About CircuitSnips
Our Mission
CircuitSnips bridges the gap between component libraries and full project repositories. We focus on reusable subcircuits - functional circuit blocks like voltage regulators, amplifiers, and sensor interfaces that you can instantly copy and paste into your KiCad projects.
By sharing well-designed, tested circuit patterns, we accelerate innovation in open hardware and help makers avoid reinventing the wheel.
Technology & Attribution
CircuitSnips is built on the shoulders of giants in the open source community:
🎨 KiCanvas
Special thanks to Stargirl Flowers for creating KiCanvas, the incredible WebGL-based schematic viewer that powers our circuit previews. KiCanvas makes it possible to interactively view KiCad schematics directly in the browser.
Stack:
- Next.js 14 with App Router
- Supabase (PostgreSQL, Auth, Storage)
- KiCanvas for schematic rendering
- Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui
- Vercel for deployment
Our source code is available on GitHub under the MIT license.
Open Hardware License Guide
All circuits on CircuitSnips must use an open source license. Here's what each means:
CERN-OHL-S-2.0 (Recommended)
Best for: Hardware designs requiring reciprocal sharing
The "strongly reciprocal" variant. Modifications must be shared under the same license. Designed specifically for open hardware by CERN. Similar to GPL but for hardware.
MIT License
Best for: Maximum flexibility and adoption
Very permissive. Allows commercial use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions. Only requires attribution.
CC-BY-4.0
Best for: Documentation and non-software designs
Creative Commons Attribution. Allows any use with attribution. Good for schematics as documentation rather than source files.
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Best for: Community-driven projects
Share-Alike variant. Modifications must use the same license. Popular for collaborative hardware projects.
GPL-3.0
Best for: Software-heavy designs (firmware included)
Strong copyleft. Any derivative work must also be GPL. Good when circuits include significant firmware/software components.
Apache-2.0
Best for: Commercial-friendly with patent protection
Similar to MIT but includes explicit patent grants. Protects users from patent litigation.
TAPR-OHL-1.0
Best for: Amateur radio and hobbyist projects
Created by Tucson Amateur Packet Radio. Similar to GPL but designed for hardware. Less common than CERN-OHL.
BSD-2-Clause
Best for: Academic and research projects
Simple and permissive like MIT. Often used in academic settings. Allows proprietary derivatives.
💡 Tip: If unsure, CERN-OHL-S-2.0 is designed specifically for open hardware and provides good protection while ensuring designs stay open.
Join the Community
CircuitSnips is more than a tool - it's a community of makers helping makers.
Ready to share your circuits?
Join CircuitSnips and help build the world's best library of reusable KiCad circuits.