Category: Engineering & Science Tools
Purpose: PCB design, circuit simulation, schematic capture, electronics prototyping.
1. PCB Design & Layout Tools
| Tool | Category | Key Features | Pricing | Link |
|---|
| Altium Designer | Professional PCB Design | Schematic capture, 3D PCB layout, rule checking | Starts at $3,600/year | altium.com |
| KiCad | Open Source PCB Design | Schematic editor, PCB layout, 3D viewer | Free | kicad.org |
| EAGLE (by Autodesk) | PCB Design & Simulation | Schematic editor, PCB layout, library content | Free for hobbyists, Paid from $60/month | autodesk.com/products/eagle |
| EasyEDA | Online PCB Tool | Schematic capture, PCB layout, Gerber export | Free, Paid options | easyeda.com |
| DipTrace | PCB Layout & Schematic | Schematic capture, 3D preview, autorouter | Starts at $75 (limited version), Full from $895 | diptrace.com |
| OrCAD PCB Designer | Advanced PCB Layout | Schematic, PCB design, simulation, analysis | Starts at $2,000 (one-time) | orcad.com |
| CircuitMaker (by Altium) | PCB Design for Makers | Free community-driven PCB design tool | Free | circuitmaker.com |
| Proteus PCB Design | PCB & Simulation | PCB design, microcontroller simulation | Starts at $248/year | labcenter.com |
| Pad2Pad | PCB Design & Manufacturing | Schematic capture, PCB ordering integration | Free software, manufacturing costs vary | pad2pad.com |
| Fritzing | PCB Prototyping & Education | Breadboard layout, PCB layout, beginner-friendly | Free, €8 donation for download | fritzing.org |
2. Circuit Simulation & Analysis Tools
| Tool | Category | Key Features | Pricing | Link |
|---|
| LTspice | Analog Circuit Simulation | SPICE simulator, waveform viewer, fast solver | Free | analog.com/ltspice |
| Proteus Design Suite | Circuit Simulation & PCB | Simulation for analog & digital, microcontroller | Starts at $248/year | labcenter.com |
| Multisim (by NI) | Circuit Design & Simulation | SPICE-based, educational focus, Arduino simulation | Starts at $40/month (student), $1,650 perpetual | ni.com/multisim |
| TINA-TI | SPICE Circuit Simulation | Analog & digital simulation, test benches | Free | ti.com |
| QucsStudio | RF & Microwave Simulation | Analog simulation, S-parameter analysis | Free | qucsstudio.de |
| SimulIDE | Real-time Circuit Simulation | Logic simulation, microcontroller support | Free | simulide.com |
| Falstad Circuit Simulator | Educational Simulation | Browser-based analog and digital simulator | Free | falstad.com/circuit |
| CircuitLab | Online Circuit Simulation | Schematic capture, simulation, user-friendly | Paid from $4.99/month | circuitlab.com |
| EveryCircuit | Interactive Simulator | Mobile & web-based circuit simulation | Paid (Free limited access) | everycircuit.com |
| Xyce Parallel Electronic Simulator | High-performance SPICE | Scalable circuit simulation for large systems | Free (Open Source) | xyce.sandia.gov |
3. Hardware Description Language (HDL) & FPGA Design Tools
| Tool | Category | Key Features | Pricing | Link |
|---|
| Vivado Design Suite (Xilinx) | FPGA Design & HDL | RTL design, synthesis, simulation | Free (WebPACK), Paid options | xilinx.com |
| Quartus Prime (Intel) | FPGA & SoC Design | RTL design, timing analysis, verification | Free Lite, Paid Standard/Pro | intel.com |
| ModelSim | HDL Simulation | Verilog/VHDL simulation and debugging | Paid (varies) | mentor.com |
| Icarus Verilog | HDL Compiler & Simulator | Verilog compilation and simulation | Free (Open Source) | iverilog.fandom.com |
| GHDL | VHDL Simulator | Simulation, synthesis, analysis | Free (Open Source) | ghdl.github.io |
4. PCB Manufacturing & Prototyping Services
| Tool | Category | Key Features | Pricing | Link |
|---|
| JLCPCB | PCB Manufacturing | PCB prototyping, SMT assembly, stencils | PCBs from $2 (5 pcs) | jlcpcb.com |
| PCBWay | PCB Manufacturing | PCB prototyping, assembly, 3D printing | PCBs from $5 (5 pcs) | pcbway.com |
| Seeed Fusion | PCB Manufacturing | PCB prototyping, turnkey assembly | PCBs from $4.90 (5 pcs) | seeedstudio.com/fusion.html |
| OSH Park | PCB Manufacturing | High-quality purple boards, US-based | $5/sq inch (3 copies) | oshpark.com |
| ALLPCB | PCB Manufacturing | PCB production, SMT services | PCBs from $1.60 (5 pcs) | allpcb.com |
5. Electronics Component Sourcing
| Platform | Category | Key Features | Link |
|---|
| Mouser Electronics | Electronic Components | Huge inventory, fast shipping | mouser.com |
| Digi-Key Electronics | Electronic Components | Components, tools, and development kits | digikey.com |
| Arrow Electronics | Electronic Components | Bulk orders, parts search, engineering tools | arrow.com |
| LCSC | Electronic Components | Affordable pricing, Asia-based supply chain | lcsc.com |
| RS Components | Electronic Components | Global distribution, technical support | rs-online.com |
