A curated catalog of open-source tools for electronics, hardware design, embedded development, simulation, and related technologies. This repository collects information on tools that are free to use, cross-platform, and valuable for engineers, makers, educators, and students.
Each tool includes:
- Name and description
- Supported platforms
- Key features
- Current version
- Download and documentation links
- Full detail pages in Markdown (
/docs/tools/*.md)
This repository also includes a visual, searchable catalog:
Explore the tools online at:
https://lmcapacho.github.io/open-hardware-software
Use the search bar to filter tools, and click "View details" to read full descriptions.
Want to add a tool or improve descriptions?
- Fork this repository.
- Add a new entry in
index.json. - Open a Pull Request.
Or open an Issue to suggest a tool.
| Tool | Category | Platforms | License | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arduino IDE | Embedded Development | Windows, Linux, macOS | AGPL-3.0 | Website |
| FreeCAD | 3D CAD | Windows, Linux, macOS | LGPLv2+ | Website |
| Geany | Code IDE | Linux, macOS, Windows | GPL-2.0 | Website |
| GHDL | Digital Simulation | Linux, Windows, macOS | GPL-2.0 | Website |
| GTKWave | Digital Simulation | Windows, Linux, macOS | GPLv2 | Website |
| Icestudio | Digital Design | Windows, Linux, macOS | GPLv2 | Website |
| KiCad | PCB Design | Windows, macOS, Linux, Docker | GPLv3 | Website |
| LibrePCB | PCB Design | Windows, Linux, macOS | GPLv3 | Website |
| Mu Editor | Code IDE | Windows, Linux, macOS, Raspberry Pi | GPL-3.0 | Website |
| Ngspice | Circuit Simulation | Linux, Windows, macOS | BSD-3-Clause | Website |
| OpenOCD | Debugging & Programming | Linux, Windows, macOS | GPL-2.0 | Website |
| OpenROAD | ASIC Design | Linux, Docker, macOS | BSD-3-Clause | Website |
| PlatformIO | Embedded Development | Windows, Linux, macOS | Apache-2.0 | Website |
| PulseView | Signal Analysis | Windows, Linux, macOS | GPL-3.0 | Website |
| Qucs | Circuit Simulation | Linux, Windows, macOS | GPL-2.0 | Website |
| Renode | Emulation | Linux, Windows, macOS | MIT | Website |
| sigrok-cli | Signal Analysis | Linux, macOS, Windows | GPL-3.0 | Website |
| Thonny | IDE | Windows, Linux, macOS, Raspberry Pi | MIT | Website |
| Verilator | Digital Simulation | Linux, macOS, Windows | LGPL-3.0 | Website |
| Visual Studio Code | Code Editor | Windows, Linux, macOS | MIT | Website |
| Xschem | Electronics Design | Linux, macOS, Windows | GPL-2.0 | Website |
| Yosys | Digital Synthesis | Linux, Windows, macOS | ISC | Website |
- Code (scripts and website): MIT License
- Content (JSON, Markdown): Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
See LICENSE for more details.