TRACE Boardviewer
Boardview software compared: TRACE, OpenBoardView, FlexBV and NexusBV
If you repair boards, you need a boardviewer that opens the files you actually have and gets you from a fault to a part quickly. This page compares four boardviewers you can use for free today.
At a glance
| Feature | TRACE Boardviewer 1.3.1 | OpenBoardView 10.0.0 | FlexBV 5 (Free / Professional) | NexusBV 0.9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free | Free edition. Professional: US$150, perpetual licence | Free (donations welcome) |
| Source code | Open source (MIT) | Open source (MIT) | Closed source, as listed by openboardview.org | Not stated on its website |
| Platforms | Windows x64 (portable EXE). macOS on Apple silicon (experimental, unsigned). Linux x86-64: .deb and AppImage (experimental, unsigned) | Windows, macOS, Linux (the 10.0.0 release has a Windows zip, a macOS dmg and Linux deb and rpm packages) | Windows 10/11 (64-bit), macOS (Intel and Apple silicon), Linux x86_64 | Windows 10/11 x64 (Windows 7 supported, not actively maintained). A web version at web.nexusbv.net runs in the browser, per its site |
| Classic boardview formats | FZ/CAE open with published default keys; selected TestLink/Landrex BRD, Honhan BDV, Samsung CAD and TVW exports have real-file checks. BVR formats 1/3, TOPTEST BRD2, ASC, Jet4 BV, BV2, F2B, Tebo ICT, Mentor Neutral and FARC/FAZ now have selected real-export checks. CAST CST supports only documented component layers; XZZ remains a draft requiring a user-supplied key. See the exact table for limits. | From its source repository: BRD, BRD2, BDV, BVR (formats 1 and 3), ASC, CST, FZ and CAE (keys needed), GenCAD, XZZ PCB and others. The 10.0.0 release notes list GenCAD, XZZ PCB and ASRock CAE as added since version 9 | .brd, .bdv, .bv, .gr; Asus FZ, Samsung CAD, Teboview, XZZ PCB; ODB++, GenCAD, Fabmaster, Hyperlynx (all in the Free edition) | .A3P, .ASC, .BDV, .BRD (Toptest, Landrex, Mentor Neutral File, Allegro), .BV, .BVR, .CAD (GenCAD, Fabmaster CAD), .CAE, .CST, .F2B, .FAZ, .FZ, .GR, .PCB (XZZPCB), .TVW |
| GenCAD | Yes, validated with real files | Yes (listed in the 10.0.0 notes) | Yes (both editions) | Yes (.CAD lists GenCAD) |
| Teboview (.tvw) | Selected real exports validated: components, pad positions, nets and sides. Outlines and copper are absent; custom pads use bounding boxes. | Not listed | Yes, listed as Teboview (both editions) | Yes (.TVW, with layers) |
| KiCad and EAGLE boards | Yes, read natively and validated with real open designs | Not listed | Professional only. Its changelog marks them "developing, may crash" | Not listed |
| Cadence Allegro .brd | Selected native 16.0–17.5 layouts; real-file checks cover 16.2, 16.4, 16.5, 16.6 and 17.2. Estimated bodies and omitted routing are disclosed. | Recognized, not read; points to Cadence's free viewer | Professional only, beta ("developing, may crash") | Yes, versions 16 to 25 natively |
| KiCad and EAGLE schematics with board cross-probing | Yes | Not listed | Not listed (PDF schematics only) | Not listed |
| PDF schematics | Built-in offline PDF viewer with English OCR for scanned pages, confidence marks and Cancel. One search covers board, schematic and PDF text; exact board references link to parts. | Two-way search with custom builds of SumatraPDF (Windows) or Evince (Linux). Its release notes call this a beta feature | Professional only ("Smart PDF Integration") | Built in. Two-way navigation between board and PDF; indexed PDF search |
| Notes | Per named part and pin, with measured voltage/resistance, a migration backup and an unresolved-notes list; kept with the board by content hash | Annotations, stored per board | Repair job log in a searchable database (listed as a Professional feature) | Notes and bookmarks |
| Latest version | 1.3.1 (9 Oct 2026); latest native acceptance run reported issues on macOS and Linux, under investigation | 10.0.0 (22 May 2026) | 5.3162 (27 Jul 2026) | 0.9 (20 Sep 2026) |
TRACE Boardviewer
TRACE is a free, MIT-licensed repair workspace rather than a viewer alone.
You open a board, attach its schematic (KiCad or EAGLE) and any PDF datasheets or photos, and one search covers part references, values, packages and nets across all of them. Board and schematic are linked by exact names: TRACE never guesses a match. Anything that differs, such as a fiducial with no schematic symbol or a net with two names, is listed so that you can confirm an alias yourself. Notes can be attached to a part or a single pin, including the voltage or resistance you measured. They follow the board file by its content hash, so renaming the file keeps them.
TRACE works offline, needs no account and sends no telemetry. Network settings show optional update checks and explicit support-receipt verification; board and document content is never sent.
Best for: KiCad and EAGLE designs and open hardware, and anyone who wants the board, schematic and datasheets in one window, free.
OpenBoardView
OpenBoardView is the open-source boardviewer that describes itself as a drop-in replacement for the Test_Link and Landrex viewers.
