What do you use to draw schematics for documentation and reports?

[TheUnnamedNewbie]

I am interested in what tools/workflows others use.

Note: I am not asking "what tool should I use for schematic design". I'm also not asking "what is the best schematic design tool". I am not interested in schematic capture for PCB design purposes, or to create a netlist in general. This is also why I didn't put it in the general PCB/EDA/CAD section. I know some people just use screenshots from the PCB software but that, in my opinion, just doesn't look acceptable in any documentation meant for outside of the design team.

I myself usually draw of schematics for documentation and papers etc. in a vector-graphics program. I used to use Inkscape, but I got too fed up with it's issues (instability, some features that are missing, a pain in the ass to work with in general, ...), and went out and got myself Adobe Illustrator. As for symbols, I use my own 'library'. Depending on the target I will change my symbols a bit; for more public and general stuff I will use the 'correct' symbol for MOSFETs, for academic work the one originally created by Razavi.

Here is an example of a schematic I made from a text on RF power amplifiers:



So what do you guys use?

[bd139]

I use Kisscad for documentation: http://ludens.cl/Electron/kisscad/kisscad.html

Beware: unforgiving, learning curve, obtuse. But when you get going it's fast and powerful. You can drive it entirely from the keyboard too. Output is really good. I really like it. It's by Manfred Mornhinweg XQ6FOD

[donmr]

Inkscape

[CopperCone]

Dremel the schematics into flesh

You can later make the forth necronomical volume of the art of electronics that deals with using circuits to rise the dead for your army of darkness

[bd139]

CopperCone for president!

[jmelson]

I'm still using Protel 99 SE, and it makes pretty nice schematics, as well as being the schematic entry I use for PC board design.  On occasion, I use the SPICE-based simulator in it, also.

Jon

[Alex Eisenhut]

There's an export DXF in Cadence. Maybe try that.

[SiliconWizard]

I usually use TinyCAD, which can export in EMF that can be imported in a lot of publishing software and get rendered as vector graphics. If I need a specific intermediate format, I use Inkscape and export it to SVG or EPS. Downside, it's Windows-only.

[Gyro]

There's an export DXF in Cadence. Maybe try that.

Diptrace has DXF export too.

It will also save BMP and JPG from the Print Preview screen, doesn't look too bad...

[jbb]

These days I use Microsoft Visio, which works OK. Not great, but OK.

Tips for civilising Visio:

• Turn on the grid
• Go into the grid properties and set the grid to 'Fixed'. This is critical to avoid snap problems.
• Choose a reasonable grid size (2mm seems to work well for me.
• • f you want to put a drawing in a Word document, you can (in Word) say Insert Object >> Visio Drawing.  Then right-click on the drawing and say 'Open'
  
  I used to use JFIG (which is a Java implementation of XFIG) and got nice results but you have to be really disciplined. I used my own component library which had been tweaked to be as small as possible while still being clear. I had to fit everything into 3.3 inch columns (for IEEE papers).

[T3sl4co1l]

CopperCone for president!

He's better qualified than Trump, I'll give you that.

*Cough*

Me, Altium of course -- e.g. https://www.seventransistorlabs.com/Images/AltiumDiscreteFlybackSch.png I'm quite particular about my schematic library and drawing style.  (I know UnnamedNewbie already knows this, I'm posting for the benefit of others to bask in the aesthetic glow of my symbols. )

That includes limited block diagrams, circuit snippets, waveforms and such: https://www.seventransistorlabs.com/Images/AltiumFigures.png Not as practical as some other methods, but alright when it is.

Tim

[archnemesis]

DigiKey has this tool https://www.digikey.com/schemeit/project/

It's.... okay

[blackdog]

Hi,

I use S-Plan for al my schematics.
Website of the maqkers.
https://www.electronic-software-shop.com/lng/en/electronic-software/splan-70.html

Some examples...









It can export to different picture formats, but better read the documentation.

Kind regards,
Bram

[djnz]

Tried XCircuit? It has its learning curve, but can produce good quality output.

[metrologist]

I use Illustrator - generally I open the designer's PDF of the schematic in Illustrator and manually edit.

OP, Would you mind sharing your Illustrator library of electronic objects?

[Gary350z]

Use DipTrace, then print to PDF:

[bson]

http://draw.io for internal use, technical documentation, and presentations.

But not so much for circuits (though it does have most common symbols), as much as for system documentation in general.

Oh, and https://sequencediagram.org/ to explain protocols, communication, API use, data life cycles, etc.  Nothing fancy, but certainly works well enough to let you explain yourself.

[rdl]

Use DipTrace, then print to PDF:

Also, from the Print preview screen you can save directly to .bmp or .jpg format.
As a bonus, it's trivially easy to make your own custom parts or symbols.

[TheUnnamedNewbie]

Use DipTrace, then print to PDF:

Also, from the Print preview screen you can save directly to .bmp or .jpg format.
As a bonus, it's trivially easy to make your own custom parts or symbols.

But neither .bmp or .jpg are vector formats. Does it save the PDF print version as vector format?

[Wimberleytech]

I wrote a textbook once and I drew all of the figures in Adobe Illustrator (what the publisher wanted).

Now I use Visio.  I have my own stencils containing the elecectronic symbols I like (many I created).  Still using 2007 version and have not reason (that I know of) to change.

[TheUnnamedNewbie]

I wrote a textbook once and I drew all of the figures in Adobe Illustrator (what the publisher wanted).

Now I use Visio.  I have my own stencils containing the elecectronic symbols I like (many I created).  Still using 2007 version and have not reason (that I know of) to change.

What made you switch from Illustrator to Visio? (cost?)

[Wimberleytech]

I wrote a textbook once and I drew all of the figures in Adobe Illustrator (what the publisher wanted).

Now I use Visio.  I have my own stencils containing the elecectronic symbols I like (many I created).  Still using 2007 version and have not reason (that I know of) to change.

What made you switch from Illustrator to Visio? (cost?)

There were several reasons, and cost was one but probably the main driver.  Illustrator is very precise and is a standard format that will be reproduced just as it was drawn.  However, it is not the most user-friendly for schematics, which was most of my drawing.  I started using visio where I worked to align with the others in the office--fell in love with the UI, stencils and such.  For work, I did not have to send stuff to a publisher, I just needed schematics for reports, powerpoint, etc.  Visio is perfect for that.

I still keep an old copy of Illustrator installed because sometimes I want to use old book figures that are still in ai format (or eps).

[Wimberleytech]

Hi,

I use S-Plan for al my schematics.
Website of the maqkers.
https://www.electronic-software-shop.com/lng/en/electronic-software/splan-70.html

Impressive!  Appears to borrow from Visio concepts...I am tempted...but do I need another piece of drawing software???

[Gary350z]

Use DipTrace, then print to PDF:

Also, from the Print preview screen you can save directly to .bmp or .jpg format.
As a bonus, it's trivially easy to make your own custom parts or symbols.

But neither .bmp or .jpg are vector formats. Does it save the PDF print version as vector format?

Yes the PDF is a vector format. Its very impressive when enlarged; see below.
Remember it's free for the base version.

[stefan_k133]

Another vote for XCircuit (http://opencircuitdesign.com/xcircuit/index.html). It saves its file in PostScript and therefore it could be processed further in other graphics software or included in documents. The book "Lessons In Electric Circuits" by Tony Kuphaldt (http://www.ibiblio.org/kuphaldt/electricCircuits) used it for illustrations.