Fastest schem. draw software

[Jim Morgan]

I need to draw a number of schematic diagrams for a website.

Can I have a few opinions on which software package is the fastest and
easiest to use for analog circuits? IOW simple and most intuitive.

Generic packages and part list are fine. No circuits have more than 3
or 4 IC's.

I am not concerned about producing PCB's or running sims so
compatibility is not an issue.

I just need the artwork and want to spare my readers hand-drawn if
possible.

Many thanks,

Jim

 

[[email protected]]

You could look at ExpressSCH from www.expresspcb.com. It's a free
schematic capture program for use with their PCB layout program. It
takes a bit of getting used to, but it comes with a decent library of
parts. And the price is right

Mark

 

[Ian Bell]

I need to draw a number of schematic diagrams for a website.

Can I have a few opinions on which software package is the fastest and
easiest to use for analog circuits? IOW simple and most intuitive.

Generic packages and part list are fine. No circuits have more than 3
or 4 IC's.

I am not concerned about producing PCB's or running sims so
compatibility is not an issue.

I just need the artwork and want to spare my readers hand-drawn if
possible.

Many thanks,

Jim

Try Kicad, it's free and runs on Windows and Linux and its library covers
most of your needs. Go to:

http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/index.html

Ian

 

[Joerg]

Hello Jim,

I found Cadsoft Eagle to be very easy for schematics. Creating new
library parts isn't as intuitive as it was with OrCad but you should be
pretty happy with what's there already. You can export the schematics in
all kinds of popular graphics formats which will be very important for
what you are planning to do.

LTSpice also contains a simple schematic editor and is free. The upside
of that is that if you had analog functions you could simulate them.

Regards, Joerg

 

[JeffM]

::which software package is the fastest and easiest to use
::for analog circuits? IOW simple and most intuitive.
:: Jim Morgan

I found Cadsoft Eagle to be very easy for schematics.
Creating new library parts isn't as intuitive as it was with OrCad
Joerg

In addition (not intuitive):
With EAGLE, most users have a break-in period
where they have to get used to its inverted interface method:
Select function; select object. (The opposite of Windoze.)

The demo is fully functional, allowing a very thorough test drive.
The only limit for the demo on schematics is *single-page* (not
tabbed).
I'm not crazy about the Euro-type symbols in the default libraries
but as Joerg points out, the Library Editor is right there.

 

[Dave]

Try Kicad, it's free and runs on Windows and Linux and its library covers
most of your needs. Go to:

http://www.lis.inpg.fr/realise_au_lis/kicad/index.html

Ian

What is the English documentation like? I was looking for something that
I can run on my Sun running Solaris (I hate Windoze) and I see that is
multi-platform, so is quite attractive to me.

But when I looked it seemed the documentation is only in French,
although a translation is occuring. Just wondered how much of a
hinderance it will be to not speak French.

 

[Joel Kolstad]

With EAGLE, most users have a break-in period
where they have to get used to its inverted interface method:
Select function; select object. (The opposite of Windoze.)

Some enlightened? pieces of software let you do it either way (Pulsonix and
Pads come to mind) -- you can select a function and then keep applying it to a
bunch of objects (and the function remains "sticky") or you can select the
object and hit the function to have it performed once. Seems like a nice way
of getting the best benefits of both approaches...

 

[Joerg]

Hello Jeff,

In addition (not intuitive):
With EAGLE, most users have a break-in period
where they have to get used to its inverted interface method:
Select function; select object. (The opposite of Windoze.)

I found that quite easy. Then again I have lived in Europe. The real
puzzler is that they often use "cut" in the same way every other program
uses "copy". I believe that dates back to their ancient versions, so
probably they didn't want to confuse longtime users.

The demo is fully functional, allowing a very thorough test drive.
The only limit for the demo on schematics is *single-page* (not
tabbed).
I'm not crazy about the Euro-type symbols in the default libraries
but as Joerg points out, the Library Editor is right there.

The libs that came with mine (a licensed version) had both. If, for
example, you go into the RCL library it contains both EU and US symbols
for pretty much anything. It's up to you which one you place. I did try
the freeware for a spin before buying but don't remember if it had that
as well. AFAIK their libs are all freely available for download but I'd
bet all versions come with the RCL library.

Regards, Joerg

 

[[email protected]]

Can I have a few opinions on which software package is the fastest and
easiest to use for analog circuits? IOW simple and most intuitive.

Since nobody's mentioned it yet...
http://www.tech-chat.de/aacircuit.html

If you want YAFIYGI instead of WYSIWYG, you might try
http://www.tinaja.com/psutils/gonzo.ps and the basic directions on
http://tinaja.com/psutils/post01.asp .

Matt Roberds

 

[Roger Lascelles]

LTSpice also contains a simple schematic editor and is free. The upside
of that is that if you had analog functions you could simulate them.

My 2c worth : LTSpice schematics are ugly and component creation a pain.
The commands are weird.

I use TinyCAD for my schematics - bog stadard Windows controls and quick to
learn. A nice copy to clipboard feature, which lets me paste the picture in
Word for documents or Paint to get saved as GIF or PNG for the internet.
You can select the portion to get copied. Freeware at
http://tinycad.sourceforge.net . I know you don't want to do layouts for
PCB, but it is nice to know that TinyCAD can output a netlist - I use it to
make Stripboard layouts with VCAD
(http://www.geocities.com/rogerlasau/VCad.html) and PCB layouts with Protel.


Roger Lascelles

 

[John Perry]

Hello Jeff,
...