It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Its source repository has readers for the classic boardview formats (BRD, BRD2, BDV, BVR, ASC, CST and FZ with a key), and the 10.0.0 release notes list GenCAD, XZZ PCB and ASRock CAE support among the additions since version 9. Annotations are stored per board. PDF schematics work through custom builds of SumatraPDF or Evince that its release notes call a beta feature.
Best for: classic boardview files on any operating system, including Linux, in a free open-source tool with a public issue tracker.
FlexBV
FlexBV is a commercial boardviewer with a free edition. Both editions read the same list of boardview and manufacturing formats on Windows, macOS and Linux.
The Professional edition (US$150, perpetual) adds synchronized PDF schematics ("Smart PDF Integration"), KiCad, EAGLE and Allegro boards (its changelog marks them "developing, may crash"; Allegro is listed as beta) and a repair job database.
Best for: repair shops that want PDF schematics tied to the board on Windows, macOS or Linux and are happy to pay for a perpetual licence.
NexusBV
NexusBV is a free boardviewer for Windows that its site describes as under active development. Version 0.9 is dated 20 September 2026. Its format list is broad and includes Allegro (versions 16 to 25) and TVW. Among other features it offers layers, a dual-mode view with two independent views, indexed PDF and boardview search, signal tracing, notes, bookmarks and two-way navigation between board and PDF. A web version runs in the browser; its site says no files are uploaded.
Its website does not say whether the source code is available.
Best for: Windows users who need Allegro or TVW files, or a wide range of classic formats, in a free tool.
Others worth knowing
- BoardViewer (boardviewer.net): a free Windows viewer, version 2.0.1.9 beta. Its site names extensions such as .asc, .bdv, .brd, .bv, .cad, .cst, .gr, .f2b and .fz. The copyright line on the site reads 2016.
- BoardRipper (GitHub): an AGPL-3.0 browser-based viewer you can self-host with Docker. It lists fourteen formats, including KiCad, EAGLE and Altium.
Where TRACE is weaker
- Some classic formats remain draft or have limited validation. XZZ, HyperLynx, Fabmaster FATF, EasyEDA Standard and pin-list imports retain synthetic-only validation. New BV, BV2, F2B, Tebo, Mentor and FARC readers cover selected export layouts. BRD, BDV, Samsung CAD and TVW checks cover selected exports, and estimated geometry is disclosed. If a file opens wrongly, please report it without attaching proprietary files.
- Native Allegro has layout limits. The selected documented layouts import parts, nets, pads and outlines; unknown records, older databases and unverified layer semantics fail explicitly. Tracks, copper fills and vias are omitted. TVW now opens for the selected validated layouts; unknown layer/header variants fail explicitly.
- No copper. TRACE shows parts, pads and nets. Tracks, zones and vias are not drawn, and connection guides show logical relationships, not real traces.
- Linux and macOS builds are experimental. Native acceptance run 37974058845 reported issues on both platforms; investigation is ongoing for the Apple-silicon macOS package and x86-64 Linux .deb and AppImage. All three are unsigned; macOS asks you to allow the downloaded app once.
- Unsigned Windows EXE. SmartScreen warns once. The download is about 112 MB, and each launch unpacks about 500 MB into a private temporary folder, which is removed on exit.
- Limits. Files are limited to 64 MiB. Scanned PDF pages have no text initially; choose Recognize text to run bundled offline English OCR (up to 40 megapixels and 120 seconds per page) and make recognized words searchable. The workspace features added in 1.2.0 (tabs, search, schematic and PDF viewers, notes) are in English whichever of the eight interface languages you choose.
Which one should you use?
- Classic boardview files (.brd, .bdv, .fz, XZZ .pcb): compare the exact format table and your export variant. TRACE now has selected real-file checks for several families, while XZZ and other listed drafts still have limited validation.
- KiCad or EAGLE designs, open hardware, or your own boards: TRACE reads the board and the schematic natively, free, with exact cross-probing.
- Linux: OpenBoardView or FlexBV for classic boardview files; TRACE for KiCad and EAGLE designs with their schematics and PDFs (experimental .deb and AppImage). NexusBV also has a browser version.
- Board, schematic, datasheets and your measurements in one place, offline, at no cost: TRACE.
- Native Allegro files: TRACE reads selected documented layouts; check version and geometry limits. TVW (Teboview): TRACE now reads selected export layouts; check the documented geometry and layer limits.
Format guides: how to open a .brd file · how to open a .bvr file · free EAGLE viewer · KiCad PCB viewer · GenCAD viewer. New to TRACE? Start with getting started or the 1-minute demo.
How we compared
We read each program's own website, release notes or source repository on 6 October 2026: OpenBoardView's GitHub releases (10.0.0), README, licence file and file-format source folder; FlexBV's website, including its edition comparison page; the NexusBV website; and the BoardViewer and BoardRipper pages. We did not run benchmarks. We list what each project says about itself, plus TRACE's own published support table. We will update this page when the programs change. Corrections are welcome through GitHub issues. To report a problem with TRACE itself, use the bug report form.
Sources: OpenBoardView releases · OpenBoardView repository · openboardview.org · FlexBV 5 · FlexBV 5 Free and Professional · NexusBV · BoardViewer · BoardRipper · TRACE: docs/SUPPORT.md
Product names are trademarks of their owners. They are used here only to identify the programs; TRACE is not affiliated with any of them.