This page is also available in Dutch: Elektronica & PCB.
Electronics and PCB are not my core field. I keep track of them because mechanical and electronic design meet more and more often, think of enclosures around circuit boards, mechanical integration and STEP exchange between MCAD and ECAD.
Why it is here anyway
- Your enclosure has to fit around an existing circuit board
- You want to exchange 3D models of PCBs with your mechanical CAD
- You want to know how open-source electronics tools compare with the commercial packages
Tools I follow
| Tool | What it is, and what it is for |
|---|---|
| KiCad | A complete EDA suite: schematic, PCB and 3D viewer, SPICE and a Python API. |
| Horizon EDA | A modern PCB tool: written in Rust, with real-time DRC and parametric footprints. |
| LibrePCB | An EDA suite: project management, library version control and a tidy interface. |
| ngspice | A SPICE simulator: the industry standard for circuit simulation. |
Honestly
For purely electronic design I would rather refer you to someone who works in it daily. Where mechanics and electronics touch (enclosures, integration, exchanging 3D models), I am happy to step in.