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    Awesome Electronics

    A curated collection of resources and projects focused on Electronics.

    Contents

    Learning

    Technical Tutorials

    Courses

    Theory

    University Course Archives

    Documentation

    • Inkscape Electric Symbols - Circuit Drawing Symbols for Inkscape
    • Tabula - Extract tabular data from a pdf, very useful for extracting pin tables or part characteristics from datasheets.
    • WebPlotDigitizer - Extract data from plots, charts, etc., very useful for getting part performance curves from datasheets.
    • WaveDrom - Create waveforms and timing diagrams from a JSON description file.
    • tscircuit - Open source EDA package for schematic and PCB design using React

    Simulators

    Analog and Mixed Signal Circuit Simulators

    • LTspice - The industry standard free SPICE circuit simulator from Linear Technologies. Also see the unofficial LTwiki and Group.
    • ngspice - Open source SPICE circuit simulator.
    • Circuit JS/Falstad - Free, open source online simulator with electron flow visualization (rewrite of original Java applet by Paul Falstad).
    • EveryCircuit - Free to try online, visual, interactive circuit simulator for simpler circuits.
    • Qucs - Open source, cross-platform, non-SPICE-based circuit simulator, with with S-parameter and Harmonic Balance capability.
    • Qucs-S - Open source fork of Qucs using SPICE for simulation.
    • QucsStudio - Free, closed-source, Windows-only fork of Qucs with a similar interface, new engine, and more features.
    • Open Circuit Design Software - Open Source, full EDA suite chip design suite, focused on keeping up with commercial tools.
    • TINA-TI - Exclusive DesignSoft-TINA build for Texas Instruments, bundled with Texas Instruments Models.
    • CppSim - Free, open source circuit simulator that leverages the C++ language to achieve very fast simulation times.
    • Scilab with Xcos - Free, open source numerical computing alternative to MATLAB. Xcos provides Electrical System modeling capability similar to Simulink.
    • iCircuit - Easy to use electronic circuit simulator, its advanced simulation engine can handle both analog and digital circuits and features realtime always-on analysis.
    • Micro-Cap - Professional-grade mixed signal simulator with wide variety of interactive simulation types.
    • GeckoCIRCUITS - Open Source Power Electronic Circuit Simulator. GitHub Project. Direct download link due to broken website.
    • Proteus - PCB Design and Circuit Simulator Software.

    Verilog HDL Simulators

    • Verilator - Free, open source Verilog compiler. Test benches are in C++ or SystemC. Very fast, but limted to 2-state, cycle-based simulation, and synthesizeable code only.
    • Icarus Verilog - Free, open source verilog interpreter. Test benches are in behavioral verilog. Simulation is 4-state, and event-based.

    Gerber Viewers

    Online

    • Tracespace Viewer - Gerber viewer that lets you inspect the individual layers as well as the board preview.
    • Gerblook - Online Gerber viewer powered by Gerbv.
    • Mayhew Labs 3dpcb - 3D Gerber viewer.
    • CircuitPeople - No frills 2D layer viewer for Gerbers, without the excessive processing.
    • Stackrate Viewer - Easy to use online gerber viewer with trace hovering and measurement tools.

    Installable

    • Gerbv - Excellent Gerber viewer for Linux and BSD.
    • KiCAD Gerbview - The KiCAD gerber viewer.
    • GC-Prevue - Commercial with free version. Can handle some gerbers better than Gerbv and KiCAD.
    • ZofZPCB - FREE 3D Gerber Viewer.

    Free EDA Packages

    • KiCad - Open source EDA package with push and shove router, differential pairs and much more.
    • Eagle - One of the most popular EDA packages due to it’s (board size restricted) free version.
    • DesignSpark PCB - Gratis EDA package without restrictions, sponserd by RS Components.
    • Altium CircuitMaker - Free package from the maker of the go to pro software.
    • gEDA - Another open source package, good for people that like scripting and makefiles, Linux and BSD only.
    • DipTrace - Quality Schematic Capture and PCB Design software with (pin and signal layer restricted) free version.
    • LibrePCB - A new, powerful and intuitive EDA tool for everyone, cross-platform and GNU GPLv3.
    • Horizon EDA - A free and open source EDA tool with the focus on shortcut operation.
    • EasyEDA - Easy to use with both browser based and cross platform app versions. Integrates LCSC and JLCPCB component catalogs with 3D models.
    • Altium - PCB Design Software & Tools.
    • Proteus - PCB Design and Circuit Simulator Software.

    CAD Specific

    KiCad

    Eagle

    Altium

    PCB Batching Services

    • PCBShopper - Comparison service for quite a lot of different PCB batching and assembly services.
    • OSH Park - Low cost PCB batching service with high quality boards with a signature purple silkscreen.
    • 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.
    • JLCPCB - Low cost PCB batching service with inhouse low cost SMT service.
    • PCBWay - Low cost PCB batching service with PCBA, CNC and 3D-Printing services.

