Four apps that pass the baton
- pulpCircuit draws schematics and circuit boards, places and routes components automatically, and prepares the files for the manufacturer (Gerber zip, bill of materials, placement file). It opens KiCad files.
- pulpCase designs custom enclosures around your board, for 3D printing or laser cutting and engraving, and generates the machine's G-code.
- pulpRobot designs robots and simulates their motion kinematics: joint positions and trajectories. It reads and writes URDF robot descriptions.
- pulpLab programs and tests boards: writing MicroPython or Arduino code, uploading over USB, serial monitor and plotter, plus a virtual board for trying things without hardware.
The apps hand their work to one another: the pulpCircuit board is the starting point for the pulpCase enclosure, the enclosure becomes a part of the robot in pulpRobot, and pulpRobot can send a program to pulpLab.
pulpBuild: one model, every trade
pulpBuild puts plans, electrical work, plumbing, structure, thermal performance, quantities and estimates, and site follow-up on the same building model. Each trade can be shown or hidden depending on what you are working on. It reads and writes IFC (in part) and DXF, and prints plans, estimates and site reports.
What you need for real hardware
Boards plugged in over USB and machines driven from the browser go through the serial port: use Chrome or Edge on a computer. Compiling Arduino C++ also needs a small relay running on your computer; MicroPython doesn't. See pulpLab: compile Arduino C++.
Frequently asked questions
Can I order a circuit board designed with pulpCircuit?
pulpCircuit produces the Gerber zip, the bill of materials (BOM) and the placement file (CPL) that board manufacturers ask for. Check the preview and the rotations suggested by the manufacturer before you confirm the order.
Do I need to install the Arduino IDE?
Not for MicroPython, the virtual board, the serial monitor or the plotter. To compile Arduino C++ in pulpLab, you need to install the Arduino command-line compiler and start the local relay. You can also compile elsewhere and upload the resulting file.
Does the pulpRobot simulation guarantee how the real robot behaves?
No. It helps you prepare movements, but real hardware can behave differently: test carefully, at reduced speed, with the emergency stop within reach.
Can I draw my house plan online with pulpBuild?
Yes: pulpBuild draws plans in the browser and adds services, structure and estimates to them. These documents help you prepare a project and discuss it with professionals; on their own, they can't be used as building permit documents or construction drawings.
Can pulpBuild plans be opened in architecture software?
pulpBuild exchanges with other software through IFC, part of which it reads and writes, and through DXF. Check the result in the target software.