DesignSpark PCB
| DesignSpark PCB | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Developer | RS Components |
| Release | July 5, 2010 |
| Stable release | 13.0.3
/ September 22, 2026 |
| Operating system | Windows, Linux under Wine |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Electronic design automation |
| License | Proprietary software |
| Website | www |
DesignSpark PCB is an electronic design automation software package for schematic capture and printed circuit board (PCB) design. The software is available through a free registration-based tier, with additional features available through paid subscription plans.[1] DesignSpark PCB supports unlimited schematic sheets and PCB layers and is aimed at design engineers.[2]
Background
[edit]DesignSpark PCB resulted from a collaboration between electronics distributor RS Components and EDA software developer 'Number One Systems', being a fork of their long-established EDA Easy-PC.[3] Electronic design automation (EDA) software is a sub-class of computer-aided design (CAD) software.
Projects
[edit]Projects are used in DesignSpark PCB to organise design files. A project can have an unlimited number of schematic sheets and one PCB layout file.
Schematic capture
[edit]DesignSpark PCB has a Schematic editor. Schematics are used to draw up circuit diagrams and connections. A given project can have multiple schematic sheets that together combine to form the complete design.
There are some useful third party libraries that can be added.
PCB layout
[edit]Schematics are translated to a PCB layout file with a PCB Wizard. A PCB layout editor is then used to refine the physical layout of the printed circuit board. A design may have several iterations before a finalised printed circuit board is passed for production.
Manufacturing
[edit]DesignSpark PCB exports industry-standard Gerber and Excellon manufacturing files and includes bill-of-materials generation capabilities for production documentation. The software also supports mechanical design exchange through IDF export, enabling integration with MCAD workflows.
Autorouter
[edit]DesignSpark PCB includes an auto-router which automatically places tracks between components on a PCB layout. Components can also be auto-placed.
DesignSpark PCB Pro
[edit]| DesignSpark PCB Pro | |
|---|---|
 | |
Screenshot  DesignSpark PCB Pro 9.0 displaying a sample schematic and PCB design. | |
| Developer | RS Components |
| Release | October 2, 2019 |
| Final release(s) | |
10.0.1 [4]
/ December 6, 2021 | |
| Operating system | Windows, Linux under Wine |
| Platform | Desktop, Laptop |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Electronic design automation |
| License | Proprietary software |
| Website | www |
DesignSpark PCB Pro was a paid upgrade from the free DesignSpark PCB software. It was aimed at professional electronic design engineers of SMEs with an expanded feature set compared to the free DesignSpark PCB software.[5] It was discontinued in September 2022 [6] and its features were merged into DesignSpark PCB as part of paid subscription plans.[7]
Background
[edit]DesignSpark PCB Pro also resulted from a collaboration between electronics distributor RS Components and EDA software developer 'WestDev Ltd'.
Features
[edit]DesignSpark PCB Pro includes specialised tools to aid professionals with customising and managing large projects involving multi-layer PCBs. Noteworthy features referred to on the developer's website include:
- Blind and Buried Vias - to connect between different layers of a complex printed circuit board
- Fully configurable design rules editor and checker - to verify a circuit design and pass quality checks for production
- Hierarchical Schematic Design - split multi-sheet schematics into building blocks to make them readable and manageable
- Panel design editor - visualise and manage assembly of finished PCB designs prior to manufacturing
- Variant Manager - to specify different design variants to meet global market requirements
- Automatic shape-based and gridless router
- Advanced routing modes – trunk routing for differential pairs and buses, pull tight, auto mitre, and auto neck tracks
- Dual screen support
- Cross-hatch copper pours, teardrops, bullet, and asymmetric pad shapes are supported.
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ↑ "New Electronics - DesignSpark continues to evolve". newelectronics.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-05-22. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
- ↑ "Subscriptions | DesignSpark". www.rs-online.com. Retrieved 2026-09-23.
- ↑ "Easy-PC PCB Design Software by Number One Systems". numberone.com. Archived from the original on 2025-03-23. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
- ↑ "DesignSpark PCB Pro Version 10.0 released". newelectronics.
- ↑ "RS Components' DesignSpark PCB Pro aimed at SME engineers". ElectronicsWeekly.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-17. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
- ↑ "DesignSpark PCB Pro discontinued". DesignSpark.com.
- ↑ "DesignSpark Subscription plans". DesignSpark.com.
Further reading
[edit]- "Monthly subscriptions add to RS DesignSpark tools". electronicsweekly.com
- "Профессиональная работ ав САПР DesignSpark PCB" (English title: Professional work CAD DesignSpark PCB.) (in Russian)
- "RS launches DesignSpark V13 with powerful new features". newelectronics.co.uk
- "DesignSpark PCB - Version 13 release highlights". rs-online.com
