Getting Started with Fritzing

Introduction

Building a virtual circuit in breadboard view using Fritzing gives a  better representation of circuit connections close to the real circuit. Recently, Cytron Technolgies have been integrated many virtual circuits in breadboard view in online tutorials to improve the understanding of users on connections of involved circuits. The good news is Cytron Technologies have created virtual parts in breadboard view (specially designed to be added into the Frizting) for certain Cytron products which can be downloaded under related product pages and be integrated in Frizting for use.

In this tutorial, users will be guided to add a virtual part of a Cytron product into Fritzing and use  it to build a simple virtual circuit in breaboard view. Bare in mind that our Fritzing files are meant for schematic drawing where the PCB file is just a dummy attachment. User cannot use our Fritzing files to develop PCB. The virtual part used for the demonstration is the Enhanced 40-pins PIC Stater Kit (SK40C) which can be downloaded from Cytron website under product page, SK40C. The latest Frizting software can be downloaded from Fritzing official website.

It is assumed that users are familiar with the use of Fritzing in building virtual circuits in breadboard view since this topic would not be covered in this tutorial. 

Let’s start with Fritzing

1. Firstly, please click the link of Fritzing file under its product page. The link will bring you to Fritzing folder which contains our product group. Click PIC Start-Up kit because SK40C is under that product group.
2. Under PIC Start-Up kit, click SK40C. An error will occurred because the SK40C is in .fzpz format file. The file cannot be displayed. Click download to download the into your PC
3. Launch the Fritzing. As the software is successfully opened, right click at “Parts” and click import.
4. A window will pop up. Select SK40C R2.fzpz file to import it into your Fritzing.
5. The SK40C R2.fzpz part is created and stored in “Mine bin” of Parts bin in Fritzing.
6. Users then allowed to drag out Sk40C from Parts bins into the breadboard view of Fritzing and build a virtual circuit in breadboard form it. The wires for connections can be dragged out from connectors of SK40C. Below is an example of simple virtual circuit in breadboard view (SK40C is included) built using Fritzing.