Links

Blogs

Board Retailers

  • Adafruit - Another retailer and designer with excellent selection and tutorials.
  • Sparkfun - Retailer and designer of open source electronics development boards and other equipment and materials with excellent accompanying tutorials.
  • Tindie - Marketplace for electronics makers to sell low volume batches of their own designs.

CAD Specific Resources

Communities

  • CircuitMaker - CircuitMaker is not just a free EDA software tool from Altium, it’s also a community of creative people and design content.
  • Hackaday.io - Hackaday.io is the world’s largest collaborative hardware development community.
  • Hackster - Hackster is a community dedicated to learning hardware. Need registration to view projects
  • Instructables - Instructables is a place that lets you explore, document, and share your creations.
  • Maker.io - Maker.io is a hardware development community powered by Digi-Key Electronics.
  • Maker.pro - Maker.pro is a place for makers to design and collaborate with one another, with the goal to take their product to market.

Crowdfunding

  • Crowd Supply - Crowdfunding platform for Hardwares.
  • Indiegogo - The site is one of the first sites to offer crowd funding.
  • Kickstarter - Kickstarter is the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects.

Footprint Repositories

  • SamacSys - Electronic Component CAD Models – Symbols | Footprints | 3D Models search engine
  • SnapEDA.com - Parts library with free symbols & footprints. (Compatible with Eagle, KiCAD, Altium, OrCad, Allegro, etc.)
  • Ultra Librarian - Claims to be the World’s Largest PCB CAD Library

Forums

Free EDA Packages

  • Altium Circuit Maker - Free package from the maker of the go to pro software.
  • Caneda - Caneda is an open source EDA software suite focused on ease of use and portability.
  • Design Spark PCB - Gratis EDA package without restrictions, sponserd by RS Components.
  • DipTrace - Quality Schematic Capture and PCB Design software with (pin and signal layer restricted) free version.
  • Eagle - One of the most popular EDA packages due to it’s (board size restricted) free version.
  • EasyEDA - Online PCB Design Tool
  • EXPRESSPCB - ExpressPCB has been THE free PCB layout and design software for over 20 Years, used by Engineers, electronic Designers, students and hobbyists.
  • Fritzing - Fritzing is an open-source initiative to develop amateur or hobby CAD software for the design of electronics hardware.
  • gEDA - Another open source package, good for people that like scripting and makefiles, Linux and BSD only.
  • KiCAD - Open source EDA package with push and shove router, differential pairs and much more.
  • LibrePCB - A new, powerful and intuitive EDA tool for everyone, cross-platform and GNU GPLv3.
  • Pad2Pad - Free PCB layout software connected to a REAL circuit board manufacturer.
  • PCB123 - Design tool for Printed Circuit Board designers of all levels
  • PCBWeb - Free CAD application for designing and manufacturing electronics hardware
  • Upverter - Upverter is an EDA system delivered in a web-browser which enables hardware engineers to design, share, and review schematics and PCBs
  • ZenitPCB - CAD software for schematic and printed circuit board design.

Gerber Viewers

Inventory Management

  • 1-click BOM - Browser extensions that automates purchasing and part searching.
  • Part-DB - Another open source web service for managing part inventory with a permission system and a good barcode generator.
  • Partkeepr - Open source web service for managing your part inventory with parametric search and automatic datasheet import.
  • Partsbox.io - Web service to manage your part inventory with a nice user interface and Octopart integration.

Microcontrollers

  • AVRDUDE - AVRDUDE is a utility to download/upload/manipulate the ROM and EEPROM contents of AVR microcontrollers using the in-system programming technique (ISP).
  • AVRDUDESS – A GUI for AVRDUDE - AVRDUDESS is a GUI for AVRDUDE, a tool for programming Atmel microcontrollers.
  • Embedded Lab - Embedded Systems tutorials, projects, Arduino, ESP8266, Microchip PIC and more …
  • WinAVR - WinAVR ™ is a suite of executable, open source software development tools for the Atmel AVR series of RISC microprocessors hosted on the Windows platform. Includes the GNU GCC compiler for C and C++.

Part Search Engines

  • Findchips - Part search from Supply Frame.
  • Octopart - Probably the most well known part search engine.
  • OemSecrets - UK based Parts comparison search engine
  • Parts.io - Another search engine from Supply Frame geared towards discovering new parts.

