Software:LibrePCB

LibrePCB

LibrePCB 0.1.7
Original author(s)	Urban Bruhin
Initial release	October 21, 2018 (2018-10-21)
Stable release	1.0.0 / September 24, 2023 (2023-09-24)
Repository	GitHub/LibrePCB
Written in	C++
Middleware	Qt
Operating system	Windows, macOS, Linux, Unix, BSD
Platform	x86, x86-64, ARM
Available in	16 languages..
Type	EDA
License	GPL 3.0 or later
Website	librepcb.org

LibrePCB is an open-source EDA software suite to develop printed circuit boards. It features an integrated library management, schematic capture, PCB layout editor and is available for all major operating systems.

History

The project was started back in 2013 by its founder and lead developer Urban Bruhin . In 2018 the project was introduced at the FOSDEM conference , followed by the first stable release in November of the same year . A big milestone was reached in September 2023 with the release of version 1.0 which eliminates the lack of several important features .

Features

Library management

LibrePCB Library Manager

The integrated library manager provides direct access to the part libraries available in the Internet. The list of available libraries is fetched through an open API and allows to install and update libraries without manual file operations.

LibrePCB uses UUIDs for cross-referencing library elements. Names are never used as references and can therefore be changed at any time without breaking cross-references.

Automatic forward annotation

LibrePCB Schematic Editor

LibrePCB Board Editor

LibrePCB features an automated forward annotation to guarantee the electrical circuit of the PCB is always in sync with the schematics. Whenever the schematics are modified, the board is automatically updated accordingly. In addition, the board editor does not allow to create electrical connections which don't exist in the schematic. Compared to manual forward annotation as implemented in other EDA tools, this concept aims to be easier to use.

Fabrication service

Beside the traditional production data export of Gerber files, Excellon files, BOM etc., LibrePCB features an integrated manufacturing service to order PCBs without any manual file handling involved. This service is provided as a cooperation between LibrePCB and the PCB manufacturing companies AISLER and PCBWay (as of May 2023).

Command-line interface

Although LibrePCB itself features a graphical user interface, there's also a command-line interface (CLI) provided. This allows to automate some tasks, for example running the design rule check (DRC) or generating production data as part of a continuous integration (CI) workflow.

Funding

The project relies mainly on donations to fund the development. The software does not contain any commercial, paid features.

Since April 2023, the LibrePCB project also receives financial support from the NGI0 Entrust Fund, a fund established by NLnet with financial support from the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet programme. A major outcome of this support was the LibrePCB 1.0 release .

See Also

• Comparison of EDA software
• List of free and open source software packages

External links

• Official website
• User Forum
• on GitHub
• NLnet project description of LibrePCB
• Hackaday review of LibrePCB