    Part Search Engines

    Project Sharing Platforms

    • Kitspace - Project sharing site that helps you buy parts and re-build projects. Open source and developed by yours truly.
    • Hackaday.io - Social site for sharing projects from the popular blog.
    • Hackster.io - Another social site for sharing projects. Is well organised by platform, topic and product.
    • InventHub - Git-based project hosting and collaboration platform for hardware development.
    • CADLAB - Another Git-based project hosting and collaboration platform for hardware development.
    • Eyrie - For viewing Eagle and KiCad designs online.
    • WikiFactory - A project hosting and collaboration platform for product development. Filter for “electronics” for more electronics related projects.
    • Instructables - A social site for sharing projects. Filter for “circuits” for more electronics related projects.

    Inventory Management and Purchasing

    • PartsBox - Web service to manage your part inventory with a nice user interface and Octopart integration.
    • Part-DB - Another open source web service for managing part inventory with a permission system and a good barcode generator.
    • InvenTree - Open source web service for managing part inventory with parametric search, extensive API and plugin system

    Miscellaneous Software Projects

    • SnapEDA - Parts library with free symbols & footprints. (Compatible with Eagle, KiCad, Altium, OrCad, Allegro, etc.)
    • Language PCB - Syntax highlighting for various PCB formats.
    • NinjaCalc - An embedded engineering calculator toolbox for doing calculations in a breeze.
    • Saturn PCB Design Toolkit - The Saturn PCB Toolkit is the best freeware resource for PCB related calculations you can find.
    • KiCanvas - An open source online viewer of KiCad schematics and boards.

    Development Board Retailers

    • Sparkfun - Retailer and designer of open source electronics development boards and other equipment and materials with excellent accompanying tutorials.
    • Adafruit - Another retailer and designer with excellent selection and tutorials.
    • Tindie - Marketplace for electronics makers to sell low volume batches of their own designs.

    Blogs

    • Hackaday - Probably the most popular blog covering electronics and hardware hacking with a whole staff of writers.
    • bunniestudios.com - Andrew ‘Bunnie’ Huang covers hardware hacking, open hardware, manufacturing and more.
    • Bald Engineer - Project logs, tutorials and articles about electronics and embedded software by James Lewis.
    • Rheingold Heavy - More project logs, tutorials and articles about electronics and embedded software, these ones by Dan Hienzsch.
    • Hackster.io - Another blog covering electronics.
    • Dangerous Prototypes - Blog about open source hardware projects and interesting app notes.
    • N-O-D-E - Blog about DIY electronics, hardware, and technology.

    Forums

    Discussion

    • EEVBlog forum - Probably the largest and most active forum to discuss Electronic Engineering topics.
    • /r/electronics and /r/ECE are the two most active sub-reddits for EE topics.

    Help

    • /r/askelectronics - Sub-reddit dedicated to help on electronics topics.
    • Electronics Stack Exchange - Question and answer site for electronics running on the popular Stack Overflow service.
    • EEVBlog beginners forum - Good place for beginner questions, other sub-forums on EEVblog should be suitable for questions on more advanced topics.

    Podcasts

    • The Amp Hour - Off-the-cuff chat about electronics with Chris Gammel and Dave Jones (EEVBlog), often with guests
    • Embedded.fm - Christopher and Elecia White discuss embedded systems development and much more, often with guests.
    • The Spark Gap Podcast - Covers a specific EE topic each episode, sometimes with guests.
    • MacroFab Engineering Podcast - Weekly podcast where Parker and Stephen from MacroFab discuss EE topics and industry news.
    • The Engineering Commons Podcast - Covers general engineering topics from mechanical to electrical.

    Videos

    • EEVblog - One of the earliest and most successful YouTube channels where Dave Jones does teardowns, tutorials and more.
    • BigClive - YouTube channel about teardowns (including dangerous products), circuit reverse-engineering and tutorials.
    • ElectroBOOM - YouTube channel that debunks and explains EE topics with a lot of comedy thrown in.
    • Micah Scott - Video logs of reverse engineering and re-purposing consumer electronics hardware in creative ways.
    • Afrotechmods - Tutorials on electronics projects, often suitable for beginners as well.
    • The Signal Path - Very in depth teardowns, repairs and reviews of lab equipment and prototyping products.
    • w2aew - Excellent tutorials about basic and complex analog hardware.
    • Mr. Carlson’s Lab - Teardowns, repairs and restorations with an emphasis on classic electronics gear.
    • GreatScott - Electronics tutorials, projects and how to’s.
    • Julian Ilett - Buys cheapest electronic modules he can find and tries to do useful things with them.
    • MikesElectricStuff - Teardowns, large lighting projects, xrays and more.
    • Ben Eater - Series of videos on building an 8-bit computer on breadboards with excellent explanations of all the sub-circuits.
    • Robert Feranec - 100+ Hardware design tips and tricks. Videos about Schematic design and PCB layout.
    • Strange Parts - YouTube channel about electronics, manufacturing, making, world travel, living in and making things in China.
    • Analog Circuit Design - Analog Circuit Design by Prof. Ali Hajimiri, Caltech.

    Subscription Kit Services

    • AdaBox - Curated Adafruit products, unique collectibles, and exclusive discounts. All delivered quarterly.
    • HackerBoxes - A monthly surprise box which includes projects, components, modules and tools.

    3D Part Models

    • GrabCad - Community supported database of 3D models with a large number of electronic component models.
    • 3D ContentCentral - Website dedicated to 3D models of parts (requires login).

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