Schematic Editor is eCADSTAR’s schematic design software—a key part of our unified, internet-connected EDA solution for PCB design. eCADSTAR applications are clear and consistent. You work quickly and correctly. One user interface style. Universal web connectivity. Industry-proven technology. A short learning curve, but all the detailed features you need to optimize your schematic designs.
Save time when you prototype, even before the new components you’re using are in your master library. Download what you need and carry on working. Find a web part, place it and it becomes part of your schematic. Forward-annotate to PCB Editor. No need for a final form factor yet. Create a prototype in seconds—check it out in 2D and 3D physical context right away.
Web part lookup is part of eCADSTAR’s connected design platform, with access to extensive online parts libraries, including 3D models—and downloaded parts are fully editable.
Schematic blocks make your design easier to understand. They are great for design reviews and they equip you for maximum re-use, design integrity and teamwork. It’s easy to share blocks with other engineers, so you can refine, optimize, and keep similar circuit board design consistent.
Schematic blocks are parts of a schematic design that you identify and save as re-usable work during schematic capture. This means you can share them with other engineers. Blocks add hierarchy. A hierarchical PCB schematic design adds structure, making electronic designs easier to interpret in reviews. It empowers concurrent design and simultaneous working on parts of a PCB design or system.
Structure design variation from schematic entry through to physical design. Decide which components are fitted and even which parts are used in each variant. A way to think of variation is that the conductor metal on the PCB is always the same, but you can vary what is assembled on it.
Design variation is how you manage different varieties of the same bare-board PCB without duplicating the parts that do not change. For example, premium versions of a PCB could include additional HDMI or USB ports or more memory.
Good signal integrity is essential for many PCBs, even if the products they go into are not high-speed. Many standard parts, including memory and I/O, run at high speeds. This means they use up less PCB real estate, because signals that run faster can travel over fewer tracks. eCADSTAR supports professional signal integrity control in both schematic entry and physical PCB design, using consistent methods throughout. In Schematic Editor, you can use simulation and analysis to see how your proposed layer stacks, track widths, spacings, etc. will perform when they are laid out on a PCB. Even better, when you’ve decided what you want, you can instantly create a PCB prototype and lay out as much or as little as you like. Then you can drill down to fine detail, using the same simulation and analysis you used in Schematic Editor.
Control high-speed layout without external software in a consistent, unified environment. Check the high-speed performance of proposed topologies, layer stacks, track widths, track spacings and PCB materials before you commit to physical design. PCB signal integrity tools used to be bolt-on, with a variety user interfaces. With eCADSTAR, what you need to achieve good signal integrity is built-in.
eCADSTAR is a next-generation solution, not a collection of disparate EDA applications strung together to address new issues as they emerged. Want to copy an analog circuit or a block from one schematic design to another? Just open both then select, copy, paste. Want to share a high-speed scenario and its simulation results with another engineer? Just save and send. That engineer can open them and even edit them, sharing their suggestions back to you in the same way.
Structure your electrical schematics to maximise re-use opportunities and minimise copy/paste errors with multi-instanced hierarchy. It provides block structure with clear functional overviews and declutters reviews of analog circuits containing multiple channels (like Audio circuits).
Furthermore, define one block and create as many instances as you need in addition to avoiding copy/paste in channeled or repeated sections of circuitry, such as multiple USB I/O circuit design. Plus upgrade key schematic circuits quickly and safely by instantly propagating block enhancements to their instances.
SPICE Controller is best paired with LTspice®, which is free to download and use. Simulate analog circuits while keeping key simulation setup with your schematic design. That makes analog circuit simulation much easier to manage, review and re-use, even for single-board multi-technology PCBs.
Successful analog simulation requires precise setup. Benefit from the industry-proven analog simulation facilities of LTspice® with simulation data that is much easier to set up and manage.
The information here is just a sample of what you can do with Schematic Editor. Find out much more on the eCADSTAR website—datasheets, videos, webinars. The best way is to arrange a free evaluation and try eCADSTAR for yourself. Schematic Editor gives you a lot, but it is easy to use. One consistent user interface style. One learning curve. Deep attention to detail. First-class online support.
With concurrent multi-user access, secure backup and sheet locking mechanisms spread the workload within your design team.