Best Free Electronic Circuit Simulation Software

In today's age of technology, circuit simulations are an essential tool for any engineer. From testing and prototyping to analyzing and learning new concepts, simulation tools can make all the difference in the world. For those who don't have the budget to invest in expensive software, there are some great free alternatives out there. Below we’ll discuss five of the best free electronic circuit simulation software programs available.

LTspice

LTspice is a free spice-based analog electronic circuit simulator from Linear Technology, which was acquired by Analog Devices in 2016. The software provides powerful and accurate simulation capabilities which are readily accessible to the user since the GUI is intuitive and well designed. It also has a library of components available to the designer and supports both Verilog-A and VHDL-A. Some of the features of LTspice include parametric simulations, source stepping, mixed mode AC analysis, model parameter sweeps, frequency domain analysis, and a wide range of subcircuit models.

Circuit Simulator

Circuit Simulator is a free software package designed to simulate analog and digital circuits. It boasts its own set of components, including resistors, voltage sources, current sources, integrated circuits, linear elements, digital circuits, etc. This comprehensive package offers simple drag-and-drop design along with the ability to define interconnections between components. In addition, the program includes a virtual oscilloscope that can be used to observe the behavior of your design, as well as a powerful Spice-like language for more advanced users.

KiCad EDA

KiCad is an open source, cross-platform Electronic Design Automation (EDA) suite ideal for both hobbyists and professional engineers. As one of the most popular EDA tools around today, KiCad boasts an extensive library of components, an intuitive GUI, schematic capture, PCB editor, Gerber output, and a wide range of other features. Aside from circuit simulation, KiCad also offers the ability to automatically generate Bill of Materials (BOMs) and netlists. There is also a large community of developers behind the software, ensuring timely updates and bugfixes.

Proteus PCB Design

Proteus is a widely used PCB design package. Along with design capabilities it also comes with circuit simulation capability, making it a great all-in-one solution for circuit designers and engineers. The package includes both analog and digital components, and users can also create their own models if necessary. The simulation feature can handle complex circuits, and results can be viewed in a graphical format. Additionally, the program allows users to create circuit layouts and check their designs for errors before committing to manufacturing.

Qucs

Qucs is a free and open source circuit simulator. It was developed to facilitate the design of RF and microwave circuits. The program includes a large number of components, as well as a graphical layout editor and a powerful simulator engine. Qucs is particularly suited for designing filters and amplifiers, and is able to analyze frequency response and Smith charts. Furthermore, the program can be used to analyze noise and distortion, and has the added benefit of being completely free.

Circuitlogix Student Version