TkGate

TkGate

TkGate is an open-source digital logic circuit and schematic editor. It allows users to draw logic gate diagrams and simulate their operation. It has features for hierarchical design and is aimed primarily at education and prototyping.
TkGate image
logic-gate digital-circuit schematic-editor simulation education

TkGate: Open-Source Digital Logic Circuit & Schematic Editor

Discover TkGate, a free and open-source digital logic circuit and schematic editor for educational purposes and prototyping.

What is TkGate?

TkGate is an open-source digital logic circuit and schematic editor for Linux, Windows, and macOS. It provides an intuitive graphical user interface for designing and simulating combinational and sequential logic circuits.

Some key features of TkGate include:

  • Intuitive diagram-based design for constructing circuits using common logic gates (AND, OR, XOR, etc.) as well as user-defined gates
  • Support for hierarchical designs to manage complex multi-level circuits efficiently
  • Simulation engine to test and debug circuit designs interactively
  • Ability to export circuit designs as images or Verilog/VHDL code for integration with other EDA tools
  • Multiplatform support running natively on Linux, Windows, and macOS
  • Completely free and open-source released under GNU GPL license

While less feature-rich than commercial tools like Xilinx Vivado or Altera Quartus, TkGate provides an easy way for students, educators, and hobbyists to learn digital logic design principles without costly licensing or complex professional tools. Its simple interface and hierarchical capabilities allow moderately complex circuits with thousands of gates to be constructed and simulated with relative ease.

TkGate Features

Features

  1. Graphical editor for drawing logic gate diagrams
  2. Supports common logic gate types like AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, XNOR
  3. Hierarchical design allows building complex circuits from basic gates
  4. Simulation engine to test circuit operation and debug designs
  5. Export designs as images or netlists for use in other tools

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Easy to use graphical interface

Good for learning digital logic and circuit design

Allows testing circuits before physically building them

Cons

Limited library of logic gate types

No advanced analysis features like timing analysis

User interface is dated

Lacks integration with other EDA tools


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