The libs that came with mine (a licensed version) had both. If, for
example, you go into the RCL library it contains both EU and US symbols
for pretty much anything. It's up to you which one you place. I did try
the freeware for a spin before buying but don't remember if it had that
as well.

I'm using the 4.15 freeware version (haven't been able to sell anything
yet), and mine has both styles. Some of the libraries even have two
versions, one library EU and one US. Most have duplicate symbols in the
library, though, one symbol EU and one US.

John Perry

 

[Deefoo]

My 2c worth : LTSpice schematics are ugly and component creation a pain.
The commands are weird.

I use TinyCAD for my schematics - bog stadard Windows controls and quick to
learn. A nice copy to clipboard feature, which lets me paste the picture in
Word for documents or Paint to get saved as GIF or PNG for the internet.
You can select the portion to get copied. Freeware at
http://tinycad.sourceforge.net . I know you don't want to do layouts for
PCB, but it is nice to know that TinyCAD can output a netlist - I use it to
make Stripboard layouts with VCAD
(http://www.geocities.com/rogerlasau/VCad.html) and PCB layouts with

Protel.


TinyCad is great, I've even been thinking to donate. KiCAD is very powerfull
but I find the drawings come out rather ugly if you don't make all the parts
yourself.

--DF

 

[Mike Young]

My 2c worth : LTSpice schematics are ugly and component creation a pain.
The commands are weird.

I use TinyCAD for my schematics - bog stadard Windows controls and quick
to
learn. A nice copy to clipboard feature, which lets me paste the picture
in

I've tried a bunch recently. Micro-Cap 8 has a limited function SPICE for
free download, but the real thing is quite pricey. The interface works nice;
fast and intuitive, depending on your background. Eagle 4 also works nice,
is reasonably priced from free to low hundreds. It draws schematics and lays
out PCBs. A separate simulator sorta integrates with it -- I haven't tried
it yet -- and also ranges in price from free to low hundreds. Eagle is
appealing for its board layout. I'm using the freebie version, and don't
feel confined yet for the things I do. It's quite usable for small two sided
boards.

 

[Terry Pinnell]

I need to draw a number of schematic diagrams for a website.

Can I have a few opinions on which software package is the fastest and
easiest to use for analog circuits? IOW simple and most intuitive.

Generic packages and part list are fine. No circuits have more than 3
or 4 IC's.

I am not concerned about producing PCB's or running sims so
compatibility is not an issue.

I just need the artwork and want to spare my readers hand-drawn if
possible.

Many thanks,

Jim

See my notes and links to some 60 ECAD programs at
http://www.terrypin.dial.pipex.com/ECADList.html

Terry Pinnell
Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK

 

[Ian Bell]

What is the English documentation like? I was looking for something that
I can run on my Sun running Solaris (I hate Windoze) and I see that is
multi-platform, so is quite attractive to me.

The English documentation is quite usable and as complete as the original
French. Both need expanding but there is enough for most things. After that
there is the user group I set up at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kicad-users/

But when I looked it seemed the documentation is only in French,
although a translation is occuring. Just wondered how much of a
hinderance it will be to not speak French.

None at all. The help and other docs are now all in English.

Ian

 

[Ian Bell]

TinyCad is great, I've even been thinking to donate. KiCAD is very
powerfull but I find the drawings come out rather ugly if you don't make
all the parts yourself.

--DF

If you have taken the trouble to create your own better looking parts,
please donate them via the Kicad user group at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kicad-users/

After all, that's what open source is all about.

Ian

 

[John B]

Since nobody's mentioned it yet...
http://www.tech-chat.de/aacircuit.html

If you want YAFIYGI instead of WYSIWYG, you might try
http://www.tinaja.com/psutils/gonzo.ps and the basic directions on
http://tinaja.com/psutils/post01.asp .

Matt Roberds

There's also NGPaint although AFAIK no development has been done on it for
several years.

http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/2926/txt/NGpaint.html

John

 

[sonos]

If you have taken the trouble to create your own better looking parts,
please donate them via the Kicad user group at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kicad-users/

After all, that's what open source is all about.

Ian

thanks for the link. one of the minor problems that gEDA has in competing
w/ Eagle is the lack of web file sharing, imo. last time i looked @ kicad,
the site did not have the sharing feature. maybe i just missed it.

however, kicad is not in the pipeline for debian, as eagle is...
http://packages.debian.org/unstable/electronics/

this is unfortunate.

 

[dlharmon]

I need to draw a number of schematic diagrams for a website.

Can I have a few opinions on which software package is the fastest and
easiest to use for analog circuits? IOW simple and most intuitive.

Generic packages and part list are fine. No circuits have more than 3
or 4 IC's.

I am not concerned about producing PCB's or running sims so
compatibility is not an issue.

I just need the artwork and want to spare my readers hand-drawn if
possible.

Many thanks,

Jim

If you are willing do some learning, try gschem (part of geda). It
is incredibly fast to draw schematics with once you learn it, and
produces beautiful postscript and png output. See
http://dlharmon.com/dspcard/dspcard.pdf for an example of what it
can do. The keystroke commands make gschem fast, but they also
make it more difficult to learn. It is set up so that the user can
type with one hand and use the mouse with the other.

See:
http://geda.seul.org

Darrell Harmon
http://dlharmon.com/dspcard

 

[sonos]

Don't know. Describe exactly what you want and I'll see if it can be
provided -I moderate the group.

I see now you have file sharing which is nice. my point was that I missed
it before, when I looked at kicad last month.

Why? I use Slackware and there is no slackpack for it but that is no barrier
to using it.

is slackware debian based?