Schematic drawing program?

[jrcstudios]

Does anyone know of good schematic drawing program around $100 or less??(prefer free!)

I'm tired of using Microsoft Paint...

(Obviously it needs to support Tube symbols)

--John

 

[AngelRa]

Go to www.expresspcb.com

It is free and it is great.

 

[mashaffer]

LTspice is nice. Its free and you get simulation too. It works with WINE on Ubuntu Linux as well.

mike

 

[cademan]

LTspice is nice. Its free and you get simulation too. It works with WINE on Ubuntu Linux as well.

mike

Could you show a link? I downloaded the express one listed above but haven't really delved into it yet but was just skimming the general stuff and didn't see any symbols for tubes.

 

[mashaffer]

I am not on the UNIX computer right now so can't check but there were generic tube symbols in the libraries supplied Triode and Pentode as I recall). I think in the general section. Of course you can make your own symbols but I haven't yet. You can get tube models from several places online (such as Duncan Amps) and include theme directly in your schematic with the .include directive.

mike

 

[SolarDood]

Depending how fancy you want to get I use Smartdraw very cheap easy to use but not a PCB type of program.

 

[kfalls]

National Instruments Electronics Workbench. I used it in college for circuit design and testing. There are AC and DC versions. I'm sure I had some sort of academic discount and remember it being only around $69USD/ea. Not only did it have components to built virtual circuits, it also had virtual test equipment (voltmeter, data-analyzer, ampmeters...) to get readings from the circuits.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

For a very basic tool you could try:
http://www.qsl.net/wd9eyb/klunky/framed.html

For more advanced try CircuitMaker (Student Edition is free)
http://my.ece.ucsb.edu/bobsclass/2C/Simulation/circuit_maker.htm

 

[33&athird]

Multisim is what I use, it's put out by National Instruments. Has a coule tube things in it, and is probably expandable. I don't know how how much it is, but if you know someone in the school system, many times it can be had for much less than normal retail. Incredibly useful program, it's like an extended PCspice, because the pcspice is the base of multisim, kinda like dos running under the higher-end OS.

 

[supwiddiss]

National Instruments all the way! If you ever get to see their booth at a show you can get demo's of most of their software just by asking. Awesome company for real.