Microcap circuit simulation software now free - owner retiring.

[JonMarsh]

I don't know how many of you like to mess around with circuit simulation or wish you could afford to have access to a professional level commercial tool besides LT-SPICE, but I just recently found out that MicroCap is now freeware.

http://www.spectrum-soft.com/download/download.shtm


While it is compatible with SPICE and SPICE, and some HSPICE model formats, it has many other interesting features, such as a built in digital simulator, tight integration of schematic editor and simulator, an active and passive filter designer, and most interesting to me it can use nested stepped simulation loops for worst case analysis. Like a couple of other high end tools such as Silvaco SmartSPICE, it includes a component value parameter optimizer which can be used to adjust circuit values to hit a target transfer function, such as the way VituixCAD can do. It supports complete analog behavioral modeling including S-Plane linear transfer function of a circuit block. Now, I have some very good simulators at my beck and call, (SIMPLIS/SIMetrix, PLECS, TINA Industrial) but they cost me a yearly subscription fee that is not cheap. So, don't pass this opportunity by- they have a full install file collection as well as all the individual files (manuals, brochures, etc.) listed for download for all versions up to MicroCAP 12.

[ergo]

Jon - thank you for this! This is a super good find as this is my favorite SPICE simulator that I've used but I could never afford buying for hobby use price wise.

[JonMarsh]

Jon - thank you for this! This is a super good find as this is my favorite SPICE simulator that I've used but I could never afford buying for hobby use price wise.

:T

Great! Just one response like this makes taking the time to post worthwhile! And I’ll be checking it out carefully, to see if I can port some more complex IC models to it that I have working in TINA Industrial, but which are not encrypted. (Internally developed)

[5th element]

Time to download!

[technodanvan]

I don't know what this is or how to use it, but it sure downloaded fast. The site host is pretty fantastic.

[JonMarsh]

Professional grade circuit simulation tool. Perfect for simulating power supplies, audio amplifiers, anything using analog or some not to complicated digital electronics.

[ergo]

My favorite features are ability to easily show DC operating mode voltages and currents



and ability to step one (or more) components very easily



So even if one is only planning to assemble a circuit someone else has designed this can be of great help as it shows the voltages/currents one should expect etc. Learning curve is also moderate compared to many others. LTSpice for example is harder to learn imho.

[Evil Twin]

That is an interesting opinion that you find LTSPICE harder to learn, but then I use it on certified Dark Side computers which run a specialized version of what you would call MacOS... the user interface is completely different between this version and the standard PC version.

Micro cap has a very rich feature set and a very useful integration of data reporting and graphing with the schematic- in this regard it is somewhat more like SIMetrix or SIMPLIS.

The next thing I may need to explore is the level of PSPICE compatibility and whether I can port over complex IC models originally developed for TINA by Designsoft. Should that be possible, this will be very useful indeed!

[Alaric]

I just saw this thread. While actually using the software for anything tangible isn't likely to be within my abilities, some level of learning may well be. :T

[JonMarsh]

You might find the interface a bit overwhelming at first.... just be patient. I took a look, and I’ve worked with quite a few simulators- it reminds me of LTSpice on the PC, not really one of my favorites for ease of use. But there are a lot of capabilities in there. One of the best things to do may be to explore some of the example circuits.