Shannon McGarry
Discover how an electronic circuit simulator lets engineers test designs virtually—learn the pros, the main simulation types, and why electrical circuit simulators cut cost and risk.
What Is Electronics Simulation? A Guide to Circuit Simulators
Have you ever started building a circuit board from the ground up, only to find that the circuit board doesn’t perform as predicted in the end? These things happen, but with the advanced technology available today, they shouldn’t have to. Problems like these are becoming relics of the past thanks in large part to electronic circuit simulator software that flags issues before a board is ever built.
Electronics simulation is a powerful tool that helps engineers model and test electronics before production, serving as a virtual circuit simulator for rapid iteration.
There are three basic types of circuit simulation: digital, analog, and mixed-mode. Choosing the right electronics simulator depends on signal complexity, accuracy needs, and run-time budgets.
Why is Electronics Simulation Software Important?
Modern software platforms are continuously making the design process easier. When it comes to printed circuit boards (PCBs), there is little room for error. This is due to the expensive nature of the materials involved. Photomasks are expensive, and breadboards don’t really grow on trees. Engineers can’t waste time, money, and resources manufacturing physical trial and error prototypes.
Instead, electronics simulations integrate tools like a schematic editor and on-screen waveform displays to help engineers design PCBs virtually. Virtual designs can be altered and tested without wasting resources. Engineers can simulate the circuit to test the output and adjust as necessary based on the results. Some simulation software packages even house device libraries that include transistor models (BSIM), resistors, capacitors, transformers, etc. This all decreases design times and increases productivity.
Circuit Simulation Types
There are three basic types of circuit simulation: digital, analog, and mixed-mode.
Digital
Digital circuit simulation uses simple models of electronic circuits to test circuit designs. However, instead of populating continuously varied signals like analog circuit simulation, it only uses a few small voltage levels (logic 0 and logic 1). This method lets the industrial designer simulate larger circuits in less time with fewer resources.
Analog
Analog circuit simulation uses accurate models of electronic circuits to test design functionality. It can employ different modes: AC, DC, and transient. All analog simulators use mathematical algorithms to test the performance of the electronic circuit.
There are two types of analog circuit simulators: SPICE and FastSPICE. SPICE simulators are used to measure the functionality of the circuit by comparing it to extremely accurate, non-linear, and linear models. FastSPICE simulators, on the other hand, use less complex model representations to test the functionality of a circuit design.
Mixed-mode
Mixed-mode circuit simulation naturally combines both analog and digital simulation elements. The analog simulator is used for analog analysis while the digital simulator is used for digital analysis.
The Benefits of Electronics Simulation
It’s incredibly expensive and wasteful to fabricate electronic circuits over and over to test and redesign; which is why electronics simulation is a necessity. The biggest takeaway from using electronics simulation software is that it saves time, money, and resources. On top of that, simulation software also provides a variety of simulations to test electronic designs — and much more!
If you’re curious about what electronics simulation tool is right for you, check out Autodesk Fusion.