Comparison of Free EDA software
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Name | Architecture | License | Autorouter | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChipVault | Terminal based Vi wrapper for HDL | |||
| Electric | *BSD,Java | GPL | YES | VLSI circuit design tool with connectivity at all levels. Can also be used for schematic entry and PCB design. |
| FreePCB | w32 | GPL | Yes | A printed circuit board design program for Microsoft Windows. FreePCB allows for up to 16 copper layers, both metric and English units, and export of designs in RS-274X Gerber format. Boards can be partially or fully autorouted with the FreeRouting autorouter by using the FpcROUTE Specctra DSN file translator. |
| FreeRouting | Java | Push & shove router | ||
| gEDA | *BSD,Mac,Linux | GPL | Yes | Suite of applications for schematic capture, PCB layout editing (with autorouting capability), Gerber viewing, analog circuit simulation, Verilog design, and GTK-based waveform viewing. |
| GHDL | Linux | GPL | - | VHDL simulator |
| Icarus Verilog | Verilog simulator | |||
| Kicad | Linux,w32,Mac | GPL 2 | Unlike other free software alternatives, Kicad provides for all design stages through the same interface: Schematic capture, PCB layout, Gerber generation/visualization, and library editing are all standard features. It also has a "3D view" feature for PCBs.
It is available for all three major operating systems, and features a large selection of component libraries. Migration tools (for transferring files from other EDA packages) are also provided. The file format is plain text, and is well documented, which is a useful feature for content management systems. |
|
| Oregano | Limited | |||
| OwlVision GDSII Viewer | GDSII IC layout viewer | |||
| Quite Universal Circuit Simulator | GPL | Schematic capture + simulation + spice? | ||
| XCircuit | GPL | Used to produce netlists and publish high-quality drawings. |
Also worth mentioning is SPICE, a general purpose analog circuit simulator.
Free or Open EDA enables end users with programming skills to add features and fix bugs. And works as a safeguard to ensure designs are readable in the future.
