Software for drawing Circuit Diagrams

[Testmeter]

Hello Forum Members

I have searched through masses of questions and replies but have not yet come across a recommendation for software primarily for drawing nice circuit diagrams. All the topics relate to software for producing pcbs.

As much of the software needs a lot of learning effort, I do not want to invest lots of time learning a package that turns out to be poor for what I want (just cct diags).

I do know about Visio and the several third party additions but this involves several hundreds of Pounds.

Any suggestions?

Thanks from Testmeter

[kellys_eye]

I've had pretty good results using this software:

http://www.expresspcb.com/expresspcbhtm/download.htm

it's a combined pcb/schematic program, free to download.

[Herald1360]

Once you get past a sharp pencil, symbol stencil and a rubber the choice is very much down to cost and preference. Even good old Paint can be used for perfectly acceptable drawings if you take a while to build your own library of symbols. Using its capability to edit individual pixels makes it easy enough to clean up symbols scanned in from other schematics or even captured from screenshots.

As already suggested, the schematic capture parts of PCB layout packages can used, as can similar functions in free circuit simulation pakages.

Just google- free schematic drawing software and have a play with what's out there.

[Andrewausfa]

Have you seen the open source TinyCad? It's quite easy to use, analogue component and valve symbols are included in the package.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/tinycad/

Andrew

[lesmw0sec]

Originally Posted by kellys_eye

I've had pretty good results using this software:
http://www.expresspcb.com/expresspcbhtm/download.htm
it's a combined pcb/schematic program, free to download.

I would certainly go along with this - just disregard the PC side of it. If all else fails, it is very easy to draw a respectable circuit diagram using MS Word.

Les.

[Skywave]

Often, I use MS 'Excel' for drawing cct. diags. Excel's 'grid' is useful for alignment purposes and the drawing tools are quite adequate and are simple to use.

Al.

[Bazz4CQJ]

I've tried various specialist software over the years; there's always a learning curve and if you don't use it fairly frequently, there's a tendency to slide back down that curve. Consequently, I use Lotus Freelance, which I always use for all drawings in preference over MS PowerPoint, though they are much the same.

B

[Radio Wrangler]

Never overlook the capabilities of a pencil and a scanner. .pdf and .jpg are a lot more widely readable than any CAD package.

David

[Testmeter]

Hello Forum Members

Thank you very much for your good suggestions!

Bazz, I'm right with you on your comment about sliding back down the learning curve. It's wider than software, it applies to everything which is technically advanced.

Testmeter
(It's only when something goes wrong that you REALLY find out how it works.)

[Testmeter]

Hello Andrew

I did feel rather uncomfortable when trying to download TinyCAD, I was forced to download 'Elite Unzip', which I did, and then was encouraged to download 'PCRepair', which I did not. I have not yet unravelled the current situation!

Best wishes

Testmeter

[AC/HL]

There are a few of these "helper sites". I assume they are the sort of marketing type sites that are inserting themselves anywhere and everywhere to intercept traffic.
http://sourceforge.net/projects/tiny...atest/download just downloads the program directly.

[Skywave]

Originally Posted by Radio Wrangler

Never overlook the capabilities of a pencil and a scanner.

Quite so - and despite my earlier comment about using MS Excel, by default, I do use a pencil, ruler, a few templates (for making curved lines for valves, etc.) eraser and then a scanner to produce .jpg files which are then stored on the computer.

Al.

[David G4EBT]

'S Plan 7' looks rather good but it's 49.5 Euro, though you can download a free trial version to see if it does what you'd expect of it. Easy to use - even I can use it and I'm right at the lower end of the CAD software 'food chain'. You can't save or print a design from the trial version, but at least you can see whether it's worth shelling out £40 or so for the full version. I don't do enough to warrant buying it, but for anyone who is going to draw diagrams often, it looks a good buy.

http://www.abacom-online.de/uk/html/splan.html

I'm not too keen of Express PCB - from the finished layouts I've seen the pads look too small (needlessly so), and when drilled, would leave little metal to which to solder components. On one project where a layout had been prepared from it by someone else, I beefed up the pads in Photoshop.

I invariably resort to MS Paint for the rudimentary circuits and PCB layouts that I draw.

[RF Burn]

After having looked at many 'free' design packages without a great deal of satisfaction in the ease of use or range of user control over the end result I tried sPlan 7.0 (as mentioned by David G4EBT) then purchased it for about £40. Very pleased with it so far, having drawn out about 30 circuits over a period of around 6 months, and if you are a perfectionist (like me!) it is possible to produce diagrams that look as though they where scanned from the pages of Practical Wireless et. al.

[David G4EBT]

That feedback from a satisfied user is useful to know.

From trying the demo version it does seem to me that it's easy to use and get the hang of, with a decent library of valve symbols and other active and passive devices.

On that basis, £40.00 seems a fair price for all the development work that must have gone into it.

[Testmeter]

Thanks again Forum Members. Nice to know about tried and tested solutions - and where to get the stuff without the commercial hangers on.

Best wishes

Testmeter

[McMurdo]

ExpressPCB is great and free. If you download it, it will ostensibly appear to be a pcb layout program, but it's bundled with Express Schematic which is the one you want. So easy even a PC-phobe like me enjoys using it. Very professional results and easy to pick up. You can make custom symbols and save them, though most of the main things are already there.
Draw your diagram on a notepad, get it working then put it on the computer. I used to use a pencil and stencil on graph paper and then photocopy it but never again.


I very quickly knocked up this drawing in an earlier post (took about 2 minutes..so bit messy)

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...8&d=1392484684