ECAD Resources for Linux

Alternate references:

PCB Board Schematic Capture & Layout

Misc resources for Free (GPL'ed) or Open Source PCB design under Linux.

Oregano
Oregano provides schematic capture, outputs netlists, and interfaces to spice for simulation. Nice, simple easy-to-use interface. Actually, the nicest interface of the whole lot. Gnome based. Website states that its "no longer actively maintained" as of March 2002 -- this project needs a new maintainer.

gEDA
gEDA provides schematic capture. Mature package; lots of componenets. Old-fashioned, kinda-hard-to-use interface. Outputs netlists for PCB, Allegro, BAE, BOM/BOM2, DRC, Gossip, PADS, ProtelII, SPice, Tango, Verilog, VHDL, VIPEC.

PCB
PCB Features: I found this to have a difficult-to-learn user interface (as its built o the aging Athena/Xt GUI widget set.) In particular, I couldn't get the imported netlists to create any rats-nests. Desperately needs a port to gnome/glade. GPL'ed. Latest version is 1.73alpha from December 2001, but version 1.72 dates back to 2000, so it doesn't appear to be an active project.

MUCS-PCB
MUCS-PCB is a textual PCB layout program. Originally a research project in routing algorithms; much of the layout is presumably automatically generated. GPL'ed. Appears to be actively maintained by the UManchester comp-sci department.

XRoadMaker
XRoadMaker is a PCB layout program. Has a decent number of features. Does not do schematic capture. Not clear what netlist formats are supported. Outputs fig (no gerber support).

From the website: Features: Graphical editing, support for equipotential and unlimited multiwidth tracks; circuit checking; customization of router parameters; optional use of the advanced router; Manhattan-Mountain layout (horiz. vert. diagonal); complete control over circuit representation (colors, update policy); Fig export; circuit file locating facilities, embedded circuit information; user defined or automatic tracks routing order. Gnome-based, GPL'ed. No updates since April 2000.

Gael
Gael, Gtk-Assisted Electronics. Very very Alpha. Not usable at this time. GPL license.

Xelen
Xelen Home page hasn't been updates since May 1998; the project appears dead. Screenshots don't look bad, though.

SpiceCAD
Schematic entry for the Spice simulator. Generates Spice netlists.

Other Linux EDA Tools

Electric
Electric is a huge package aimed primarily at silicon design & layout. A gazzillion features.

GnuCAP
GnuCAP -- the Gnu Circuit Analysis Package -- Analog circuit simulator

GTKWave
Wave viewer for Verilog simulation.

Savant
Savant from Clifton Labs is an Open Source VHDL analyzer and parallel simulator.

Source Navigator for Verilog
SNVerilog is a full featured tool for editing and navigating through large projects with many verilog files. It parses verilog code into a database that can be used to navigate files, trace connectivity, and find modules and signals in the design.

Spice/Berkeley Spice
Analog Circuit Simulator. BSD license.

Warped/TyVIS
Warped is a circuit simulation program built on top of the TyVIS simulation kernel.

Ver
Structural Verilog compiler

vhdl2vl
VHDL to Verilog RTL translator. GPL'ed. From Ocean Logic Pty Ltd

Commercial Tools

Supermax ECAD
Supermax ECAD PC Board Layout, sophisticated, interoperates with a lot of other commerical packages.

Mentor Graphics

e*ECAD
e*ECAD has the Riviera Verilog/VHDL FPGA simulator, Scholar schematic capture & editing. RedHat only.

Linas Vepstas
Last updated April 2002


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