Parts 3D Models

  • 3D ContentCentral - 3D ContentCentral is a free service for locating, configuring, downloading, and requesting 2D and 3D parts and assemblies
  • AutoDesk Library.io - Parametric ECAD – MCAD content generation online
  • GrabCAD - GrabCAD is the largest online community of engineers, designers, manufacturers & students.
  • traceParts - A huge choice of 3D models, CAD files and 2D drawings. It’s free!

Parts Purchase

PCB Batching Services

  • Aisler - Affordable quality circuit boards made in and shipped from Europe (Germany).
  • Dirty PCBs - Low cost PCB batching service that prides itself on its “dirty” quality.
  • OSH Park - Low cost PCB batching service with high quality boards with a signature purple silkscreen.
  • PCB Shopper - Comparison service for quite a lot of different PCB batching and assembly services.

PCB Design Software at a cost

  • Altium Designer - Combines precision, usability, Native 3D, and collaboration to enable engineers and designers to get complex PCB designs done right, the first time.
  • Autodesk EAGLE - Flexible, expandable and scriptable application with schematic capture editor, PCB layout editor, auto-router etc. Free version is available
  • CADENCE ALLEGRO - Takes simple or complex designs from concept to production in a constraint-driven design system.
  • CADSTAR - Complete design environment for PCB design – from initial concept through to product realization.
  • CometCAD - Circuit schematic and layout editor program for Windows 2k, XP, Vista and 7.
  • DIPTRACE - Software for creating schematic diagrams and printed circuit boards.
  • EASYPC - Delivering performance in Schematic Capture and PCB Layout normally associated with products at ten or even twenty times the price.
  • MENTOR - Design Software and Tools offers a comprehensive suite of solutions that improve design, accelerate time to market & increase profit margins.
  • OrCAD - Suite of products for EDA, and includes a schematic editor (Capture), a circuit simulator (PSpice) and a PCB designer.
  • PADS - The industry-leading, high-productivity, PCB-centric design solution for independent engineers.
  • PULSONIX - Choose a combined SCM/PCB product, or Schematic only option.

PCB Manufacturing

Project Sharing

  • ElektorLabs - The sharing platform from the popular Elektor Magazine
  • Kitspace.org - Project sharing site that helps you buy parts and re-build projects. Open source and developed by yours truly.

Simulators

  • Circuit JS - Open source online simulator for simpler circuits with live interactivity and visualization.
  • Circuit Sandbox - Javascript Circuit Simulator with basic capabilities
  • CircuitLab - CircuitLab is an in-browser schematic capture and circuit simulation software tool to help you rapidly design and analyze analog and digital electronics systems.
  • Every Circuit - Free to try online, visual, interactive circuit simulator for simpler circuits.
  • iCircuit - Easy to use electronic circuit simulator, its advanced simulation engine can handle both analog and digital circuits and features realtime always-on analysis.
  • LTSpice - The industry standard free SPICE circuit simulator from Linear Technologies.
  • Multisim - Multisim is industry-standard SPICE simulation and circuit design software for analog, digital, and power electronics in education and research (National Instruments)
  • Ngspice - Open source SPICE circuit simulator.
  • PartSim - Online Circuit Simulator
  • Qucs - Open source integrated circuit simulator for DC, AC, S-parameter, noise analysis, etc.

Theory and Courses

  • All About Circuits - Online textbook for learning theory with clear diagrams and explanations.
  • Electrical Engineering – Khan Academy - Online learning platform with lots of topics, including a full course on electrical engineering, circuits, semiconductors, signals, robots, and even reverse engineering electronic devices.
  • ElectronicsTutorials - The purpose of this site is to give students and beginners alike studying Electronics, good Basic Electronics Tutorials and information to help develop a knowledge and understanding of the subject of Electronics.
  • Elliott Sound Products - The home of DIY audio articles with great schematics and explanation
  • FreeVideoLectures/Electronics - Free Video Lectures from top Universities.

Videos

  • EEVblog - One of the earliest and most successful YouTube channels where Dave Jones does teardowns, tutorials and more.
  • GreatScott! - Awesome Electronics Tutorials, Projects and How To´s.
  • The Signal Path - Very in depth teardowns, repairs and reviews of lab equipment and prototyping products.
  • Voltlog - Teardowns and review videos