Rick Nelson

Free engineering calculator
February 12, 2008

Here is a useful and free Website that just came to my attention: Calculator Edge. It uses a fill-in-the-blanks, push-a-button approach to solving problems in a wide range of engineering disciplines: electronics, electrical, civil, mechanical, structural, chemical, etc. For electronics, you can use it to solve standard equations like Ohm’s Law, and it will help you calculate attenuation for simple circuit topologies such as π and T networks. Among its more unusual features, it will also help you calculate temperature rise and voltage drop in PCB traces; in addition, it will find the closest EIA standard resistor value (in a range of tolerances) to your desired value and report the percent error.

There’s a minor error on the site: it incorrectly abbreviates the Electronic Industries Alliance as “IEA.” Just so the math is correct. Also, some of the classifications seem a little odd—for example, the electronics section includes a pressure-conversion calculator, which seems out of place. (The pressure-conversion calculator also appears in the mechanical-engineering section, which seems more appropriate.)

There are other engineering calculators out there, but Calculator Edge is definitely worth bookmarking, especially if your EE job occasionally involves solving problems in other engineering disciplines.

Posted by Rick Nelson on February 12, 2008 | Comments (2)