Horizon EDA — The Complete Guide: PCB Design With Disciplined Part Management
Horizon EDA is an open-source PCB design system built around a familiar problem: component libraries that break between projects. In Horizon a part is defined once and linked to its symbol, footprint, parameters and manufacturer part number, instead of every project holding its own copy.
Horizon EDA
Horizon EDA Project
An EDA system with tight part management — schematic, layout and one linked library.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- A linked library — units, symbols, packages and parts as separate entities with relations between them.
- Schematic editor — with parts assigned directly from the library.
- Layout and routing — interactive routing that pushes existing tracks aside.
- DRC and 3D view — rule checks and a view of the assembled board.
- Manufacturing output — Gerber, drill files and a bill of materials.
Horizon or KiCad?
KiCad is more mature, with a far larger community and tutorials everywhere — for beginners it is the natural choice. Horizon offers a more disciplined library model, which suits anyone managing many projects with recurring parts and frustrated by library upkeep. It is available for Windows and Linux.
Related tools
For an alternative with a similar approach to libraries — LibrePCB. For the most widely used tool — KiCad. To simulate the circuit — ngspice.
KiCad
KiCad Development Team
Open-source PCB design suite, from schematic to fabrication files, with no limit on layers or board area.
Get it from the vendor
LibrePCB
LibrePCB
Modern PCB design with a unified component library — schematic, layout and fabrication files.
Get it from the vendor
Ngspice
Ngspice Project
Open-source SPICE simulator — DC, AC, transient and noise. The engine behind KiCad simulation.
Get it from the vendorFreerouting — PCB Autorouter
Freerouting Project / LayoutEditor
Free PCB autorouter that connects to KiCad and Eagle through the Specctra DSN format.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
Horizon EDA is a free, complete tool, and especially worth a look if libraries are your main headache in board design.