Circuit design software for Macs?

[jvanslem]

Anyone use/know of a simple circuit design program for macs that's good for simple circuit layout?

thanks!

 

[ToobieSnack]

i need this too
ts

 

[alk509]

I'm interested too. I've been using TubeCAD and Circuitmaker running over VirtualPC, but nothing OSX native :?.

For PCB's, though, you can't beat Osmond!

Peace,
Al.

 

[EmoRiot]

Not quite sure what you need, exactly, but OmniGraffle is a standard program for making flow charts, network diagrams, etc. They have a set of symbols for electronic circuits and might be able to do what you need.

I took a screen shot of the symbols they provide for this:

You can download a demo of Omnigraffle HERE

Hope this helps!

 

[pucho812]

have you guys tried

designworks or PCB warrior. I downloaded some free demos but have yet to use them they look good though. try checking those out.

 

[alk509]

Designworks Lite and OmniGraffle will let you draw things, but there's no simulation... Although now that I'm re-reading the original post, simulation might not be what he wants...

As for PCB Warrior, don't bother... Osmond is free.

Peace,
Al.

 

[jvanslem]

[quote author="alk509"]Designworks Lite and OmniGraffle will let you draw things, but there's no simulation... Although now that I'm re-reading the original post, simulation might not be what he wants...

As for PCB Warrior, don't bother... Osmond is free.

Peace,
Al.[/quote]

Simulation would be cool, but it's not necessary.
I've never designed a circuit before, but I'm looking to make my own summing mixer and want to try sketching a design with software instead of on a napkin.

 

[Guest]

Check out Mi-Sugar...

http://www.dimi.uniud.it/~vitacolo/freesoftware.html#math


There is a ton of cool free mac stuff on that page...

 

[jvanslem]

[quote author="JCMaudio"]Check out Mi-Sugar...

http://www.dimi.uniud.it/~vitacolo/freesoftware.html#math


There is a ton of cool free mac stuff on that page...[/quote]

HA!

The Mi-Sugar link goes to a page for a
"Cross-platform multiplayer space game with a Trek theme."

 

[EmoRiot]

[quote author="jvanslem"][quote author="JCMaudio"]Check out Mi-Sugar...

http://www.dimi.uniud.it/~vitacolo/freesoftware.html#math


There is a ton of cool free mac stuff on that page...[/quote]

HA!

The Mi-Sugar link goes to a page for a
"Cross-platform multiplayer space game with a Trek theme."[/quote]

LOL! Yeah, but that's what we're talking about right? Circuit design software to help make our virtual USS Enterprise that much more authentic! :wink: :razz:

 

[alk509]

[quote author="jvanslem"]The Mi-Sugar link goes to a page for a
"Cross-platform multiplayer space game with a Trek theme."[/quote]

That's funny!

Try this:

http://www.macinit.com/misugar/

Peace,
Al.

 

[SonsOfThunder]

McCad... I think there is an OSX version now, but I wouldn't give the company another penny. Long story, but they basically blamed a major problem in a PC version on hardware then on Windows, then when we updated our Mac seats, we found out that they had the same bug. :twisted:

Osmond has Schematic capture and PCB layout? OSX version???

Peace!
Charlie

 

[alk509]

[quote author="SonsOfThunder"]Osmond has Schematic capture and PCB layout? OSX version???[/quote]

No schematics capture. I actually code my parts and net lists by hand... I'm 31¡73, 8¡7©?!!! :roll:

I haven't tried MI-SUGAR because I'm still on 10.2.8...... Can it export parts and net lists?

Peace,
Al.

 

[PRR]

> No schematics capture. I actually code my parts and net lists by hand...

I did that, on PC, when punch-cards were just going out of style. Little more than a naked SPICE engine and a DOS prompt.

I was shocked to see that anybody expected Mac fans to work that way 15 years later.

 

[alk509]

[quote author="PRR"]I was shocked to see that anybody expected Mac fans to work that way 15 years later.[/quote]

Not really, you can do it from within Osmond, or import a DesignWorks or other parts/net lists. I just like doing it in code since I can name parts and signals easily and directly and don't have to deal with a rats nest until I'm laying out the board. Osmond's code is really dead simple:

Part AXIAL0.3 { Name R1 Value "25K" }
Part DO-34 { Name D1 Value "1N4002" }

That bit makes a part using the library symbol AXIAL0.3 whose name is R1 and whose value is 25K, and another one whose name is D1, whose value is 1N4002 and which uses the symbol for a DO-34 diode. You can omit the value part of it if you want. Then, this bit of code would put them in parallel:

Signal "D1 Cathode"
   { R1-1 D1-K }
Signal "D1 Anode"
   { R1-2 D1-A }

It just says connect pin 1 of R1 with pin K of D1 and call that connection "D1 Cathode", then connect pin 2 of R1 with pin A of D1 and call that connection "D1 Anode"

Easy as pie!

Peace,
Al.

 

[ToobieSnack]

thanks everyone
Ihave mac OS9.2.
the MI-SUGAR site had a link to MacSpice though.
Any other OS 9.x options?
ts

 

[adamasd]

If you have the OSX Developer CD installed you can use a few of the Unix apps for this. If you do not know unix you can use a package manager Like fink (fink.sf.net) which will run on both 10.2 and 10.3. It has an older version of Oregano which does ok as long as you do no try and model tubes, which the older version is useless for. Then there is also Darwin Ports (darwinports.opendarwin.org/) which does a better job of keeping its packages up to date and offers many more, is not a good choice for 10.2x since they do not bother testing any of thier stuff on anything older then 10.3. Both have some nice electronics programs along with some other usefull things like speaker cab design and the like. If you have 10.3 go with Darwin Ports otherwise use Fink. You will have to install alot of stuff in the start like X11 so be prepared to let run a few nights while you are asleep so it can compile and install some of those larger things like X11. But it is worth the time there are some great programs there.

adam

 

[cannikin]

There's a program for OS X called Epoxy 3 Carbon. I haven't used it much.

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/23534

 

[PRR]

> I just like doing it in code... really dead simple: { R1-2 D1-A }

Yeah, and I can (used to) code troff/nroff for document and book production. I'm not totally sure that GUI WYSIWYG interfaces are better. I always ran WordPerfect with Reveal Codes open. But the whole point, from Parc to Lisa to Mac, has been to get away from mental re-mapping into FORTRAN-like gibberish. And generally the Mac developers have been ahead of the curve.

My Pspice does not deal directly with package and layout. I think that is a new frill. But somewhere a few releases back they got a GUI schematic editor. Yes, I do miss numbering the nodes on a napkin and typing it in. Not because it is fun, but because the GUI auto-numbers nodes behind the scene and I don't know what node is what. Does not matter until the netlist parser barfs an error: it tells me what node is no-go, but there is no way to find a node-number on the GUI. I have to flip through the card-deck (OK, line-ASCII file) and figure what part is on that node, etc.

Just like modern document tools "help" the user, it seems to me that a good electronics editor/stimulator ought to do a lot more than Pspice or TINA or WorkBench does.

 

[Guest]

Hey guys, sorry about the link... pretty funny though. :grin: I haven't tried Mi-Sugar for simulation yet, just layout. I'm not much of a designer... maybe one day.