OpenBoardView (OBV) is a powerful software tool designed for viewing .brd files, which are commonly used for board schematic repairs. It’s widely utilized by board repair mechanics and hardware professionals.
Windows users will be pleased to learn that OpenBoardView (OBV) requires no installation. Simply visit the download link and run it directly from a folder. Please note that this build is compatible only with Windows 7 or later. 😊🔧🖥️
Basically, it is like a dimensional CAD system where you can interact with the components on the board. In the following images you can see the PCB diagram of the motherboard (Toshiba L645, front/back) with its respective components. The software is very easy to use, therefore you can extract the maximum potential from it.
OpenBoardView panel example 1
OpenBoardView panel example 2
It has two panels: a central one, where it shows the PCB, and a side panel where all the information relevant to the selected tracks or components is detailed. As relevant information, it can also be said that it has different types of views such as:
Pins
Annotations
Track list
List of parts
Rotation
Rotation (front/reverse)
Zoom +/-
Further…
To cite an example: Selecting +1.5V_S5 (Net List) will display all components receiving that voltage on that particular track.
OpenBoardView select example
Additionally, in the option: Program Preferences you can define different aspects of the program, such as:
Font size and DPI
Window size
Diameter of through holes
Zoom Options
FPS information
Options for slow CPU
Viewport/Mouse mode
Etc.
Program Preferences
On the other hand, it has two modes: light/dark and complete customization through the color scheme, among other interesting options. Another aspect, no less important, is the modification of the keyboard shortcuts by the user.
OpenBoarview default keyboard shortcuts
Ctrl-O: Open file select dialog
w/a/s/d: pan viewport over board
x: Reset zoom and center
Mouse scroll, -/=: Zoom out/in
Mouse click-hold-drag, Numeric pad up/down/left/right: pan viewport over board
Numeric pad +/-: zoom board
Numeric pad 5: Reset zoom and center
Space, Middle mouse click: Flip board
R/./Numpad-Del: Rotate clockwise
,/Numpad-Ins: Rotate counter-clockwise
/, Ctrl-F: Search
ESC: Clear search results and selected parts
p: Toggle pin display
m: Mirror board across Y-axis
L: Show net list
K: Show part list
FAQs:
What is OpenBoardView?
OpenBoardView is an open-source software designed for viewing printed circuit board (PCB) design files, commonly used in electronics repair.
Is OpenBoardView free?
Yes, OpenBoardView is free and its code is available to everyone on its GitHub repository.
What types of files can OpenBoardView open?
OpenBoardView supports many PCB design file formats, including .brd and .bv formats.
Does OpenBoardView receive regular updates?
OpenBoardView is maintained by the community, so updates depend on contributions from developers. You can follow the GitHub repository to stay up-to-date with new updates.
Conclusion:
OBV is an open-source project, and many contributors have improved its functionality over time. Whether you’re troubleshooting electronics or analyzing circuit boards, OpenBoardView is a valuable tool for technicians and hobbyists alike! 😊🔧📏
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
According to its official GitHub page, OpenBoardView is:
OpenBoardView (OBV) is a powerful software tool designed for viewing .brd files, which are commonly used for board schematic repairs. It’s widely utilized by board repair mechanics and hardware professionals.
See also: Boardviewer Software
Boardview for Linux
Here are some key details about OpenBoardView:
Features:
OpenBoardView Installation
Linux
In your personal folder:
Compilation:
Requirements:
In Debian the following packages must be installed:
On Fedora:
On Ubuntu:
Compile:
Run OpenBoardView:
o
For Windows
Windows users will be pleased to learn that OpenBoardView (OBV) requires no installation. Simply visit the download link and run it directly from a folder. Please note that this build is compatible only with Windows 7 or later. 😊🔧🖥️
Explore OBV’s interface
Basically, it is like a dimensional CAD system where you can interact with the components on the board. In the following images you can see the PCB diagram of the motherboard (Toshiba L645, front/back) with its respective components. The software is very easy to use, therefore you can extract the maximum potential from it.
It has two panels: a central one, where it shows the PCB, and a side panel where all the information relevant to the selected tracks or components is detailed. As relevant information, it can also be said that it has different types of views such as:
To cite an example: Selecting +1.5V_S5 (Net List) will display all components receiving that voltage on that particular track.
Additionally, in the option: Program Preferences you can define different aspects of the program, such as:
On the other hand, it has two modes: light/dark and complete customization through the color scheme, among other interesting options. Another aspect, no less important, is the modification of the keyboard shortcuts by the user.
OpenBoarview default keyboard shortcuts
FAQs:
OpenBoardView is an open-source software designed for viewing printed circuit board (PCB) design files, commonly used in electronics repair.
Yes, OpenBoardView is free and its code is available to everyone on its GitHub repository.
OpenBoardView supports many PCB design file formats, including .brd and .bv formats.
OpenBoardView is maintained by the community, so updates depend on contributions from developers. You can follow the GitHub repository to stay up-to-date with new updates.
Conclusion:
OBV is an open-source project, and many contributors have improved its functionality over time. Whether you’re troubleshooting electronics or analyzing circuit boards, OpenBoardView is a valuable tool for technicians and hobbyists alike! 😊🔧📏
Source:
https://openboardview.org
https://github.com/
https://gutl.jovenclub.cu/