FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do I need a real PCB of my project? It works fine the way it is!
- Sometimes, you want to get beyond the state where you always have to be weary that no one touches your precious circuit. If it's all on a PCB, it is stable and durable to run for decades, it can have the shape and size that you want it to be, and you can produce as many of it as you like. Yes, this means, you might even be able to sell your own product's limited edition!
- Does it simulate my circuit, like, does an LED actually blink if I plug it in?
- No, sorry. We don't think that the advantage of having a simulation is worth the effort. Hardware is very difficult to simulate and it would also complicate the usage of Fritzing. Also, we think that it is important that you get hands on with the real stuff, and that you should try out your circuits physically. We will however add some simple checks in the future, to help you avoid common mistakes.
- On which systems does Fritzing run?
- Currently on Windows (XP, Vista), Mac OS X (10.4 or higher), and Linux (with GTK). You will also need to have a Java runtime environment installed (version 5 or higher). Also see the notes on requirements.
- How is Fritzing programmed?
- We are basing our code on several frameworks from the Eclipse project, mainly the GMF. So essentially, Fritzing is an Eclipse-Plugin running as a standalone program. For generating the PCBs we are connecting to Eagle. Please take a look into the development section and contribute your thoughts.
- What license is Fritzing released under?
- The source code of Fritzing is licensed under GNU GPL, the documentation under CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareALike.
- How did you come up with this funny name?
- Fritzing takes the ing from Processing, Wiring, and Physical Computing. Did you know that Arduino is a medieval king (and a bar..) from Ivrea, where the Arduino project was created? Well, and Fritz is how the people in Potsdam liked to call their king Friedrich. Last but not least - we like the sound.
- Who made these fantastic graphics on the front page?
- That's the work of the even more fantastic Myriel Milicevic. Please check out her work on http://neighbourhoodsatellites.com.
