Open Source Electronic Circuit Simulation
Open source electronic circuit simulation software has a ton of benefits. While many commercial versions exist, they can come with all sorts of hidden costs that make open source products preferable. With a few basic circuit design knowledge and simple open source circuit simulators, you can create functional and reasonably accurate designs without spending thousands of dollars on premium computer-aided design (CAD) systems.
List of Open source electronic circuit simulation software
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Electronics Workbench
- Electronics Workbench is an integrated environment for circuit simulation and PCB design.
- it is a Windows-based application
- it is used for electrical engineering, electronics, and computer science
- it is used for circuit design, simulation, and PCB design
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NI Multisim
- NI Multisim is a circuit simulation tool
- NI Multisim is part of the NI LabVIEW
- NI Multisim is used for electronic circuit simulation
- NI Multisim is used for electronic circuit design
- NI Multisim is used for electronic circuit analysis
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LTSpice
- LTSpice is a circuit simulator for electronic circuits
- it is a free and open source software
- it is used by engineers and students
- it is used to design and analyze electronic circuits
- it has a graphical user interface
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Electronics Assistant
- an electronics assistant is a free tool
- electronics assistant is a circuit simulator
- electronics assistant is a circuit board editor
- electronics assistant is a schematic capture tool
- electronics assistant is a netlist editor
- electronics assistant is a device editor
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Qucs (Quite Universal Circuit Simulator)
- Qucs is a free open source circuit simulator that you can use to design and analyze analog and digital circuits.
- Qucs is a very powerful tool for designing and analyzing analog and digital circuits.
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Logism Circuit Simulator
- Logism Circuit Simulator is a free and open source SPICE circuit simulator
- It is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux
- It is written in Java and released under the GNU General Public License
- It is based on the Berkeley SPICE engine
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Falstad Circuit Simulator
- Falstad Circuit Simulator is a free, open source circuit simulator
- Falstad Circuit Simulator is a good option for hobbyists
- Falstad Circuit Simulator is a good option for students
- Falstad Circuit Simulator is a good option for beginners
Conclusion
Simulating an electronic circuit board is a task that can be achieved by anyone. There are many software options out there, not just the ones mentioned above. I encourage anyone who reads this to experiment with as many programs as they can to find the right one for their needs. The best way to improve your skills in electronics design is to try and create something yourself using both simulators and real-life circuits. Good luck!
Open Source Electronic Circuit Simulation History
Simulation of electronic circuits has a long history. The idea of simulating an electronic circuit is to find a mathematical model for the circuit, which can be used to predict the behavior of the circuit. A simulator is a program that implements the mathematical model and performs calculations according to the input data, predicts the output of the circuit, and displays it in graphical form.
The first simulator was built by John Pople in 1967 at IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center. It was based on solving a set of linear equations by sweeping through values of resistance R, capacitance C, and inductance L one at a time using numerical integration methods. The next step was taken in 1968 by George Slepian who created an analog computer with transistors, resistors, capacitors, and inductors that could solve differential equations up to degree 4 (2nd order).
In 1969, Robert Bergin created an analog computer with transistors, resistors, and capacitors that could solve differential equations up to degree 8 (3rd order). This system was capable of solving problems with more than 10 inputs and outputs. I remember playing with this machine when I was 11 years old at Stanford University’s Linear Accelerator Center where my father worked as a staff physicist.