6 Free Programs That Will Help You Learn PCB Design

Updated October 6, 2023
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Free Programs for PCB Design

Sometimes the best way to learn a new skill is to practice. If you are looking to become a designer of circuit boards, there’s no point to wait. Instead of just reading books on the subject and watching tutorials, you need to start designing the circuit boards. The problem is that in order to do it, you need a proper software, but most of such programs are very expensive. The good news is that there’s a solution – using a free software for practice. Once you get ready to do real projects, you will have to get a better program, but until you can feel free to use one of these six!

1:- BSch3V

The name of this program is the abbreviation that stands for Basic Schematic. Actually, the name describes it perfectly. This program is as basic as it gets. You won’t be able to use it for work, nor for more complicated school projects. However, if you are completely new to the world of PCB design, this program is ideal for you.

2:- PCB Artist

This program is great for learning PCB layout design. It’s completely free, although the company tries to tie the users by allowing the PCB only to be made by them. But, if you don’t need to produce the boards, you can use this program for free, which makes PCB Artist a great choice for newbies. Apart from being free, this program is also free to use and comes with great tutorials, which will help you learn everything about this job.

3:- PCBWeb Designer

Same as PCB Artist, this program is also free and easy to use. In fact, PCBWeb Designer comes with a number of features that will make the job much easier for you. However, this might not be exactly what you want. F you are looking to get prepared for big challenges, perhaps you shouldn’t go with a program that will deal with all problems on its own. However, if this is your first encounter with circuit board design, PCBWeb Designer will serve as a great guide.

4:-TinyCAD

As its name implies, TinyCAD is a tiny version of big programs such as AutoCAD or Altium Designer. If you are planning to get one of these programs in the future, learning PCB design on TinyCAD is a great choice.

5:- Osmond PCB

The previous programs on our list are those that work on Windows operating system. However, if you are a Mac user, you need a circuit board designer that is compatible with Mac OS. One such program is Osmond PCB, which is probably the best free design software for Apple devices.

6:- gEDA

So far, we’ve covered programs that operate on Windows and Mac, but what about Linux users? They can use the PCB designer called gEDA for free!  This program is great for those who want to learn circuit board design, as it’s very easy to use. It also comes with a number of useful features, meaning that it can be used for small projects, as well.

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