Links
Blogs
- Electronic Circuits and Projects - Website hosting variety of Electronic circuits, Projects with working explanation and Tutorials for beginners.
- Kerry D. Wong - A software engineer’s blog with teardowns and experiments
- Technoblogy - Arduino and AVR projects from David Johnson-Davies
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
- Adafruit Eagle Library - Eagle Specific
- Contextual Electronics' Getting to Blinky Tutorial - KiCad Specific – A more comprehensive beginner to intermediate video tutorial.
- Contextual Electronics' Shine on You Crazy KiCad - KiCad Specific – Beginner video tutorial that gets you to a manufactured board as quickly as possible.
- Eagle – List of ULPs everyone should know - Eagle Specific
- Eyrie.io - For viewing Eagle and KiCAD designs online
- KiCad Cheatsheet - KiCad Specific – Short PDF that goes over the menus and keyboard shortcuts for the most common operations.
- KiCad Footprint Collection - KiCad Specific – Collection of all the KiCAD footprints available online and some scripts to manage them.
- KiCad Third-Party Tools - A curated list of third-party tools to be used in conjunction with the KiCad open-source electronics design automation suite.
- KiCAD.info Forums - KiCad Specific – User discussion and help forum.
- SparkFun Electronics Eagle Libraries - Eagle Specific
- Xesscorp's list of KiCAD 3rd party tools - KiCAD Specific
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
- /r/askelectronics - Sub-reddit dedicated to help on electronics topics.
- /r/electronics - /r/electronics and /r/ECE are the two most active sub-reddits for EE topics.
- EEVBlog forum - Probably the largest and most active forum to discuss electronic engineering topics.
- Electronics Stack Exchange - Question and answer site for electronics running on the popular Stack Overflow service.
- Electronics-Talk.com - A new, powerfull community that is quiet for the moment
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
- CircuitPeople - View and share gerber files for your PCB design online
- EasyEDA Gerber Viewer - Gerber viewer and design for manufacture test.
- GC-Prevue - Industry standard software for viewing manufacturing data
- Gerblook - Online Gerber viewer powered by Gerbv.
- Gerbv - Excellent Gerber viewer for Linux and BSD. (Installable)
- KiCAD Gerbview - The KiCAD gerber viewer. (Installable)
- Mayhew Labs 3dpcb - 3D Gerber viewer.
- Pentalogix ViewMate - Gerber viewer and editing workhorse
- Tracespace Viewer - Gerber viewer that lets you inspect the individual layers as well as the board preview.
- Viewplot - The Gerber viewer, Editor & Converter in one
- ZofZPCB - Lets you see inside your board
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
- LCSC - Shenzhen based parts supplier with great prices
- Pololu - Robotics and Electronics from USA
- PwnKitteh/InsanelyCheapElectronics - A list of cheap electronics from China, that you can use in your projects
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
- JLCPCB - Prototype PCBs for Only $2
- PCB Quote
- Turnkey PCB Assembly
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