DesignSpark PCB Link not working.

[radiosparks]

DesignSpark PCB
Link on the free software page doesn't work. Displays Secure Connection Failed.

Editing (re. hacking) the link take you to https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/pcb-software.
Is this the same software?

Doesn't look free. Oh I haven't yet search the site. There seems to be a FREE version.

 

[PhilHornby]

I've never tried DesignSpark PCB, but the last working archive of that site (Don't you love the WayBack Machine) seems to have been at the back-end of 2012)

This archive takes you to a working page that lets you download "Designspark PCB V4". The installer runs, but I hit "cancel", so I don't know what the ultimate result is. Ominously, the web page has an "Activate DESIGNSPARK PCB" option, which doesn't work

Unless you have some particular reason to coax this vintage software into life, perhaps try: Diptrace which is also free for personal use.

 

[radiosparks]

Thanks, Just lookin' about for FREE software to draw schematics. Not to use old stuff. Currently I use Adobe Illustrator, which can be a pain-in-the...

 

[papaof2]

The free Diptrace for personal use allows up to 500 points on a schematic (link to that is somewhere on this site).
I did a double-sided board using a 40X2, a floating point math chip and a half dozen smaller chips within the limits of that version of Diptrace.

 

[Technoman]

Kicad could be an option ; a free full featured open source software. Check on the forum with kicad as a keyword.

 

[Flenser]

Is this the same software?

From the Wikipedia page for DesignSpark PCB:
'DesignSpark PCB resulted from a collaboration between electronics distributor RS Components and EDA software developer 'Number One Systems'"

RS Components appear to have re-badged themselves as just RS so I think that DesignSpark PCB at rs-online is almost certainly the same software.

 

[lbenson]

Just lookin' about for FREE software to draw schematics.

I'm finding EasyEDA more than adequate. Much more intuitive than, say, Eagle (and other schematic and pcb software I've tried). There's a large library, but its search engine could be improved--it can't find "Somepart" if it's actually labelled "Somepart_TH").

 

[steliosm]

I have been using Fritzing for the last 4 years along with JLCPcb with great success for SMD boards.
@Technical is Rev-Ed going to update the Picaxe library for Fritzing?

 

[Aries]

I use DesignSpark 8.1, and I've not needed to upgrade. However, I did try - using my free "Explorer" subscription, and it takes me to https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/pcb-download-and-installation from which I downloaded the latest 11.0.1 version. I'm not going to install it, but it certainly worked as far as starting up the installation process.