Best design, simulation tools, digital and analog

Thread Starter

ApacheKid

Joined Jan 12, 2015
1,533
Must admit I know close to Jack **** about these modern tools so would appreciate some advice, I'm not a professional (but not a novice either) so don't need cutting edge stuff but what are the options? both free and perhaps small subscription based tools?

I use Windows and I have a very capable PC so running these tools will be easy.

By the way, back in the late 1980s I worked as like an intern for Sinclair Radionics in Cambridge and spent some time on a (then) high end simulation machine made by a firm named "Valid Logic Systems" wonder if anyone else here heard of this? I was able to design a digital PWM circuit (and the simulation uncovered a glitch which I'd never have suspected).
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,846
I use Digital Works for logic simulation. It's free and you can create your own components. The downsides are that it's unsupported (though fairly bug free) and leaves a little to be desired (not being able to zoom in/out and moving wires is a bit lacking). It doesn't assign component designators.
clipimage.jpg
I use LTspice for the infrequent analog simulations I run.

LTspice schematics don't look very good, so I use an old freeware version of Eagle for schematics and boards.
 

SamR

Joined Mar 19, 2019
5,031
For more standard appearing schematics I use a down and dirty EasyEDA freebie. Bit of a learning curve but also used for PCB design both through hole and SMD.
 
Top