Hello, can someone let me know the pros and cons of each software package? I have a personal licence of OrCAD capture/PCB editor that I use for general schematic capturing and PCB design. Should I invest the time in learning Pspice in this environment or is LTspice a better option?

Thanks.

 

Several around here (including myself) use LTspice because it's a good simulator and free.
But I believe Pspice has a larger standard parts library, so that might be the deciding factor.

 

There is a free version of PSpice available too, now that TI are giving it away.

 

There is a free version of PSpice available too, now that TI are giving it away.

Yes, but I believe it's somewhat limited compared to the full version.

 

LTSpice is owned by Analog Devices, and thus its model library is heavily weighted towards the company products.
And let me add, it is absolutely correct for them to do so.

However there is also a vibrant online community which offers models for thousands of other components.

 

My penny

LTspice is great , very fast , a fantastic community

I keep going back to it,

BUT

its not going to integrate into your tools anywhere near as good as the tool thats designed for your cad.

Also , LTspice, IMHO , has the most arcane none intuitive GUI ever..

Its well worth learning LTSpice,

Its unfortunate the LTspice is its own worst enemy in this point, They are so successful ,and so many millions of users, that they dare not change the interface that was born decades ago in the age of DOS.

I know just why they don't change, but its just a heads up.

 

It easy to add a 3rd company components into the LTSpice in case the model is compactable with LTSpice. Some companies do not provide compactable models. For example, TI has encrypted Spice models, or additional parameters in the model which the LTSpice do not accept and it is not clear what to do with these parameters.
It is easy to add passive components to the TI PSpice (inductors, transformers, caps, etc.), but is not easy to add transistors, diodes, ICs, etc. TI created a special video with explanation but it is not clear for me how to use it.

 

I've used both LTSpice and PSpice. I an fortunate to have the full Cadence OrCAD Allegro PCB suite with PSpice. It's pricy and costly to maintain. It's too much for some people. However, there's nothing like a fully integrated capture, simulation, and layout tool, especially when it comes to back annotating for board simulations. When it comes to high speed signal integrity, you can't beat a fully integrated tool set. But, I will say that for some work where layout may not be as critical, LTSpice is a really nice tool, and now that Analog Devices owns it, more Analog Devices parts will be in it, which is nice if you like to use Analog Devices parts. Also, Spice is Spice, and models usually can be transferred from one tool to another. It just takes a little bit of work to get the models and symbols (capture and layout if applicable) to dovetail together nicely. I've done it successfully when I've needed it done.

 

I know just why they don't change,

Also, since LTspice is free, there is no particular competitive/monetary advantage to improving it.

 

Also, since LTspice is free, there is no particular competitive/monetary advantage to improving it.

All programmers improve their products by following their (or bosses) opinion without thinking about customers. The LTspice is updating by ADI every day.

 

Also, since LTspice is free, there is no particular competitive/monetary advantage to improving it.

Over the decades I have meet some of the LTSpice team, including the originator,
They are amazingly dedicated to giving the best product they can,
IMHO its very fast and accurate where over spices can give some really silly results with the same models.
Something about "artificial annealing" and solving matrix equations with big / small number multiplying.

Its just that dammed GUI... slows me down each time I use it.

 

Compare programs:

 

Microcap12.2 is available for free and it also has a huge model library.(http://www.spectrum-soft.com)

 

Microcap12.2 is available for free and it also has a huge model library.(http://www.spectrum-soft.com)

Spectrum / micro cap were back in the 1980's leaders,
But I think a year or two back they went bust ,
Like LtSpice, I don't think the s/w has any links to OrCAD either,

 

micro cap is in the speed comparison above on second place, so of simulation time is of concern, it is still a good choice.
Otherwise you maybe right, it doesn't offer any import/export filters. But OrCAD should be able to supply the netlist for simulation and you can import that. But I didn't try that because I don't have OrCAD around.
So depending on your focus all simulators maybe a good choice. As mentioned above LTspice and Micro cap are best in this simulation bench mark.