There are multiple programs to design and test electronic circuits, some free, others online and others for a fee. We recommend for these tasks the use of free software as powerful as KiCAD or ProfiCAD or paid software such as AutoCAD Electrical 2020 or NI Multisim, since each one stands out with unique features that make work easier, faster and more efficient.
Physically designing and testing circuits is an arduous and difficult task, but with the help of these programs we will be able to test our designs first before implementing them in order to ensure that everything works as we want, thus avoiding any type of failure and cost overruns. .
Free programs
Not because they are free they do not have to be bad or provide fewer functions than the paid programs. These in particular are enough for any professional who does not want to pay to use software for the design and testing of electronic circuits.
KiCad
KiCad is a free cross-platform tool for creating electronic diagrams and PCB layouts. It has a project manager, a schematic and component editor, fingerprint selector, circuit board editor, Gerber file viewer, component or fingerprint creation from bitmap images, PCB calculator and a page format editor.
ProfiCAD
ProfiCAD is the free cross-platform tool for drawing electrical diagrams and control circuits, although it can also be used for hydraulic, pneumatic diagrams and other types of technical diagrams. Its interface is very simple and includes many symbols, although it also allows you to create your own designs (paid functionality). Supports automatic numbering of symbols, cable lists, materials, and other advanced functionality.
It is translated into many languages and the non-commercial edition has limitations that does not support functions such as creating the bill of materials, netlist, cable list, modular coordinates, title block editor and some other limitations.
FreePCB
The free multiplatform tool FreePCB is a simple printed circuit editor to use but does not have automatic circuit tracing. It allows you to create up to 16 copper layers, design circuits with a maximum of 152 square centimeters, has many predesigned elements and allows you to import / export PADS-PCB, Gerber and Excellon lists.
TinyCAD
TinyCAD has several symbol libraries and also allows you to create network lists that can later be used in printed circuit design programs like FreePCB.
What
Qucs is a multiplatform program with a Qt-based graphical interface capable of simulating the signal and noise of small and large microwave circuits. It allows you to perform pure digital simulations through VHDL and the results can be displayed in different formats.
PCB
PCB is an editor specialized in multiplatform printed circuits that includes multiple import and export functions of schematics, network lists, design rule verification, automatic router and a trace optimizer to reduce design time. It also offers an API to insert new functionalities and supports scripts.
Payment programs
Not because they are paid but they are better but they have much more powerful features, meet standards, have much more content and keyboard shortcuts to facilitate the work of creating integrated circuit designs.
National Instruments Multisim
This program is better known by veterans like Workbench or Electronics Workbench, which was the initial name that this software had until they decided to change its name and it was renamed NI Multisim, which is the name that it currently maintains.
NI Multisim integrates SPICE simulation which is the industry standard and also comes with an interactive schematic environment to visualize and analyze the behavior of electronic circuits in real time. It has an intuitive graphical interface to make its use easier. It reduces PCB prototyping iterations and saves development costs, adding powerful circuit simulation and analysis to the design flow.
Its price is € 685 for a year for students, a base price of 1926 euros, a full version of 3368 euros and the professional edition of 4985 euros per year. It is only supported as a Windows operating system for the use of NI Multisim.
Fritzing
Fritzing makes electronics accessible to everyone as a creative material for all, as it has a community that fosters an ecosystem of creativity in which users document and share their designs and offer free electronics courses apart from design and PCB manufacturing professionally.
It does not require installation and is only compatible with Windows 7 or higher, MacOS 10.15 or higher and recent Linux with libc with a version higher than 2.6 and it is priced at 8 euros. It is available in many languages including Spanish.
AutoCAD Electrical 2020
AutoCAD Electrical 2020 is priced at € 279 per month and is included within the AutoCAD software. It is considered the best software for circuit design and is the best for all electronic engineers looking to make their architectural designs. If you take the time to learn all the functions it has, it is the best to make the best designs effectively and with confidence.
For new users it can be difficult to use and the software is only available for download, it has infinite keyboard shortcuts that take time to learn. It has a 1-month free trial.
SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2020
SOLIDWORKS Electrical is great for collaboration, as it has built-in tools to make it easy. It is perfect for developing complex designs in a short time and of high quality. It has an excellent interface to help develop designs quickly and is capable of executing very complex designs. Its integration with other programs is difficult.
So much power requires a computer with many resources. Its price is on demand although for students it is priced at € 99 + VAT and you have the possibility to request a free trial.
Design your circuits online
There are both free and paid web applications and mobile applications, but we are going to highlight two: one for its ease of use and the other for its multiplatform mobile support.
EasyEDA
EasyEDA has as main functionalities the design of diagrams with an integrated library, simulate the circuits and design the printed circuits.
It has a version to download the software compatible with Windows 7 or higher of 32 and 64 bits for Linux of 64 bits and for MacOS of 64 bits. It also has an online version.
EveryCircuit
EveryCircuit is available for iOS, Android, and the web. It is an application to design and test circuits as if we were using a protobard. It has the advantage that after having the circuit done it is easily compatible with any web page and social network. As a disadvantage we have to use all the resources we will have to pay a price of about 13 euros.