Share Your Circuits With the Community
Circuit Canvas has a community circuit library: a growing collection of circuits drawn by people who use Circuit Canvas, shared so that anyone can learn from them, build them, or use them as a starting point for their own projects.
This article explains how the community library works and how you can submit your own circuits to it.
What is the community circuit library?
The community circuit library is a public collection of circuits made in Circuit Canvas. Each circuit in the library shows both how it works and how to build it:
- The schematic shows how the components are connected electrically.
- The layout shows what the circuit looks like when you actually build it, for example on a breadboard.
- Build instructions walk you through putting the circuit together.
When you find a circuit you like, you can open it in the editor and make your own copy. From there you can change component values, add features, or rework it into something completely different, without touching the original.
Why share your circuits?
Every circuit in the library makes it easier for someone else to get started. A beginner looking for a simple LED flasher, a teacher looking for a ready-made example for class, or a maker who needs a motor driver circuit can all find something useful there. And when you've put work into a circuit that you're proud of, the library gives it a place where others can find it and build it.
How to submit a circuit
Submitting a circuit takes just a few minutes once your project is finished. Here's what a complete submission looks like.
1. Draw the schematic
Start with a complete schematic. Make sure every component is connected, and that component values (resistances, capacitances and so on) are filled in where they matter. If you're new to drawing schematics in Circuit Canvas, see Drawing Schematics With Circuit Canvas.
2. Build the layout
Next, build the circuit in the layout editor, so people can see what it looks like when it's built for real. This is what makes a circuit easy to follow for beginners: they can place their components exactly where you placed yours.
In some cases it makes sense to skip the layout. If your circuit is there to explain a concept, such as a block of an amplifier or the idea behind a particular configuration, the schematic does the job on its own, and building it in the layout editor might not work or might not add anything. In those cases, a schematic-only submission is fine. If the circuit is something people are meant to build, include the layout.
3. Give it a descriptive title
The title, description and tags are all set in the same place: open the Project menu and choose Edit Details.
The title is the first thing people see in the library, and it's what they'll search for. Describe what the circuit does rather than giving it a clever name.
- Good: "555 Timer LED Flasher", "Light-Activated Switch With a Transistor"
- Not so good: "My Project", "Test 3", "Blinky"
4. Write a description
In the description field in Edit Details, explain in a few sentences what the circuit does and what someone might use it for. If it's useful to know, mention things like the supply voltage, any special components, or what to adjust to change how it behaves.
Describe the schematic and the layout (recommended)
In the same dialog, there's also room for a separate schematic description and layout description. They're optional, but they make a big difference to how useful your circuit is:
- Schematic description: explain how the circuit works. What does each part of the circuit do? Why did you choose those component values?
- Layout description: explain anything that helps when building it. For example which way the polarized components go, where the power comes in, or anything that's easy to get wrong.
If you only do one of these, the schematic description is the one that helps people learn the most.
5. Add a few tags
Also in Edit Details, add a few tags that describe the circuit, such as the main components used (555, Arduino, transistor), what kind of circuit it is (timer, amplifier, sensor), or the skill level (beginner). Tags help people find your circuit when they browse or search the library. Three to five well-chosen tags is usually enough.
6. Submit it to the community
When everything is filled in, open the Project menu and choose Publish to community. The version that goes into the library is a snapshot of your project at the moment you submit it, so you can keep working on your own project afterwards.
Submissions are reviewed by a moderator before they appear in the library, to keep it free from spam and unfinished projects. Once your circuit is approved, it shows up in the library for everyone to see.
Checklist before you submit
☐ The schematic is complete, and the important component values are filled in.
☐ The layout is built, or you have a good reason to skip it.
☐ The title says what the circuit does.
☐ The description explains what the circuit is for.
☐ Ideally: the schematic and layout descriptions are filled in.
☐ You've added a few relevant tags.
Ready to see what others have shared, or to add your own circuit?