Freeware wiring diagram software?

[JohnJL]

I am rewiring the race car and want to map out all the circuits to simplify troubleshooting later. I started doing everything on Powerpoint and then on Visio but its a true PIA. None of them do well with revisions to the circuits. I checked the usual download sites but couldnt find any decent trial or freeware programs for Auto applications. I will only use it once or twice so the price of the higher-end programs seems impractical.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[acapella8]

http://www.freedownloadmanager.org/downloads/wiring_diagrams_info/

You should be able to find something free there, or at least a 30 day version.

[euro911sc]

Wiring diagrams are always a PITA. You should try doing them in ACAD12!! I think Visio would be your best bet for a COTS solution. At least there the wires are linked to the start and end points. I always had trouble getting teh colors to look right and finally gave up and used text instead. Let us know how it works out...

Best regards,

Michael

[Chris'85]

+1 Visio is straight foward to use. I have used it for process flow daigrams and P&ID's. Much easier than with AutoCAD, which I use for everything else.

[dw1]

I agree that Visio is a good tool for this, and would be far easier than a standard 2D CAD package, but there is another option, and it's free:

A PCB (printed circuit board) layout tool. My suggestion would be to use the one available as a free download from ExpressPCB.

http://www.expresspcb.com/ExpressPCBHtm/Free_cad_software.htm

The advantage to this is the built-in component library that includes connectors & other related components. One can easily use pads as junction locations, and modify standard component representations to suit the application. One can also use the lead widths to represent different wire gages.

Another alternative, from the same supplier, is the ExpressSCH tool used for drawing schematic diagrams.

In fact, ExpressPCB and ExpressSCH allow the schematic & PCB layout files to be linked.

[JohnJL]

Thanks guys. I dont have a copy of visio on my home laptop so I've been playing with eDraw (runs soo slow!) and now with Express PCB. The latter seems to be more technical but more accurate and faster to use so I'll go with that for now.

Thanks!

[JohnJL]

Here's a draft...only issue with Express is it only saves to its proprietary format or prints to XPS, which is useless. Here's an image from a screenprint...anyone have a good XPS-to-JPG converter?

[dw1]

You shouldn't need a converter.

Are you looking to put the diagram into another document, or is printing to .pdf ok?

If .pdf is ok, then you may want to consider one of the following:
Blubeam pdf revu (30 day free trial)
Scansoft pdf create
Adobe Acrobat writer ($$$)

If you need a jpeg file:
The ExpressSCH software does have the option: "File > Export schematic to bitmap"
The resultant bitmap (.bmp) file can be either used directly, or opened in the "Paint" application that is include with Windows, and then saved as a .jpg. The limitation on the "export to bitmap" is 300 dpi, but that seems ok.

There is also the "Edit > copy schematic diagram to clipboard" option in ExpressSCH if you want to cut & paste the diagram directly into another document, e.g. an MS Word document. Be careful, however, as bitmaps cut & pasted directly into documents tend to make for much larger files than the MS Word function "Insert > Picture > from file" using jpeg files.

[JohnJL]

Got it, thanks for that!

[jpnovak]

here are two that I use. They are more for circuit layout but they can be used for wiring diagrams.

Express PCB - two components for layout and PCB design.

http://www.expresspcb.com/ExpressPCBHtm/Download.htm


TI Tina

http://focus.ti.com/docs/toolsw/folders/print/tina-ti.html

[JohnJL]

Thanks Jamie. I used ExpressPCB Schematics for the one above.

[CH1900]

Express PCB and ExpressSCH circuit diagram creator tools was very useful. Thanks!