In the world of electronics design, hardware description language (HDL) is a programming language used to describe the connections and logic of digital circuits, and is notably used in the design of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).
Now, a new initiative called TScircuit is looking to use a similar concept for the design of printed circuit boards (PCBs), doing away with the often complex and tedious task of conventional schematic drawing.
Using a visual programming approach that the creators liken to writing code, designers can make connections by describing them in plain language, for example urging users to “Trace from LED1.GND to net.GND,” where net is the name of a virtual node that represents the circuit’s common ground.
The platform also offers a more conventional schematic view, as well as 3D renderings and other visual aids, and the resulting designs can be uploaded to a database to make them available for others to use.
