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Argh! Circuit Simulator?

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Marks256

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I just spent 45minutes looking for a DECENT, and FREE circuit simulator. I just can't find ANYTHING! I want something that can do digital, and some analog. I came real close to finding one i liked; DesignWorks 4. I tried the free 30 day trial, and i thought it was OK. It didn't have any transistors, but otherwise, it had EVERYTHING i could think of; Gates, LEDs, Connectors, and even some switches. Just as i was about to fall in love, i saw the registration price; $40us! :( It isn't that i don't want to buy a nice one, it is I CAN'T. :( I don't have a credit card, or a checking account, and my parents don't like buying thing on the Internet(except for eBay).

I was wondering if there is a FREE circuit simulator out there, that is SIMPLE, NICE, and ACURATE? Preferably analog, and digital? Strictly digital would be fine, but i would like both. I know there have been other posts like this, but THIS I REALLY MAKING ME VERY ANGRY! :eek: :mad:

Thanks.
 
LTSpice from Linear Technology. It's free and its well supported.
 
Ok. I just played around some more with DesignWorks. I love it too much to let it go. I will have to find some way to get it(legaly). Maybe i could email them and see if they will take a money order. $40 is quite a bit, but you guys HAVE to try it out. I am making some cool circuits right now! :)
 
I use Livewire.Its good for simpler cirucits and seams prety acurate.For complicated stuff SwitcherCAD III has lots of fetures,but its not very user frendly
 
Marks256 said:
Maybe i could email them and see if they will take a money order. $40 is quite a bit,
Search for a warez crack or try your favourite filesharing program.
 
There are some free digital simulators out there, the catch being that you'll have to learn VHDL or verilog in order to use them - they're meant for FPGA's and CPLDs with dozens to thousands of logic gates. Xilinx has a free Webpack that comes along with a third-party trial version of a simulator. You *might* be able to use the schematic tools...
 
**broken link removed** Ive used it before, and its very helpful, even though there's not a lot to it. I think Falstad's server is down though.
 
Search for a warez crack or try your favourite filesharing program.

I really don't think this sort of thing should be encouraged. I know it goes on but these kinds of apps are written by the little guy and if enough people steal them, they won't continue to support it. It's bad enough that people rip off the big companies but it truely sucks when it's the little guy.

mark, they may take paypal.
 
Nigel Goodwin said:
No, making 'cool circuits' requires components and pieces of wire - you're basically playing a computer game! :D

there is no substitute for making a real circuit as the simulators are limited in their fidelity to reality. However, there are a lot of advantages to doing it first in SPICE and getting it basically right. Also, it is a tremendous help in learning how a given circuit works.

Personally, I only use simulators for linear stuff. Figuring out the best values for components like resistors make it so much faster than building a circuit and swapping different values. You can easily see things like current through varuous components. Digital circuits are kind of a waste to siumulate since they work fairly deterministically.
 
Nigel Goodwin said:
No, making 'cool circuits' requires components and pieces of wire - you're basically playing a computer game!

I was simulating them, and then building them. Very educational in my opinion. Since i am not VERY experienced in electronics, it helps with a lot of "What if" type questions, with-out frying my only chip of that kind. :cool:
 
i just got hold of one called electronic workbench (not free) which seems pretty good. dont know how much it costs or what you guys think of it?
 
Electronics simulator applet

I use that electronics applet I mentioned, and I have saved myself a lot of money on burnt out parts. I found out many times that what I was going to build would have drawn to much current for the components I was going to use.

I know it's no substitute for a real circuit, but it does let you know if the parts will do, and the oscilliscope outputs are awsome. Also it's free for the download, so you won't be taking anyones income away.
 
lately i spend one week learning Orcad.. to build complex circuits and simulate them.. well.. i wan't staisfied at all; the results in the real world weren't relly like the results i got in my simulation..
 
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