**Circuit Design Software** On **Linux**:
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As **Linux** OS have become one of the most popular opensource OS for Servers and Desktop, many software will release a **linux** version . It also applies to the **circuit design software** .Since we are using the Linux as our Operationg System , and We would like to search some **Circuit Design Software** Based On **Linux** .
So let me introduce some types of Circuit design software in order to make readers more esaily choose their favorite Linux-based software .
1.**EasyEDA** . As a cross-platform **Circuit desgin software** , which is used on the browser and stored on the clound server . EasyEDA provides shematic capture , pcb layout , spice simulation and online pcb order functions which will give you an easy EDA design journey and make your circuit design work more easily and more productively . You could run it on windows , mac , **linux** or android platform ,as long as there is one brwoser on the OS and connecting to network.
Let me have a preview of what EasyEDA provides :
I.Schematic capture
This is a most important function of the **circuit design software** ,almost every **circuit design software** provides schematic capture function . Because it is the basic entrance of understanding the circuit you design . What is more ,it could be used to be converted into pcb design file .
Here is a screenshot of one scheamtic :
![enter image description here][1]
One Schematic—Arduino 2560 Schematic
II.Spice simulaton .
There are many spice simulation tools such as Multisim , Proteus, Ltspice , KtechLab .
EasyEDA provides many simulation models and the quick way to building models for Integrated circuits .
Also ,EasyEDA provides Waveform viewer to preview the simulation results .
![enter image description here][2]
Spice Simulation Example .
![enter image description here][3]
Spice Simulation Waveform Viewer
III.PCB layout
Almost all circuit design softwares provide PCB layout function .
This is the way to produce the PCB board and the basic tool.
EasyEDA provides laying out unlimited pads , size of the boards , and more than 6 layrers of PCB Boards.
![enter image description here][4]
PCB Layout
IV.Import from third-party EDA Tools
EasyEDA can import files from Altium Designer , LTspice ,Eagle, Kicad .
V.Export Files
EasyEDA can export EasyEDA source ,SVG source ,SVG file ,Image(png),and Pdf files.
VI.PCB Order .
EasyEDA provides online ordering PCB. When completing your Circuit PCB Design , if you do not want to spend much time on making your own PCB , you could order online PCB .
![enter image description here][5]
2.**DipTrace**
The second most popular software running on **linux** I would like to introduce is DipTrace .
DipTrace is an EDA software for designing schematic and PCB boards .
It is based on Windows ,Mac , **Linux** .
The Developers provide mutil-lingual interface and tutorials .
DipTrace has 4 modules: Schematic Capture Editor, PCB Layout Editor with built-in shape-based autorouter and 3D Preview & Export, Component Editor, and Pattern Editor.
There are some basic Features about DipTrace :
I.Simple UI
II.Multi-sheet and hierarchical schematics
III.High-speed shape-based autorouter
IV.Smart manual routing tools
V.Wide import / export capabilities
VI.Advanced verifications with real-time DRC
VII.Real-time 3D PCB preview & STEP export
VIII.Manufacturing output
There are five modules for DipTrace .
![enter image description here][6]
Schematic Capture
![enter image description here][7]
PCB Layout
![enter image description here][8]
3D Preview and Export
![enter image description here][9]
Component Editor
![enter image description here][10]
Pattern Editor
3.**gEDA**
gEDA is so important for it is firstly started in an effort to remedy the lack of free software EDA for Linux/Unix . And one of the long standing goal for gEDA is to provide a suite od EDA application for Linux .
All applications in the gEDA suite compile and run on Linux. So it is the software that I could not miss on introducing circuit design software on Linux.
There are three main features gEDA provides:
I.gEDA provides schematic capture :
![enter image description here][11]
II.gEDA provides PCB Editor
![enter image description here][12]
III.gerber file viewer
![enter image description here][13]
Here I should have to mention the term “gEDA Suite”.
The term“gEDA”refers to all free software projects and applications that have asscioated with the gEDA project .
These include:
· gEDA/gaf - gschem and friends (the original project)
· PCB - PCB layout program
· Gerbv - Gerber file viewer
· ngspice - a port of Berkeley SPICE
· GnuCap - A modern electronic circuit simulation program
· gspiceui - A GUI front end for ngspice/GnuCap
· gwave - An analog waveform viewer
· gaw - An analog waveform viewer a rewrite of gwave. Works with gspiceui.
· Icarus Verilog - A Verilog simulator
· GTKWave - A digital waveform viewer
· wcalc - Transmission line and electromagnetic structure analysis
For the importance of **Linux** to electronic design ,the open-source developers recognize it many years ago , and the gEDA is the proof of their early insight .
The gEDA Project remains a federation of software tools developed by different (but sometimes overlapping) programmers.
The thread which holds the project together is the shared vision of creating a powerful, community-based, open-source EDA toolkit.
4.**Qucs**
Quite Universal Circuit Simulator (Qucs) is an open-source electronic circuit simulator software release under the GPL .
It give you the ability to setup a circuit with graphical user interface and simulate the large-signal, small-signal and noise behaviour of the circuit.
Qucs supports a growing list of analog and digital components as well as SPICE sub-circuits. It is intended to be much simpler to use and handle than other circuit simulators like gEDA or PSPICE.
![enter image description here][14]
5**.Magic**
Now let me introduce a very-large-integration layout tool originally written by John Ousterhout his graduate students at UC Berkeley during the 1980s.
As a free and opensource software ,subject to the requirement of BSD Licence ,Magic continues to be popular because it is easy to use and easy to expand for specialized tasks .
Magic is widely cited as being the easiest tool to use for circuit layout, even for people who ultimately rely on commercial tools for their product design flow.
![enter image description here][15]
So far I have recommend several circuit design tools on **Linux** .
There are also Kicad ,eagle ,Fritzing,Open Circuit Design, and some other kinds of software that can run on **Linux** .
As for the restriction of article length, Here I do not list all the **circuit design software** with detailed descriptions .
Hope you could enjoy the free and all-platform supported tools like Easyeda, the linux-originated software tool like gEDA, the very-large-integration layout tool like Magic etc .
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