Fritzing - best design free software so far.
Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2024 11:28 am
Fritzing https://fritzing.org/ is now my favorite freebie design package. Well the easy packages are free, and maybe enough for most hams? Details of what's free and not are on the website.
It does schematics, layout, parts lists, and lots more if you want. The output looks neat, even "professional", and while the whole package is enormous, it's not hard to get a handle on enough to get going with simple projects.
There are lots of get you started intro on YouTube. Just seach for Fritzing -and hold on to your hat. Maybe a good starter is
Anything learned getting started? Only if you are expert and competent to chase down unmet dependencies, go for the latest "bleeding edge" releases from the mother website.
For the rest of us, find the most up-to-date package for your Linux distro, macOS, Win ver, and go with it. Experts will have checked it out already to be an easy install and work.
Then, as most hams can't leave well enough alone, tinker with updating files and executables. (You did back up your system first, didn't you?)
While it comes with a good selection of common conventional circuit symbols, more can be added if needed. -I couldn't find a reflex klystron or a spotted owl, for instance.
FWIW, I am running 1.0.2 on Arch Linux. -And yes, I know there is now a 1.0.3 and so far I have resisted the temptation.
It does schematics, layout, parts lists, and lots more if you want. The output looks neat, even "professional", and while the whole package is enormous, it's not hard to get a handle on enough to get going with simple projects.
There are lots of get you started intro on YouTube. Just seach for Fritzing -and hold on to your hat. Maybe a good starter is
Anything learned getting started? Only if you are expert and competent to chase down unmet dependencies, go for the latest "bleeding edge" releases from the mother website.
For the rest of us, find the most up-to-date package for your Linux distro, macOS, Win ver, and go with it. Experts will have checked it out already to be an easy install and work.
Then, as most hams can't leave well enough alone, tinker with updating files and executables. (You did back up your system first, didn't you?)
While it comes with a good selection of common conventional circuit symbols, more can be added if needed. -I couldn't find a reflex klystron or a spotted owl, for instance.
FWIW, I am running 1.0.2 on Arch Linux. -And yes, I know there is now a 1.0.3 and so far I have resisted the temptation.