We use computers and virtual instruments more and more. It’s already not always desirable to draw diagrams on paper – it takes a long time, it’s not always beautiful and it’s difficult to fix. In addition, a program for drawing circuits can give a list of necessary elements, simulate a printed circuit board, and some can even calculate the results of its work.
Free Schematic Programs
There are many good free programs for drawing electrical circuits on the network. For professionals, their functionality may not be enough, but to create a power supply scheme for a house or apartment, their functions and operations will be enough. Not all of them are equally convenient, some are difficult to learn, but you can find several free programs for drawing electrical circuits that anyone can use, they have such a simple and intuitive interface.
The easiest option is to use the standard Windows Paint program, which is available on almost any computer. But in this case, you will have to draw all the elements yourself. A special program for drawing diagrams allows you to insert ready-made elements into the right places, and then connect them using communication lines. We will talk about these programs further.
QElectroTech Electrical Schematic Editor
The program for drawing QElectroTech circuits is in Russian, and it is completely Russified – menus, explanations – in Russian. Convenient and intuitive interface – a hierarchical menu with possible elements and operations on the left side of the screen and several tabs at the top. There are also shortcut buttons for performing standard operations – saving, printing, etc.
There is an extensive list of ready-made elements, it is possible to draw geometric shapes, insert text, make changes in a certain area, change direction in a particular fragment, add rows and columns. In general, the program is quite convenient with which it is easy to draw a power supply diagram, put down the names of the elements and ratings. The result can be saved in several formats: JPG, PNG, BMP, SVG, data can be imported (opened in this program) in QET and XML formats, exported in QET format.
The disadvantage of this program for drawing diagrams is the lack of a video in Russian on how to use it, but there are a considerable number of lessons in other languages.
Microsoft graphics editor – Visio
For those who have at least a little experience with Microsoft products, it will not be difficult to master the work in the Visio graphics editor (Visio). This product also has a fully Russified version, and with a good level of translation.
This product allows you to draw a diagram to scale, which is convenient for calculating the number of wires needed. A large library of stencils with symbols, various components of the circuit, makes the work similar to assembling a constructor: you need to find the right element and put it in place. Since many are accustomed to working in programs of this type, the search is not difficult.
The positive aspects include the presence of a decent number of lessons on working with this program for drawing diagrams, and in Russian.
Compass Electric
Another program for drawing diagrams on a computer is Compass Electric. This is a more serious product that is used by professionals. There is a wide functionality that allows you to draw various plans, flowcharts, and other similar drawings. When transferring the scheme to the program, the specification and wiring diagram are formed in parallel, and they are all printed out.
To get started, you need to load the library with system elements. When you select a schematic image of one or another element, a window will “pop up” in which there will be a list of suitable parts taken from the library. A suitable element is selected from this list, after which its schematic representation appears in the indicated place of the diagram. At the same time, a designation corresponding to GOST with continuous numbering is automatically affixed (the program changes the numbers itself). At the same time, the parameters (name, number, denomination) of the selected element appear in the specification.
In general, the program is interesting and useful for developing device diagrams. It can be used to create a wiring diagram in a house or apartment, but in this case its functionality will hardly be used. And one more positive thing: there are many video tutorials for working with Compass-Electric, so it will not be difficult to master it.
DipTrace program – for drawing single-line diagrams and circuit diagrams
This program is useful not only for drawing power supply diagrams – everything is simple here, since only a diagram is needed. It is more useful for PCB design, as it has a built-in function for converting an existing schematic into a PCB trace.
To get started, as in many other cases, you must first load the element base libraries available on your computer. To do this, the Schematic DT application must be launched, after which the libraries can be loaded. They can be downloaded on the same resource where you will take the program.
After loading the library, you can start drawing the diagram. First, you can “drag” the necessary elements from the libraries to the working field, expand them (if necessary), arrange and connect them with communication lines. After the circuit is ready, if necessary, select the line “convert to board” in the menu and wait for a while. The output will be a finished printed circuit board with the arrangement of elements and tracks. You can also see the appearance of the finished board in a 3D version.
Free ProfiCAD program for drawing electrical diagrams
Free program for drawing diagrams ProfiCAD is one of the best options for the DIYer. It is easy to use, does not require special libraries on the computer – it already has about 700 elements. If there are not enough of them, you can easily replenish the base. The required element can simply be dragged onto the field, expanded there in the desired direction, and installed.
Having drawn a diagram, you can get a connection table, a bill of materials, a list of wires. Results can be obtained in one of the four most common formats: PNG, EMF, BMP, DXF. A nice feature of this program is that it has low hardware requirements. It normally works with systems from Windows 2000 and above.
This product has only one drawback – there is no video about working with it in Russian yet. But the interface is so clear that you can figure it out yourself, or watch one of the “imported” videos to understand the mechanics of work.
Paid ones worth spending money on
If you find yourself working with a diagram drawing program frequently, some paid versions are worth considering. Why are they better? They have wider functionality, sometimes more extensive libraries and a more thoughtful interface.
Simple and convenient sPlan
If you do not really want to deal with the intricacies of working with multi-level programs, take a closer look at the sPlan prolukt. It has a very simple and understandable device, so after an hour and a half of work you will already be able to navigate freely.
As usual in such programs, a library of elements is needed, after the first start they must be loaded before starting work. In the future, if you do not transfer the library to another location, the setting is not needed – the old path to it is used by default.
If you need an element that is not in the list, you can draw it, then add it to the library. It is also possible to insert extraneous images and save them, if necessary, in the library.
Other useful and necessary functions include auto-numbering, the ability to change the scale of an element by rotating the mouse wheel, rulers for a more understandable scaling. In general, a pleasant and useful thing.
Micro-Cap
This program, in addition to building a circuit of any type (analog, digital or mixed), also allows you to analyze its operation. The initial parameters are set and the output data is obtained. That is, you can simulate the operation of the circuit under various conditions. A very useful feature, because, probably, teachers and students love it very much.
The Micro-Cap program has built-in libraries that can be replenished using a special function. When drawing an electrical circuit, the product automatically develops circuit equations, and also performs calculations depending on the set ratings. When the value is changed, the output parameters change immediately.
The ratings of the elements can be constant or variable, depending on various factors – temperature, time, frequency, the state of some circuit elements, etc. All these options are calculated, the results are given in a convenient form. If there are parts in the circuit that change their appearance or state – LEDs, relays – when simulating operation, they change their parameters and appearance due to animation.
The program for drawing and analyzing Micro-Cap circuits is paid, in the original it is in English, but there is also a Russified version. Its cost in a professional version is more than a thousand dollars. The good news is that there is also a free version, as usual with limited features (smaller library, no more than 50 elements in the circuit, reduced speed). For home use, this option is quite suitable. It’s also nice that it works fine with any Windows system from Vista and 7 and up.