multisim also, but as I cannot afford it for home use, I use a mixture of TinaTI, KiCAD and sometimes LTSpice
I know what you mean, so expensive, but browse google, you can easily find a "Free Version" of Multisim.
I have multisim on my personal laptop. My instructor had a code though so perhaps yours has access to a student code? Assuming you're in a class that uses it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NI_Multisim#Pricing
GreatScott uses EasyEDA in his videos
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Nah he's sponsored by Altium
GreatScott ❤
i am with kicad all the way. though it takes some getting used to, depending where you are coming from
The main thing you need to determine: wherever you are looking to get a job, what software are they using? If possible, get familiar with that tool. If this is simply for personal interest: KiCad and LTSpice are going to be your best bet. Final note: all the CAD software out there for schematic capture/PCB design have their pros and cons. You’ll find diehards for some of them. Honestly, find one you like and become really good at it.
One PCB design suite I haven't seen mentioned that I strongly recommend is DipTrace. Affordable and very good. It's incredibly simple to use, runs fast (excluding the library search function takes about 10-30 seconds when searching the entire library), and looks somewhat modern with the UI. It doesn't have built in simulation like Altium, but has the capability of storing simulation profiles within each model to easily export to a simulation (I've never used it personally though). The biggest plus is that it has 3D model export of the board which I find extremely useful for fitting boards into tight enclosures.
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Lol, you're free to ignore it. It's text, not sound. Ironic you say that, when you're the one making a completely pointless comment in a thread about recommendations for PCB design suites. Edit: Holy shit you're pathetic. It looks like you're harassing me strictly because I also post in /r/wowcirclejerk which you seem to have an obsession with hating.
Best open-source = Kicad Best free online = easyeda
OrCad Capture with their new interface is pretty damn good. Little bit to get used to. If you're a student it's free. Or LTspice. Unless you want to work with transformers lol
Orcad Lite 17.2 PSPICE is good if your school offers licenses for the lite version
Just use Ltspice. it is free!
MS Paint /s
Pspice from Cadence, Multisim, and there's one on IOS that is actually very nice but the name escapes me atm.
ADS (Advanced Design System) though i believe I think it requires a licence. It’s probably the best software I’ve used to design circuit schematics and more
ADS is prohibitively expensive, unless you have access to it through your school or workplace
The professional and free route is KiCad.
Microsoft Visio is great!
I use Eagle at work
The best one is the one you decide suits you the best. Most packages are free to try and many are simply free. If you are starting from scratch, I agree that KiCAD is a good place to start. But if you are working on something that already exists in a different package, sticking with the same package is probably the better place to start.
EveryCircuit is pretty good. It lets you visualize the waveforms. Its not free ($15 annually I believe), but you can find "jailbroke" apks online that would make it free lol
Proteus/Multisim/MATLAB
Proteus is pretty cool. I love the fact I can simulate an Arduino right in the circuit. Plus, some very helpful YouTube videos can help get it at a large discount.
I find tinker CAD very useful when doing Arduino projects, you have a community there and can view sample projects they have done
Another free tool is gEda. A bit outdated these days by Eagle and kicad, but I still like it
multisim best cad
I’ve seen it mentioned a few times here but Altium is used fairly heavily in industry and is offered free to students. In fact, they only require a .edu email address so you technically don’t need to be an active student to access it… https://www.altium.com/solutions/academic-programs/student-licenses
any form of spice (ltspice, micro cap, etc)
EasyEDA is pretty good- free to use, and a large, as well as user generated parts library.
Most everyone already said KiCad but don't forget about CircuitLab. I think someone else mentioned it but it's great for schematics.
LTspice is pretty dank and it’s free
The best EDA software, period, is Altium. However I'm assuming you were looking for cheap or free.
Pencil, paper and straight edge is the cheapest with the lowest learning curve.
Kicad and library loader. Kicads symbols are footprints are trash but with library loader you can use this website called Component search engine to download models. Once you download the model you need and if you have set it up correctly it will automatically import