I understand what circuit simulators do in general. There are several open source circuit simulators like ngspice, Xyce. There is also an open source project Qucs-S that allows to enter a schematic in GUI and simulate it with open source simulators.

But then there are also commercial offerings. For example Analog FastSPICE Platform from Siemens that claims features like nanometer SPICE accuracy, noise and variability analysis, etc.

Is there a good review of electronic simulation software that would allow to understand what features such software has in addition to basic simulation?

 

If you feel like you need a simulator, LTspice is free and popular with a number of members.

 

I used ngspice, but I think LTSpice is 'considerably' better, a large amount of public materials for it.
possibly a most popular one. I'm not sure if LTspice works in Linux. I'm using ngspice only because I'm working in Linux.

 

I used ngspice, but I think LTSpice is 'considerably' better, a large amount of public materials for it.
possibly a most popular one. I'm not sure if LTspice works in Linux. I'm using ngspice only because I'm working in Linux.

How can you compare ngspice which is a command line simulator and LTspice which is a simulator + GUI? If LTspice seems sleeker this is simply because its GUI is good. Or does ngspice really simulates worse in some way?

 

The web is absolutely crawling with them. Try this one:

https://www.wellpcb.com/best-free-circuit-simulator.html

 

How can you compare ngspice which is a command line simulator and LTspice which is a simulator + GUI? If LTspice seems sleeker this is simply because its GUI is good. Or does ngspice really simulates worse in some way?

nothing of that sort, actually I've not used LTspice, but I understand that it is one with significant features built in the software.
pretty close to the commercial ones such as Pspice.

I used ngspice simply because it works well in linux, I've been able to install it directly from my distribution source.
In terms of models, it is unlikely to have those "propietary" models e.g. specific ICs that is possibly there and works in LTspice.
For 'generic' components, resistors, capacitors, inductors, bjt transistors, diodes, etc I've tried various models and they apparently works ok in ngspice.

 

nothing of that sort, actually I've not used LTspice, but I understand that it is one with significant features built in the software.
pretty close to the commercial ones such as Pspice.

I used ngspice simply because it works well in linux, I've been able to install it directly from my distribution source.
In terms of models, it is unlikely to have those "propietary" models e.g. specific ICs that is possibly there and works in LTspice.
For 'generic' components, resistors, capacitors, inductors, bjt transistors, diodes, etc I've tried various models and they apparently works ok in ngspice.

If you check out the LTspice Users Group you would be aware that many members use it on Linux and on MACs.

 

I understand LTspice runs ok under Wine on Linux.

 

there are many online "ranking" ? "Top N" lists which - from where i see - it is not compiled based on personal user experience --or-- knowledgeable user experience . . . making it all mostly a waste of anyone else's time

 

If you check out the LTspice Users Group you would be aware that many members use it on Linux and on MACs.

Thanks Papabravo I'd check it out to see if I'm able to run it on Linux. For a good while I stuck with ngspice as I'm mainly simulating the power stage of a buck converter. i.e. an inductor, capacitor, diode and resistor (the load).
This hardly need anything "specialized", but as I see many of the examples here, LTSpice apparently has much more features. e.g. It could possibly run / have models (e.g. of ICs) that won't be there in NgSpice. It would take substantial efforts to add those, as those may be proprietary circuits.

 

I understand LTspice runs ok under Wine on Linux.

Thanks. I think that is what I figured the last time that it needs "Wine", I'd prefer one that runs native in linux.
Hence, I made do with ngspice for a long time.

 

Hello,

I'm not sure if LTspice works in Linux.

I have LTSpice running on linux using Wine.

Bertus

 

I'd prefer one that runs native in linux

Then I guess you are somewhat limited as to the simulation programs you can run.

 

...I'd prefer one that runs native in linux.
...

That, my friends, is the Linux Lament. Still just as whiny as it was 31 years ago. It seems there is a cost to being a one-trick-pony.

 

Still just as whiny as it was 31 years ago.

Is that why the emulator is called Wine?

 

Is that why the emulator is called Wine?

That's a TRUE knee-slapper I've never heard before.
Actually, beer was taken: "free as in Beer"

 

for now it is ok, as 'Windows' lives in a different partition lol
ngspice isn't too bad for 'basic' stuff, but that it won't have any of the "elaborate" chips models that are all over there in the market.

Incidentally, there are so many "servers" that runs in "virtual machines" in data centres and many of them runs Linux serving billions of web pages around the internet. Linux so happen to be there, as most believe it tends to be as "lightweight" as can be. Lots of things like python these days runs native in Linux as well. So Microsoft did that WSL
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install
That works pretty well as well.

I think Linux vs Windows is more a matter of preference (prejudice) these days. There are merits and negatives for either.
I find working with microcontrollers in Linux "easier" as interfaces like (serial) devices are more straight forward.
Windows sometimes is kind of a black box with all that drivers stuff.

 

Hello,

What is Wine?
Wine (originally an acronym for "Wine Is Not an Emulator") is a compatibility layer capable of running Windows applications on several POSIX-compliant operating systems, such as Linux, macOS, & BSD. Instead of simulating internal Windows logic like a virtual machine or emulator, Wine translates Windows API calls into POSIX calls on-the-fly, eliminating the performance and memory penalties of other methods and allowing you to cleanly integrate Windows applications into your desktop.

https://www.winehq.org/

Bertus