The only problem with a lot of this free software is it runs on Windows. I do sometimes run Windows, but I most often use Linux, so there is a certain attractiveness to a new breed of tools that run in the Web browser. In particular, I wanted to look briefly at two Web-based EDA tools: EasyEDA and MeowCAD. Both offer similar features: draw a schematic, populate a PCB, and download manufacturing files (that is, Gerber files). There’s a lot of advantages: the software is always up to date. You can use it just about anywhere and have access to your files. Of course, there are some cons too: Many people don’t trust their designs in the hands of some alien server. There’s also the problem of what happens if the Web-based service pulls the plug. People have demonstrated they have a very low tolerance for paying for access to a Web site. Yet, it costs money to run a site, so how will the tool sustain itself? Each tool has a different answer to that question. #Diptrace 2.9 beta codeĮasyEDA has promised that if they were to shut down they would open source their code and also provide adequate time to download files. Of course, good intentions can always go wrong, but if they ever do shut down and can follow this plan, you could at least install the software on your own and keep going. MeowCAD, on the other hand, is already open source. That means you could host it yourself now which would prevent you from worrying about them leaving and might also mitigate some privacy concerns. So the choice is easy, right? Use MeowCAD (despite the silly name and the slightly annoying cat motif). If you try both, you will quickly see that EasyEDA is the more polished product. Even without the silly cat motif, EasyEDA works most like a traditional package. The SPICE simulation doesn’t interest me much (hard to beat LTSpice, even if I have to run it in Wine). But the rest of the package, the documentation, and the overall look and feel of the system is superior, in my opinion, to MeowCAD. In either case, of course, you export Gerber files and schematic images, so you have some record of your design. EasyEDA will offer to create the boards for you (at a pretty low price, too). That’s how they plan to sustain the Web site is through profits from producing boards.
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