Export to mechanical design software and Spice simulators
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Manufacturing plots (Gerber, Excellon, drill, etc.) and reports (BoM, generic netlist, etc. )
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Design rules checker and editor
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Bill of Materials composer
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Integrated SnapEDA CAD library
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Advanced DRC checks (undrilled pads, Via to SMD pad distance, etc.)
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Blind and buried vias
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Heirarchical schematic designs
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Variant manager, TestLands and mechanical dimensions
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Differential pairs and buses (define, edit, trunk routing, etc.)
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Copper coverage report
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IPC-2581 Output
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DesignSpark Mechanical
Unlimited projects and design size
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Pull, blend, fill and combine tools for complex shapes and geometry manipulation
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Generate Bill of Materials and get quotes
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Import PCBs in the IDF format
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Measure and quality tools (check mass properties, draft angles, curvature, deviation, etc.)
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Equation and constraint-based sketching tools
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Reverse engineer solid model from 3D scanned mesh (eg. STL)
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3D Mirror tool
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Detailing options for drawing sheets (full GD&T and support for JIS, ISO, ANSI industry standards)
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Cosmetic threads
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Import/Export STEP, IGES, AutoCAD DWG and DXF formats
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Edit 3D objects from Drawing sheet views
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Design services
2D and 3D CAD part libraries
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Product Design Centre - parts intelligence
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basic lifecycle and compliance data
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+ enhanced lifecycle data and parts risk assessment
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+ complete information for sustainable parts selection
Training & support
Public discussion forum
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Learning materials
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tutorials, videos, and FAQs
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+ advanced tips and tricks
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+ advanced tips and tricks
Testimonials from DesignSpark members
It's really exciting to experience the feature rich PCB and Mechanical tools, and the brilliant resources, videos, tips and tricks that have been compiled will make developing, testing and deliverying projects a great deal easier. Also it's very cool and very affordable.
Mark MarkLehane1
Creator pricing is good for Hobbyists that use DesignSpark often. Engineer pricing is great for small enterprises. When compared to the other commercial software packages available, DesignSpark is an excellent bargain!
Francois Francois65
The new website look good, cleaner and simpler than before, and leads to a better user experience. The pricing models are clear and gives the user the option to pay for a more advanced product, based on their need.
Russell russman2k
DesignSpark is an excellent resource. The Explorer version gave me access to some great design tools. My upgrade to the Creator version will enhance my insight and productivity of CAD.
Martin e2k
I have used DesignSpark Mechanical for years now for not only rapid prototyping but product layout design. The software keeps getting better and adding features. Now with access to video tutorials the software has never been easier to learn.
Tim tmcdowell
Frequently Asked Questions
When will legacy versions of the DesignSpark Software be switched off? (DSM and DSPCB)
If you are a user of DesignSpark Mechanical versions 5 and below or DesignSpark PCB versions 10 and below, these versions will be switched off on 31st May 2023. Please migrate to one of the DesignSpark plans before end May 2023. DesignSpark Explorer is free, but you can now upgrade to one of our paid plans to enable more features and design resources. Your current design files can be opened in the latest version available within the plans.
Is commercial use allowed on the DesignSpark subscription plans and is my design IP protected?
Yes, commercial use is allowed on the DesignSpark subscription plans. You will have full ownership (including Intellectual Property - IP) of any project you create with our software.
Design files from our primary CAD software (DesignSpark Mechanical and PCB) are saved locally on the device you have installed the software to. Therefore, only you can access your own design files.
How many copies of each software can I install with 1 DesignSpark subscription licence? Is concurrent use allowed?
This varies by subscription plan.
Explorer: Maximum of 1 copy of each software installed on any computer.
Creator: Maximum of 2 copies of each software installed on any computer.
Engineer: Maximum of 3 copies of each software installed on any computer.
At present, we don't allow concurrent use of the same software on multiple computers (using one DesignSpark account).
Can I install each DesignSpark software on different computers?
Yes, for example you can have DesignSpark Mechanical installed on PC-1 and DesignSpark PCB on PC-2. You will also need to login to the software with your DesignSpark account and activate it for use.
Do I need to renew my DesignSpark subscription?
All our DesignSpark subscriptions auto-renew monthly, and you can choose to cancel (before the next billing date) via the manage subscription option in your account area. Once cancelled, you will have access to the subscription content until the next billing date.
Is there a DesignSpark network licence available for business or educational site use?
No, but this may change in the future. Please look out for announcements via the DesignSpark newsletter and on social media.
Where can I get help on using DesignSpark software?
You can access our software forums for answers or post a new question. The DesignSpark staff and the user community are ready to help you on the forum.
You can also view the tutorials posted on our website for step by step guidance and our built-in software documentation
Can I use DesignSpark software offline?
Yes. Please note that if it has been more than 2 hours since you last closed the software and are re-opening it, you will need to be online for a licence check. After this licence check, you can work offline in the same session.
Will I get patches or updates to my DesignSpark software?
Yes, these will be issued by the developer as and when required.
Is DesignSpark software local desktop or cloud-based software?
Our Mechanical and PCB software are desktop-only with a local installation. There may be some cloud-based tools added to our subscription plans in the future and they would not require any installation (accessed through web browser).
How do I download and use DesignSpark software and services?
A new download page becomes available as soon as you start your subscription. The download links for each software will also be in your account area after logging into DesignSpark.com.
What are the system requirements of DesignSpark software?
These are the supported system specifications for our primary CAD software:
DesignSpark Mechanical
Operating system – Windows 11 (64-bit), Windows 10 (64-bit), Windows Server 2016 (64-bit) and Windows Server 2019 (64-bit). *Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 7, so the software may still work on Windows 7 but you will likely encounter errors which cannot be patched by the developer.
Graphics card – Discrete graphics card or Integrated graphics (AMD APU, Intel HD) with the latest drivers and compatible with the supported operating systems. For full functionality, use of a recent NVIDIA or AMD Professional or Workstation Graphics card with at least 1 GB of discrete video memory and supporting, at a minimum, OpenGL version 4.5, DirectX 11, Shader Model 5.0 and with Direct3D acceleration enabled. Display should have a minimum 1024x768 minimum resolution.
CPU - Pentium® 4 2.0 Ghz or faster 64-bit (x64) processor.
RAM - 4GB or higher
Disk Space – at least 3GB
Web browser – Google Chrome (v102 or higher), Mozilla Firefox (v101 or higher) and Microsoft Edge (v102 or higher).
Input devices – 2 button mouse with wheel
Optional inputs - 3D Mouse (eg. 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse), Touchscreen multi-touch support via native pen-and-touch interface.
DesignSpark PCB
Operating system – Windows 11 (64-bit) and Windows 10 (32-bit or 64-bit). *Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 7, so the software may still work on Windows 7 but the developer will not be patching any issues specific to unsupported OS versions.
Graphics card – 1024x768 minimum display resolution. For 3D View of PCBs, hardware acceleration for OpenGL may enhance performance.
CPU - 1GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) or equivalent.
Mark
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