When a IT student comes up with an idea/thought, all that he has to do is download a compiler, install and code his program and run. Eureka!!! He has his idea in action. But, when it comes to an electronics engineer, whenever you have thoughts like “what if I add a new resistor here in this amplifier?”, “What if I increase/decrease the value of this component?”, or “what if……?”. Is the only way to learn electronics is to buy boards, components, do extensive soldering and finally measure a voltage on which u had a thought?. Well, things aren’t that worse. You have an answer – Simulators!!!
Simulators are software that imitate real life things, which are here electronic circuits. All you have to do is, install the simulator, draw the circuit you have in mind and run it. Eureka!!! The simulator will tell you pretty much exactly how your circuit will behave in real life. And lucky you are born in this part of the century. Simulators are very user friendly and pretty much easier to learn (compared to the laborious task of physically constructing every circuit Simulators are definitely easier).
I’l brief about 3 simulators that I’ve used.
1)Multisim
2)Orcad
3)Proteus
Multisim: A very good one to get started with. “Very “ Easy. If you’ve used MS Paint before, then you’ll feel ‘at home’ with Multisim. As easy as that. You can find more details of the software at www.ni.com. It has an extensive set of components, virtual instruments, simulation options. Has some digital logic tools too. The interface is very realistic. You can FEEL the electronics with its realistic CRO, Multimeter, 3d components etc. I personally suggest this software for the beginners.
The following figure shows Multisim showing a sample circuit with its simulated output in an real-like-oscilloscope.
Orcad: Now this is a very professional software. It’s a STANDARD. If you are looking for a simulator with very advanced options, allowing in depth configuration facilities and industry standard tools, etc etc etc, then ORCAD should be your choice. The learning curve is a little steep, but its worth it, if you are using it for bigger projects and not just learning basics. Visit www.orcad.com for more details.
The following figure shows a sample of the Orcad interface.
Both the above softwares allow you to do more than just simulation. You can simulate, obtain the output in a presentable form, do post simulation analysis, DESIGN THE PCB, do the pcb routing, get the bill of materials etc.
Proteus: Alright, this is a cool software. Like ‘wicked’ cool. Its not for plain electronics. If you are interested in a microcontroller system, then you can choose Proteus blindly. Offers a huge set of microcontrollers and interface devices like LCDs. Microcontrollers include a wide range, from basic 68000, 808x, 8051 series to recent versions of AVR, ARM and PIC Micrcontrollers. You can build the circuit, write code for the microcontrollers, assemble the code, and see the code in action. Offers good debugging options too. If you love microcontrollers, you’ll love this one too. Visit www.labcenter.co.uk for more details.
Ya. What you see below is real. It’s a chess game programmed into a pic microcontroller programmed and simulated in Proteus. Nice LCD interface isn’t it?
Regarding the computing resource required, Proteus is very light. Multisim is light. Orcad 16+ can be heavy if you intend to do complex simulations. Orcad 10 was light.
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