11 FREE PCB design softwares

1. PCBWeb Designer
PCBWeb is a free CAD application for designing and manufacturing electronics hardware. Design multi-sheet schematics with our fast and easy-to-use wiring tool. Route multi-layer boards with support for copper pours and DRC checking. Integrated Digi-Key Parts Catalog with Bill of Materials Manager.

2. ZenitPCB
Is an excellent pcb layout design software tool to create professional printed circuit board ( PCB ). It is a flexible easy to use CAD program, which allow you to realize your projects in a short time. With ZenitPCB Layout is possible to create the project starting both from the schematic capture or by the layout itself.

3. FreePCB
Is a free, open-source PCB design editor for Microsoft Windows. It was designed to be easy to learn and easy to use, yet capable of professional-quality work. Some of its features are: 1 to 16 copper layers, board size up to 60 inches by 60 inches, imports and exports PADS-PCB netlists and more

4. TinyCAD
Is a program to help you draw circuit diagrams. It comes complete with symbol libraries to get you started straight away. As well as being able to simply print your designs, you can use TinyCAD to publish your drawings by copying and pasting into a Word document or saving as a PNG bitmap for the web.

5. Osmond PCB
Is a flexible tool for designing printed circuit boards. It runs on Macintosh. Its many features include: virtually unlimited board sizes, number of board layers, number of parts, support for both through-hole and surface mount parts and more.

6. BSch3V
Is a schematic capture program for Windows. The name “BSch” is an abbreviation of “Basic Schematic”. It has only basic functions, in order to simplify operation.

7. ExpressPCB
Is a snap to learn and use. Laying out PCBs is easy, even for the first time user.

8. Kicad
Is an open source (GPL) software for the creation of electronic schematic diagrams and printed circuit board artwork. It is useful for everybody working in electronic design (schematic diagrams and Printed Board up to 16 layers).

9. gEDA
Runs on Linux and has produced tools which are used for electrical circuit design, schematic capture, simulation, prototyping, and production. Currently, the gEDA project offers a mature suite of free software applications for electronics design, including schematic capture, attribute management, bill of materials (BOM) generation, netlisting into over 20 netlist formats, analog and digital simulation, and printed circuit board PCB design layout.

10. Fritzing
Fritzing software is an interesting open-source initiative to support designers, artists, researchers and hobbyists to work creatively with interactive electronics and develop electronic projects. Fritzing helps you learn more about electronic circuits, to document your projects and even let’s you prepare them for production.

11. DesignSpark PCB
DesignSpark PCB is the world’s most accessible electronics design software. Easy to easy to learn and easy to use, it is designed to significantly reduce your concept-to-production time. At the core of this unique approach is a powerful software engine that enables you to capture Schematics, design PCB boards and layouts.

How to choose a reliable PCB assembly manufacturer?

No doubt,quality and price is the most important factors which you should consider.

1.Quality consistence—-How to control the quality? With this question, you’d better visit the  workshop  (especially SMT workshop) that you may choose them as your factory. Because whether the SMT workshop is small or large, the production could be produce, but the different is the quality consistence. Anti-static, moisture-proof and dust-proof is the three basic rules in the SMT workshop(It’s also most important). And the workshop should record operations with ISO9000. I have went to some workshop, the window is open!!! And you even shouldn’t wear shoe’s cover, hat and ESD wrist strap!!! They are big risks which would cause the problems in quality. Even though the production looks ok as leaving factory. But the failure rate would be increase after user use it in several mouths.

2.Price—-The price making is base on the component choosing and the cost of processing. So how to choose the best component with low prices is the crux of the matter. Although PCB assembly already contain component sourcing, you’d better communicate with your manufacturer positively about component sourcing. It not just save your money， but also make sure your production quality too.

3.Cooperate with manufacturer directly. As someone said “the most important thing is to make sure they have the processes in place that you need.” You should kown, many PCBA factories don’t have the processed you need but they still want get this business. So they take over your business then outsource it to someone else. It may bring many troubles you would’t want meet.