Circuit design software for Macs?

[GrantB]

[quote author="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.[/quote]

Thanks Al. He doesn't link it from the front page any more and I was still on the old version. Unfortunately this software is incomplete and no longer under development. It was just getting promising too.

 

[GrantB]

[quote author="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[/quote]

I have the fink gEDA http://www.geda.seul.org/ bundle running on 10.3. Instructions here:
http://www.ghz.cc/charles/fink/
the schematic capture application is good, looks like orcad on DOS
I have not been able to get the pcb component to work.

I also have xcircuit working from a fink package http://xcircuit.ece.jhu.edu/xcircuit.html
This is a powerful postscript schematic editor that can export netlists.

None of the schematic/simulation tools for osx are anywhere near as easy as Circuitmaker on PC. I'm going to try the last MI-SUGAR and if that doesn't work for me I'll try the darwinports oregano.

 

[PRR]

> None of the schematic/simulation tools for osx are anywhere near as easy as Circuitmaker on PC.

Heresy:

Within the limits of the demo version, Pspice (and most of the free/cheap PC simulators I know) runs fine on a hot 486. And I find better PCs at the curb as trash.

 

[adamasd]

I'm going to try the last MI-SUGAR and if that doesn't work for me I'll try the darwinports oregano.

DarwinPorts can not rely on stuff installed with fink for any dependancies that Oregano might need. So you would either have to build it manual without the help of DarwinPorts or switch to DarwinPorts. Although if you are running 10.3 it would be worth the time to switch over to DarwinPorts, they really are alot better at keeping up to date.

Thanks for pointing out gEDA, I am going to try it now.

adam

 

[GrantB]

[quote author="PRR"]> None of the schematic/simulation tools for osx are anywhere near as easy as Circuitmaker on PC.

Heresy:

Within the limits of the demo version, Pspice (and most of the free/cheap PC simulators I know) runs fine on a hot 486. And I find better PCs at the curb as trash.[/quote]

I have a P3, but I have everything else I need running on this lovely powerbook that fits under my arm. If I can get some easy (for a beginner, me) schematic capture/simulation software working on this thing, I can finally put the P3 out on the curb for you. :grin:

 

[GrantB]

[quote author="adamasd"]
DarwinPorts can not rely on stuff installed with fink for any dependancies that Oregano might need. So you would either have to build it manual without the help of DarwinPorts or switch to DarwinPorts. Although if you are running 10.3 it would be worth the time to switch over to DarwinPorts, they really are alot better at keeping up to date.
[/quote]

I was wondering about that. I think I will have to try and compile it manually. I don't really want to switch over after all the time I've spent getting things working on fink. Looking at the DarwinPorts list of ports, it seems like they have a lot less software than fink. Is there something I am not seeing?

I would really like to be done with this so I can get back to learning electronics and be done messing around with compiling stuff and learning new software. I have been going back to pencil and paper and books, but it is nice to have a simulator check my work.

 

[verbos]

you guys know about this one?

http://www.douglas.com/

they used to have a freeware version, I liked it. You had to use their manufacturing then, but if you buy this you can use any manufacturer.

Can't say any more than that...

Mark

 

[adamasd]

Douglas Layout is an ok, program, but that is about it, I used to use it, but that was only because it was the only free choice. I think if i do PCBs again I will go with hand drawn, I spend enough time at the computer as it is.

it seems like they have a lot less software than fink. Is there something I am not seeing?

Thats what i thought at first too, DarwinPorts lists with alot more Catagories, instead of haveing a Net catagory it has catagories for IRC, Mail, Web, and so on. Which makes it seem like there is alot less software then there actualy is. While Fink probably still has more, If you look at Version numbers on darwinPorts most of them are right up there with the current Unix version, where Fink has alot of very out of date stuff, most of it is out of date actualy. In the end it is worth switching over, I put it off because i did not want to go through all that compiling again, still ended up doing it, and I have far less problems now. it all runs much better.

adam

 

[PRR]

> OmniGraffle is a standard program for making flow charts, network diagrams, etc. They have a set of symbols for electronic circuits

Here is a collection of electronic symbols, utterly free:

http://www.qsl.net/wd4nka/TEXTS/Tubepadf.html
"Download Tubepad 6.0"

Don't be afraid of "Beta". There is no software in there. Any "bugs" would be symbols he forgot to put in the file, or broken links in the HTML navigation of the tube reference manual "TubePad 6.0\Manual\manual.html"

There is a lot more than symbols. But for drawing schematics, all you really want is the Schematics folder.