Here are some of the free software tools that I use daily while working on both professional and personal electronics projects.
Are there any free software tools that are indispensable to you? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Notepad++
Notepad++ is a versatile source code editor. It probably has as many uses as it has users.
I usually use it to view and edit C, CSV, XML, PHP and HTML files.
It supports a variety of plugins. I find the file comparison and FTP management plugins particularly convenient as they are integrated seamlessly into the editor.
LTSpice
LTSpice is a fantastic professional-grade SPICE simulator from Linear Technology. The fact that it is free should not be viewed as a reflection of its quality or versatility.
There is a great interview with Mike Engelhardt, the man behind LTSpice, on The Amp Hour podcast.
SPICE is an acronym of Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis. The Computer History Museum recorded a very enlightening panel discussion on how SPICE originally came into being at UC Berkley in the early 1970s. It is available here.
EAGLE
Like many hackers and hobbyists, EAGLE is the first PCB design tool that I used. It’s still the one that I use most regularly though Altium is always lurking somewhere in the background.
After the recent acquisition by Autodesk, licensing for EAGLE has switched to a subscription model. There is still a free version available that is attractive to many users. The PCB layer count and area are both limited in the free version but for many users, this is not a problem.
EAGLE is an acronym of Easily Applicable Graphical Layout Editor.
KiCad
KiCad is both free and open-source. For many hackers and hobbyists, it is an attractive alternative to EAGLE.
I use KiCad occasionally, but it is not my first choice PCB design tool. It is continually being improved by the community of people that support the tool. More recent versions are considerably improved in comparison to the early versions that I used many years ago.
FreeCAD
I’m not an industrial designer so I don’t know how feature rich or easy to use FreeCAD is in comparison to the costlier alternatives available on the market.
I do know that it does everything that I need it to do. I use it to view 3D models of components that I use in my PCB designs. I also use it to view 3D models of enclosures that I receive from industrial designers that I work with.
The interface takes a little bit of getting used to but that is the same for most CAD tools.
Octave
GNU Octave is a free alternative to Matlab.
Octave is a great tool for carrying out numerical computations. For example, Octave can be used to determine the appropriate filter coefficients to be used in a FIR or IIR filter.
Like Matlab, Octave has a variety of packages available to aid numerical computation in a range of fields.
nRF Connect for mobile
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) enabled projects are very popular these days. Quite a lot of my current work for clients involves BLE.
If you are working on a BLE project, the nRF Connect for mobile app is incredibly useful.
Nordic Semiconductor manufactures a range of BLE enabled devices including the nRF51822 and the nRF52832.
To support product development and debug, they have released this BLE scanner and logger app. It can be used to connect to BLE devices and supports reading and writing characteristics, etc.
It is available on both Android and iOS though the Android version has many more features.
Audacity
If you’re working on an audio electronics project of any description, then Audacity will be high on your list of must-haves.
Audacity is a widely used audio recording, processing and playback tool.
Audacity is both free and open source.
Evernote
As the name suggests, Evernote is a note-taking tool.
I find it useful for making quick notes on whatever topic I happen to be working on at the time. There are iOS and Android apps available for Evernote. Being able to make a quick note on my phone and then have it sync to the Evernote app on my laptop is great.
I occasionally use Evernote to record bench measurements on my phone. It’s no substitute for the good old-fashioned lab book but the convenience is sometimes beneficial.
Todoist
At any given time, I’m typically working with many different clients. I also tend to have my own projects on the go.
I wanted a simple to-do list app to help me keep on top of things. I didn’t want a complex project management tool. Something little more advanced than pen and paper would do fine and Todoist did the trick for me.
As well as a Windows app, there are also iOS and Android apps available for Todoist. I find it handy to be able to quickly add a task on my phone and know that it won’t be forgotten about down the line.
Todoist isn’t the perfect tool but I think that the perfect task manager has yet to be invented. Todoist certainly helps me keep on top of my to-do lists, both personal and professional.