PICAXE

DesignSpark PCB

  • Windows Compatible
  • Not Mac Compatible
  • Not Linux Compatible

Product Details

DesignSpark PCB is a completely free Windows software application for generating PCBs. It is fully compatible with the PICAXE Circuit Creator system.

Free from practical constraints on board size, pin counts, layers and output types, DesignSpark PCB can be used for schematic capture, PCB layout and generating manufacturing files. Automatic placement and auto-routing are fully suported.

Completed designs can be printed, exported as image or PDf file, and extended gerber outputs allow the designer to choose who will manufacture their board (or to use a third party tool such as CopperCAM for isolation routing). Bill of materials reports can also be generated at any time.

DesignSpark PCB also supports the importing of Eagle design files and libraries.  See the Eagle import tutorial for further information.

A comprehensive standard parts library is supplied which can be amended, copied, and added to as required.  Sophisticated new part creation wizards make it easy to design new parts from scratch or by using standard symbols and footprints.  A special educational library including all the common educational parts is also available on the Downloads tab.

DesignSpark PCB can be used for personal or commercial projects without any charge. It may also be installed on school/university networks without any cost or complicated paperwork. It really is completely free!

Downloads

Full installer - For the full installer please go to the DesignSpark PCB website DesignSpark Home
PICAXE Create Library - the latest PICAXE Create library for DesignSpark PCB (beta version) PICAXE Create files (beta)
PICAXE Create Library Installation Instructions PDF instructions

Revision History

Version 2.0 new additions include: 1. New 3D Menu, 3D Viewer (screenshot above) and 3D packages Library 2. Add Component - Cancel Mode on context menu 3. Values in component edit are now a tab on properties dialog (was separate dialog) 4. Grids - Control G - Grid Snap menu is now proper menu now has "Grids" option at bottom 5. Grids on context menu when something selected in design 6. Export to Bitmap/EMF on the File menu 7. new LPKF menu option (simply goes to same place as Manufacturing Plots in this release) 8. value position on a component can display the part (component) description field 9. project view has Rename and Duplicate functions to help manage sheets in project 10. Change Component shows both schematic and PCB previews 11. Reports - Component List - new column type 'Text' for inserting text strings into report 12. Add Component can now return to the dialog on Escape (switchable by option on Preferences) 13. When pasting copied design data, new Cancel Move option allows it to be dropped in original position (same position it was when you copied the data) 14. In component editing, values can be added or copied to all packages in the component by click of button instead of having to add them by hand to each package 15. When saving library items (symbols etc), the Save dialog includes in the list of available libraries, allowing you to create a new library 'on the fly' to contain your library item. 16. library manager dialog : has 'ok all' and 'cancel all' buttons when doing 'Copy To'; now has 'Move To' button (like 'Copy To' then delete from source library afterwards); Components page has 'Save To Lib' button to save set of data for selected items to another library (see 11). 17. angular resolution increased to 2 decimal places for finer placement 18. right click on selected components in design, new option 'Save Selected Items to Library' allows you to save components and all their symbols/footprints to library files. Useful for building project libraries from a design, 'exporting' components and related symbols to a new library to give to someone else, etc. 19. Excellon setup dialog now provides ability to keep tool numbers unique across all drill files generated in one 'run'. Used for example to get unique tool numbers when you generate two separate files for plated and unplated holes. 20. Separation of plated and unplated holes on drill ident plots. Note: Also included are several fixes including for eagle import (not bringing through all values) and mouse wheel scrolling -------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.0.3 - 22/11/2010 Minor update, fixes added for the following: 1. import of EIL (component library) file was not always reading Description field correctly 2. IDF generation, suppress empty value fields in IDF output 3. Eagle import was not always handling mounting holes correctly 4. Program hang in New Component dialog if you select neither Scm nor Pcb 5. PDF plotting, drill holes missing on some pads shapes in PDF output 6. Discrete library had values missing, added in for consistency with tutorial documentation

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