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Embedded and Microcontrollers
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Embedded and Microcontrollers
Embedded Forum What open source architecture design tool do you recommend?
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  • State Suggested Answer
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Related

What open source architecture design tool do you recommend?

Jairo
Jairo over 3 years ago

Hi, could you recommend me an open source to design my embedded system project architecture?, actually I use diagrams.net to create my block diagrams but maybe there is a more professional tool, thanks

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  • phoenixcomm
    phoenixcomm over 2 years ago in reply to shabaz +2 suggested
    /members/shabaz /members/scottiebabe I think you should both look at Flameshot (Linux) which works like Snagit (MS). see look at the Linux alternative.
  • phoenixcomm
    phoenixcomm over 2 years ago in reply to shabaz +2
    my lord, I used to use two UltraSPARC 2 for my ISP one was the web server the other was the mail server, and I used a SPARC lunchbox to run Tic and Toc for my NTPd server. Take a look at the clock on top…
  • dougw
    dougw over 3 years ago +1
    Diagrams.net looks pretty reasonable. I just use Libre Office presentation tools. I try to keep the block diagrams simple and high level.
  • dougw
    0 dougw over 3 years ago

    Diagrams.net looks pretty reasonable.

    I just use Libre Office presentation tools. I try to keep the block diagrams simple and high level.

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  • misaz
    0 misaz over 3 years ago

    I also use diagrams.net but I use standalone version downloaded from Microsoft Store.

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  • shabaz
    0 shabaz over 3 years ago

    Seems a bit spammy, considering that you mentioned a non-open-source tool. Why does it need to be an open source tool? There are plenty of more professional tools than the non-open-source one that you mentioned, but they are not open source either.

    What's wrong with PowerPoint, or the free equivalents like Libre Office?

    If you want a proper professional tool as actually used in industry, I can suggest some but they are not open source.
    If it is work related, then there may be an application the organisation wishes you to use, or, sometimes they won't care whatever app you use, since the output doesn't directly drive automation in the project management (i.e. it's not directly coupled). If you want others to also be able to work with the design, then you probably want to stick to an app that others have access to. I wouldn't trust the cloud version of that app, and I can't see I'd want anything from that app that you refer to, when PowerPoint will work for me if I'm not being mandated to use any other app.

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  • phoenixcomm
    0 phoenixcomm over 3 years ago

    First, my software IDE is eclipse IDE. I have separate installs for C, Java, snd others

    Second, for simple diagrams, I use DIA

    Third, for my schematics, I rely on KiCAD.

    Fourth, I have been trying to get my head around Papyrus using sysML (from the folks at eclipse) for system flows.

    Fifth, for programming I really like C (GCC) (not C++) and Java (community)

    Sixth,  I use LibreOffice Writer for much of my documentation, but It gets published in Correl Ventura ( I have more control).

    AND Lastly, anything from MS is suspect and just trash and NOT OPEN SOURCE!!!

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  • phoenixcomm
    0 phoenixcomm over 3 years ago in reply to shabaz

    You do realize that LibreOffice supports MS extensions. 

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  • WestfW
    0 WestfW over 3 years ago

    I use EAGLE for diagrams and pictures other than circuits; it's got a bunch of "features" (explicit object size, polar coordinates, multiple layers, a programming language to create repeated elements) that are quite handy, and not so common in traditional drawing programs.  I imagine KICAD has similar capabilities (and many other CAD programs, too.)

    The "Gnu ID Utilities" (https://www.gnu.org/software/idutils/ ) and ctags/etags are very handy for browsing unfamiliar source code.  The\y provide the sort of "find implementation of function x" capabilities on the command line, so they're agnostic to IDEs that I'm not familiar with, that the code might have used.

    And EMACS, of course!

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  • KellyGreene
    0 KellyGreene over 2 years ago

    Personally, I use LibreOffice and it's pretty good.

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  • phoenixcomm
    0 phoenixcomm over 2 years ago in reply to dougw

    Doug,,,, use dia.  it's in my Debian 11 Synaptic System: dia, dia-common, dia-rib-network, dia-shapes, dia2code. 

    If you cant find them let me know I will send you the packages.

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  • scottiebabe
    0 scottiebabe over 2 years ago in reply to phoenixcomm

    lol I wish MS would fix this:

    image

    https://office-watch.com/2022/make-lines-arrows-straight-word-bug-fix/ 

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  • shabaz
    0 shabaz over 2 years ago in reply to scottiebabe

    My (not so) secret technique for almost every diagram, work related or otherwise, is to use/misuse PowerPoint, and a benefit is that anyone can modify my diagrams since managers often want to strip off some complexity and reuse the diagrams for their high-level purposes too, and they already have Office on their PCs so they don't need to load anything special. Libre Office equivalent is presumably just as useful. 

    Another excellent tool/time-saver is Snagit (I dont know what the closest Linux equivalent would be for that), which is extremely feature rich and allows me to convert almost any image into transparent PNGs for dropping into PowerPoint, to use in diagrams. There are so many uses for Snagit, and it's gone up in price unfortunately, but it's still cheap for what it does, considering I get use out of that app every day.

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