ProtoPulse is a browser-based electronics design platform built for makers and learners who are tired of switching between tools. Every electronics project used to require TinkerCad to learn the basics, Wokwi to simulate microcontrollers, Fritzing for breadboard layout, KiCad for schematic and PCB work, and a separate SPICE tool for circuit analysis. ProtoPulse replaces all of them with a single workspace — and adds an AI assistant that doesn’t just chat, but actively places components, wires connections, populates your BOM, runs design rule checks, and exports manufacturing files.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/wtyler2505/ProtoPulse/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Who it’s for
ProtoPulse is built for two groups:- Makers building real hardware — people who need to go from a rough system idea to a validated PCB with a BOM they can actually order. ProtoPulse covers the whole journey: block diagram, schematic, breadboard layout, PCB routing, validation, and manufacturing output.
- Learners who learn by building — people who are new to electronics and want a tool that teaches as it goes. The AI assistant can explain every decision it makes, suggest alternatives, and answer “why” questions at any point in the design process.
The six-tool problem
Every electronics learning and building journey involves the same painful context-switching:- TinkerCad — basic circuit concepts
- Wokwi — microcontroller simulation
- Fritzing — breadboard layout
- KiCad — schematic capture and PCB design
- A SPICE tool — analog circuit simulation
- A spreadsheet — BOM management
Key differentiators
Architecture Editor
Block diagram canvas with drag-and-drop components and typed signal edges (SPI, I2C, UART, USB, Power, GPIO). No other free tool offers this.
Schematic Capture
Full circuit editor with Manhattan routing, ERC, power symbols, net labels, and hierarchical sheets — all backed by a real database.
Breadboard & PCB
Breadboard visualization and PCB layout with layer management, trace routing, and ratsnest overlay, without leaving the browser.
SPICE Simulation
Generate SPICE netlists and run AC/frequency analysis with Bode plots across five filter topologies.
BOM Management
Full BOM with pricing, stock status, snapshot diffing between revisions, and ECO netlist comparison.
Component Editor
Multi-view part editor: breadboard illustration, schematic symbol, PCB footprint, metadata, and pin table — all in one place.
Design Validation
Automated DRC and ERC with manufacturer templates for JLCPCB, PCBWay, and OSHPark. Each finding includes a suggested fix.
Export Formats
14+ output formats: KiCad, Eagle, SPICE, Gerber, drill, pick-and-place, BOM CSV, design report, FMEA, firmware scaffold, and PDF.
How it compares
| Capability | ProtoPulse | KiCad | Fritzing | EasyEDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browser-based | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| AI assistant with real tool actions | 82 tools | No | No | Limited |
| Open source | MIT | GPL | GPL | No |
| Architecture block diagrams | Yes | No | No | No |
| Concept-to-export in one tool | Yes | Partial | No | Partial |
| BOM snapshot diffing | Yes | No | No | No |
| Netlist ECO comparison | Yes | Manual | No | No |
| SPICE simulation | Yes | Plugin | No | Yes |
| 14+ export formats | Yes | Yes | Limited | Partial |
| No installation required | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Price | Free | Free | $8/mo | Freemium |
Tech stack
ProtoPulse is a full-stack TypeScript application. Here’s how the layers fit together:| Layer | Technology |
|---|---|
| Frontend | React 19 · TypeScript 5.6 · Vite 7 · Tailwind CSS v4 |
| UI components | shadcn/ui (60+ components) · Radix UI · @xyflow/react |
| State management | TanStack React Query — no Redux |
| Backend | Node.js · Express 5 · TypeScript |
| Database | PostgreSQL · Drizzle ORM · LRU cache |
| AI | Anthropic Claude SDK · Google Generative AI SDK (Gemini) |
| Auth | Session-based (X-Session-Id) · scrypt · AES-256-GCM |
| Testing | Vitest 4 · happy-dom · @testing-library/react · v8 coverage |