DesignSpark PCB is a free

electronic design automation Electronic design automation (EDA), also referred to as electronic computer-aided design (ECAD), is a category of software tools for designing Electronics, electronic systems such as integrated circuits and printed circuit boards. The tools wo ...

software package for

printed circuit boards A printed circuit board (PCB; also printed wiring board or PWB) is a medium used in electrical and electronic engineering to connect electronic components to one another in a controlled manner. It takes the form of a laminated sandwich struct ...

. Although there is no charge for the software, the user must register with the website to unlock the program and it displays advertisements which must be acknowledged before the user can begin working.

Background

DesignSpark PCB resulted from a collaboration between electronics distributor

RS Components RS Group plc (formerly Electrocomponents plc) is a distributor of industrial and electronics products based in London, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. History The company was foun ...

and EDA software developer 'Number One Systems', being a fork of their long- established EDA Easy-PC.

Electronic design automation Electronic design automation (EDA), also referred to as electronic computer-aided design (ECAD), is a category of software tools for designing Electronics, electronic systems such as integrated circuits and printed circuit boards. The tools wo ...

(EDA) software is a sub-class of

computer-aided design Computer-aided design (CAD) is the use of computers (or ) to aid in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. This software is used to increase the productivity of the designer, improve the quality of design, improve c ...

(CAD) software.

Projects

Projects are used in DesignSpark PCB to organise design files. A project can have an unlimited number of schematic sheets and one PCB layout file.

Schematic capture

DesignSpark PCB has a Schematic editor. Schematics are used to draw up circuit diagrams and connections. A given project can have multiple schematic sheets that together combine to form the complete design. There are some useful third party libraries that can be added.

PCB layout

Schematics are translated to a PCB layout file with a PCB Wizard. A PCB layout editor is then used to refine the physical layout of the printed circuit board. A design may have several iterations before a finalised printed circuit board is passed for production.

Autorouter

DesignSpark PCB includes an auto-router which automatically places tracks between components on a PCB layout. Components can also be auto-placed. DesignSpark PCB produces Gerber and Excellon drill files. These standard files are accepted by PCB fabrication companies and are used to build a printed circuit board.

DesignSpark PCB Pro

DesignSpark PCB Pro is a paid upgrade from the free DesignSpark PCB software and a free trial is available to test the additional functionality. It is aimed at professional electronic design engineers of

SMEs Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) systems store energy in the magnetic field created by the flow of direct current in a Superconductivity, superconducting coil which has been Cryogenics, cryogenically cooled to a temperature below ...

with an expanded feature set compared to the free DesignSpark PCB software.

Background

DesignSpark PCB Pro also resulted from a collaboration between electronics distributor

and

EDA EDA or Eda may refer to: Computing * Electronic design automation * Enterprise Desktop Alliance, a computer technology consortium * Enterprise digital assistant * Estimation of distribution algorithm * Event-driven architecture * Exploratory ...

software developer 'WestDev Ltd'.

Features

DesignSpark PCB Pro has specialised tools to aid professionals with customising and managing large projects involving multi-layer

PCBs Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are highly carcinogenic chemical compounds, formerly used in industrial and consumer products, whose production was banned in the United States by the Toxic Substances Control Act in 1979 and internationally by t ...

. Noteworthy features referred to on the developer's website include: * Blind and Buried Vias - to connect between different layers of a complex printed circuit board * Fully configurable design rules editor and checker - to verify a circuit design and pass quality checks for production * Hierarchical Schematic Design - split multi-sheet schematics into building blocks to make them readable and manageable * Panel design editor - visualise and manage assembly of finished PCB designs prior to manufacturing * Variant Manager - to specify different design variants to meet global market requirements * Automatic shape-based and gridless router * Advanced routing modes – trunk routing for differential pairs and buses, pull tight, auto mitre, and auto neck tracks * Dual screen support * Cross-hatch copper pours, teardrops, bullet, and asymmetric pad shapes are supported.

References

External links

Official DesignSpark PCB website

Official DesignSpark PCB Forum

Official DesignSpark PCB Pro Website

Official DesignSpark PCB Pro Forum

Official DesignSpark PCB Pro User Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Designspark PCB Electronic design automation software

Background

Projects

Schematic capture

PCB layout

Autorouter

DesignSpark PCB Pro

Background

Features

See also

References

Further reading

External links