Electronic Circuit drawing application?

[thomasp]

Is there any software for Mac OSX (ideally free or shareware) that allows you to draw electronic circuits using the standard symbols.

However, I'd ideally like one that has the UK/modern resistor symbol (a box) as opposed to the old-fashioned/USA method: a zig-zag line.


Thanks

 

[MisterMe]

Is there any software for Mac OSX (ideally free or shareware) that allows you to draw electronic circuits using the standard symbols.

However, I'd ideally like one that has the UK/modern resistor symbol (a box) as opposed to the old-fashioned/USA method: a zig-zag line.


Thanks

There is a site called Google.com. If you had used it, you would have found this.

 

[mduser63]

Is there any software for Mac OSX (ideally free or shareware) that allows you to draw electronic circuits using the standard symbols.

However, I'd ideally like one that has the UK/modern resistor symbol (a box) as opposed to the old-fashioned/USA method: a zig-zag line.


Thanks

OmniGraffle, DesignWorks, PowerCADD, etc will let you draw electronic circuits. I'm curious though, why is the "UK/modern" resistor symbol better? To me, a zig-zag line is a much better visual cue as to the purpose of a resistor than a plain box...

 

[thomasp]

There is a site called Google.com. If you had used it, you would have found this.

I am fully aware of sites like Google, Pure-Mac and VersionTracker, and checked all three before posting here. Please don't assume things without the proper facts in your hands. Not everybody on this forum doesn't have any braincells - some of us do go through proper procedures before posting - ie searching relevant sites beforehand.

OmniGraffle, DesignWorks, PowerCADD, etc will let you draw electronic circuits. I'm curious though, why is the "UK/modern" resistor symbol better? To me, a zig-zag line is a much better visual cue as to the purpose of a resistor than a plain box...

It's the standard over here that resistors are boxes, and as it's for university coursework, it'd probably be a good idea to stick with our standard I don't know why we use a box instead of a zig-zag - I think it's the accepted European method

I didn't realise OmniGraffle had this facility At least I don't have to download any extra software now. I had tried DesignWorksLite, but for some stupid reason, couldn't seem to get the components onto the drawing screen - was probably missing something basic

 

[stevep]

I'm curious though, why is the "UK/modern" resistor symbol better? To me, a zig-zag line is a much better visual cue as to the purpose of a resistor than a plain box...

Its all about international standards such as ISO and DIN. The rectangular box denoting a resistor is used for several reasons:
1. There are many different types (LDR's, thermistors, potentiometers etc) and the standard symbol is easy to modify to depict these variations
2. The standard symbol reproduces much better (especially at small magnifications and with poor quality printers)
3. It's standard across most of the world, so there is less confusion, especially with global manufacturing so commonplace now.
I still have a vivid memory of working with the old Imperial system in an engineering drawing office, using inches, ft.lbs, deg F, as well as old-fashioned draughting symbols. The SI, ISO and DIN standards were a godsend when they were introduced and I don't remember a single protest from any of the engineers I worked with. Sorry America, but you really do need to catch up with the rest of the world.

 

[Apple Hobo]

http://sourceforge.net/ has a lot of electrical stuff, and it's free.

 

[mduser63]

Its all about international standards such as ISO and DIN. The rectangular box denoting a resistor is used for several reasons:
1. There are many different types (LDR's, thermistors, potentiometers etc) and the standard symbol is easy to modify to depict these variations
2. The standard symbol reproduces much better (especially at small magnifications and with poor quality printers)
3. It's standard across most of the world, so there is less confusion, especially with global manufacturing so commonplace now.
I still have a vivid memory of working with the old Imperial system in an engineering drawing office, using inches, ft.lbs, deg F, as well as old-fashioned draughting symbols. The SI, ISO and DIN standards were a godsend when they were introduced and I don't remember a single protest from any of the engineers I worked with. Sorry America, but you really do need to catch up with the rest of the world.

I won't disagree with you at all with regards to metric vs. imperial. I work in a machine shop (doing electrical stuff) and dealing with hardware and tool sizes in inches is maddening. However, I still am not at all convinced that a box is a good schematic symbol for a resistor. By that logic (easily reproducable, modifiable, etc.), inductors, transformers, and light bulbs should all be drawn as boxes too