EAGLE Layout Editor is an easy to use, yet powerful tool for designing printed circuit boards (PCBs). The name EAGLE is an acronym, which stands for Easily Applicable Graphical Layout Editor. This is a commercial software and the freeware versione, EAGLE Light, has these limitations: 1 schematic sheet, 2 signal layers, 100x80mm routing area but, apart these three limitiations, the EAGLE Light Edition can do anything the Professional Edition can do. Therefore there is no need for converting netlists between schematics and layouts. You can even load, view and print drawings that exceed these limits! The program consists of three main modules;

which are embedded in a single user interface. If you try it (freeware version), click here.

            

• Make the project more friendly to new developers. This means a simpler build process;
• Reduce complexity by eliminating support for platforms other than GNU/Linux on x86, with either RTAI or RTLinux for realtime;
• Incorporate a Hardware Abstraction Layer that makes the realtime code more modular and allows pins and I/O devices to be reconfigured easily;
• Add some of the features, these include rigid tapping and single point threading, improved contouring, a built-in PLC using ClassicLadder, and others.

For more information click here.

• pgf file format: a vectorial format to be used directly in a LaTeX document, when using the pgf package available in the CTAN archive or visit the package home page here. This exportation option was thought in particular to export schematics and uses an easily editable script. The text attributes will not be translated. This allows the introduction of LaTeX code directly into the drawing;
• scr file format: starting from version 0.21, FidoCadJ allows the exportation of a drawing to a script that can be imported in CadSoft Eagle. To use this feature, it is necessary to install the library FidoCadJLIB.lbr into the directory lbr of the current installation of Eagle. The library can be downloaded from FidoCadJ’s website. At the time of writing, this option works only with schematics containing only the most common symbols. Some drawing elements such as pads and tracks are not available yet. These will not be exported to the Eagle script.

• Draw electrical schematics and PCBs;
• Export in a variety of graphic formats;
• Multi platform;
• Easy to use;
• Compact text format, for copy/pasting in Usenet messages;
• FidoCad compatible.

FidoCadJ is written in the Java programming language and is distributed as a single .jar file to launch with command java -jar name_file.jar. You can download file releases of FidoCadJ project from FidoCadJ’s website.

             

Fritzing can be seen as an Electronic design automation (EDA) tool for non-engineers: the input metaphor is inspired by the environment of designers (the breadboard-based prototype), so that it is easy to transfer a hardware sketch to the software by using a drag-and-drop-based GUI to copy your sketch. From there it is possible to create PCB layouts for turning your prototype into a robust PCB, either on your own, or with the help of a manufacturer. The output is offering nearly no options and is focussed on accessible means of production. The software is created in the spirit of Processing and Arduino. Processing is an open source programming language and environment for people who want to program images, animations, interactions and used by students, artists, designers, researchers, and hobbyists for learning, prototyping, and production; it is created to teach fundamentals of computer programming within a visual context and to serve as a software sketchbook and professional production tool and it is an alternative to proprietary software tools in the same domain. Arduino is a physical computing platform based on a simple I/O board and a development environment that uses the Wiring library to simplify writing C/C++ programs that run on the board. Arduino can be used to develop stand-alone interactive objects or can be connected to software running on a computerand allows a designer, artist, researcher, or hobbyist to document their Arduino-based prototype and create a PCB layout for manufacturing. The complimenting website helps to share and discuss drafts and experiences as well as to reduce manufacturing costs. Fritzing is an open-source initiative to support designers and artists in taking the step from physical prototyping to actual product. Fritzing is being developed by researchers in the Interaction Design Lab at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. You can contribute to the Fritzing project by creating parts, adding examples and working on the Fritzing code. Terms of license are GNU GPLv3. For more information click here.