Free PCB design tool...

[irving2008]

Just been released on RS website, DesignSpark PCB is the most powerful and easy to use free PCB Design tool available, and gives all design engineers access to powerful, professional-standard software at no cost. Modern and intuitive, DesignSpark PCB is easy to learn and easy to use. Free from practical design limitations on board area, layers and pin counts, DesignSpark PCB generates industry standard gerber files.


Video

[z3t4]

Interesting. I wonder if they're responding to Farnell's purchase of Cadsoft Eagle?
Thanks for the link.

John

[irving2008]

Yes...if you read the blurb there are pointers... no limits on board sizes, imports Eagle files, and on the DesignSpark website a lot of other add-on tools that all link back to RS website (e.g. the BOM generator provides RS part #). The Design Spark site also has various SPICE-based simulators for analogue designs and FPGA design tools as well. You have to register to activate the PCB tool but there's no other committment.

[tribbles]

I had a call from a marketing company who asked me about the various design tools I use - they were doing it on behalf of RS components, and I know they're doing something in competition to Element-14.

However, they are missing one vital thing here, which means I will stick with Eagle: They don't support Mac OS.

[tumutbound]

However, they are missing one vital thing here, which means I will stick with Eagle: They don't support Mac OS.

Ditto for me, no Linux version.

[coredump]

DesignSpark have a platinum status on Wine HQ, meaning it can install/work right out the box. So linux and macosx should work ok (I did not test myself).

http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManage...tion&iId=11887

[stirling]

quite a decent/fun read on avr freaks about same http://www.avrfreaks.net/index.php?n...topic&p=721255

[Rabies]

Looks interesting, especially if I can port my existing Eagle libraries, but I have so much time invested in getting to know Eagle inside-out that there'd have to be a good reason for me to switch to another package right now and go through that whole learning process again.