KiCad

Tool for creating electrical diagrams and printed circuit boards

Designing electronic schematics and printed circuits is somewhat complex, but fortunately, you can count on specific software for this purpose, like KiCad, a tool with all the necessary tools to complete and realize designs.

Everything for the design of printed circuit boards

This program is designed to meet the users' electronic circuit design needs, whatever their level and purpose: it can be useful for students taking their first steps and for advanced professionals in the field that require a reliable tool.

Beyond project management, KiCad has four modules with specific functions to meet different goals, seamlessly integrated into the user interface:

• Eesschema, the function to create schematics.
• Symbol Editor, for editing and projection of schematic symbols.
• PCB Editor, for editing and designing a PCB project.
• Gerbview for viewing documents in the GERBER format.
• Cvpcb, a utility to select the footprints of a schematic's components.
• Footprint Editor, for editing and/or projecting PCB footprint libraries.
• Image Converter, to convert bitmap images into schematic symbols.
• Calculator to calculate resistance, capacitance, and so on.
• Drawing Sheet Editor to design and edit the graphic section of the elements used in a design.
• Plugin and content manager.

It also has a 3D viewer to see your product final result in detail with realistic images and check how it fits into the system where you want to integrate it. You can also use predesigned symbols and elements of universal use or, if you prefer, create your own. Finally, it is worth mentioning that it has a simulator to test the operation of electrical rules.