best schematic software

[RyreInc]

I'm looking for electrical schematic/wiring diagram software, and would like your recommendations.

Is there a ubiquitous file format?

What is the most widely used software?

Software requirements are pretty nebulous right now, but I doubt anything unusual is needed. Most drawings will be system level or relatively simple analog circuits. The ability to add custom components is required, but I assume that is included in every package.

Thanks!

 

[LiteYear]

We use 3 predominantly for 3 different reasons.

* LTSpice - free, simple schematic capture with powerful simulation engine (SPICE) underneath.
* PSIM - commercial, complex schematic capture with many more library elements, plus will simulate digital and computational models.
* Altium - commercial schematic capture and PCB design. Not used for simulation but used heavily for PCB layout.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Altium does simulation... has for years. The last 5 or so has shown visual programming tools added into their package for PLCs, FPGA, etc.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[bradrs]

I have not seen any file format that is ubiqiutous, they all seem to have their own format for storing their data. The higher end ones might read the other file formats, but don't count on that working.

Adding custom components to a parts library is easy enough in most. And you usually have enough fields so that you can also specify Mfr, part #, pricing etc so that you can automatically populate BOMs. You may also want to generate 3D models, and I think Altium does this better than the others, but I haven't used the latest version of Orcad to compare it against.

There is a common file format for the output files, gerber. Most all software will put this out, and that is what most board houses will accept to create PCBs and PCAs.

Altium, OrCad, Eagle, are the main ones I have used in the past few years. Altium being my preferred one. Altium is $$, Eagle is cheap, but limited, so that may also play into your decisions. I have used Eagle at work, and it will work for small simple PCBs well enough.

 

[zappedagain]

For wiring diagrams you might be able to use Microsoft Visio and get everything that you want. The professional version has a electrical engineering toolkit.

The tools listed here may have a lot more features than you need.

 

[AgeXVII]

Microsoft Visio and AutoCad are what I tend to get to use (mostly Visio because it is cheap and the other people in the office can use it as well). Cad I have just dabbled with a bit so I can't give a comment to it really.

 

[RyreInc]

Thanks for the replies!

So if there is no ubiquitous format, what might be a good choice as far as future compatibility goes (I know, impossible question)? We may want to access the files 10-20 years from now. Of course we could just keep an old computer around with the same software loaded... not ideal.

I'm already familiar with ExpressPCB and LT Spice, but the latter is too graphically rudimentary for a nice looking schematic, and the former has burned me before with its proprietary output format. Both are great at what they do though. I've just started to dabble in ExpressSCH, which seems sufficient for my needs but again is probably proprietary format.

Visio is one I never would have guessed!

 

[AgeXVII]

We used another one for schematics while I was still in school called Circuit Maker I think it had it's own format as well (I believe it was .ckt files?) but it was easier just to go to visio do any wiring diagrams and then if you needed components like PLC's you could download the drawings and lay them in there then connect to them after flattening out the levels. It is also pretty easy to use and...should be around for a while? It isn't really anything in depth for the layout (no multi layers for PCB's) but so far it has worked for the things I have needed to do.

 

[bradrs]

Tough call on what will work 10-20 years from now. If you pay as much as Altium costs, you should expect some level of support in the future.

At a previous job, I used a DOS version of OrCad, on both the orignal DOS machine that I kept, as well as newer computers up to Win 98, without any issue. The OS itself may become an issue at some point if you try to plan too far out.

Gerbers aren't going away, so as long as you keep gerber files, you should be able to make new boards with the existing design. Each gerber file is basically a print of a single layer of the PCB(top copper, bottom copper, top silkscreen, top soldermask, top solderpaste, etc). I keep PDFs of all related items, BOM, master PCB schematic, assembled PCB schematic, etc stored in a zip file. For me, those formats should stay around long after the designs are obsoleted and completely out of use.

As for the wiring schematics, the other suggestions here are very good. Visio, Autocad, etc. I use Solidworks. I import models of each connector, so that I can clearly define in the drawings where Pin 1 or A is. But you don't have to have Solidworks to do that, that is just the cad software we use for the mechanical stuff, so I use it for electrical too.

 

[MacGyverS2000]

I can practically guarantee whatever you decide on now will not be in use 20 years from now... if prior experience is any indication. How many of the major companies have been bought out, gone under, dropped support of "old" formats, etc.? Even Microsoft doesn't support programs that long, and complicated software designed to run on Win 7 likely won't work on Win2000, and that's a mere decade difference.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[FreddyNurk]

Altium had an excellent example of changing of file formats a few years ago when they went from Protel 98 to 99SE, and completely changed the whole file storage format for the program. I don't think they impressed too many people, but they're certainly not the only ones.

AutoDesk puts out new updates to the file formats for AutoCAD every so many releases. Microsoft Office has updated their formats for all of their suite as well.

Sometimes you're lucky enough that the new software can handle the older formats, in some cases, not so much.

 

[LiteYear]

If future-proofing is an important consideration, the prevailing wisdom is to look for a non-proprietary format. As illustrated by others, the longevity of proprietary formats is dictated by individual corporations, who usually have no commercial imperative to make 20-year support a priority.

Freely specified formats on the other hand, are future-proofed by default. The includes commercially developed, but freely specified formats like Gerber, as well as non-commercial, open formats like SVG. Because the format specifications are freely available, anyone is free to write an interpreter today or in 20 years, so you can have some confidence that you'll at least be able to view your files in the future.

So my suggestion for future-proofing is to pick whatever package you like based on other factors, then make sure you export your designs at milestones to an open format. If you're using a vector graphics program or schematic capture tool, SVG is probably a good choice. If you're using a PCB layout tool, Gerber is a fine choice.

 

[Mukammal]

Hi to all,

I just joint this forum after reading this thread. That's terrific, all you guys all very helpful to each other, a big thumps up for all of you.

what should I use to create wiring diagram either schematic type or layout type?

As after reading this thread I found a SolidWorks Electrical packages in 2D, 3D and Professional versions... need your suggestions.

 

[djs]

The are open source schematic and EDA programs available in the Linux world. If you have the source code, you can't get much more future proof than that. Look under GEDA.

 

[HTNeighbors]

Check out

http://www.cmhsoftware.com

I used this several years ago and was truly impressed. Draw out your wiring, add switches, motors, relays, etc, print them out, coloring, numbering. It was very simple to learn and use. My favorite part - you can flip a switch and test the circuit right on your computer. If it works on your computer, as long as it is wired according to plan, it'll work in the field. I never had a problem with it.