Electronics simulation software

[boylesg]

Is there better simulation software than Multisim?

What do professional electronic engineers use?

 

[Junus2012]

Hi
of course there is but it depend on how much you pay .

in industry the Multisim is even not dependent. if you want better simulator with suitable price then use Cadence Orcad which is Pspice simulator

if you have much of money then use these simulators

1). Cadence Vertuso (Pspice
2). Synopsys (Hspice)
3). MentorGraphic (Eldo spice)
4). Tanner (T spice)

But you cannot imagine how much these are costing so work with Orcad and save your family money

 

[keith1200rs]

To get a useful answer you have to define "better". All simulation software is limited by the models. What is it you want to do that you cannot do with Multisim?

Keith

 

[boylesg]

To get a useful answer you have to define "better". All simulation software is limited by the models. What is it you want to do that you cannot do with Multisim?

Keith

1) Software that is compatible with the spice models that are provided for components by the manufacturers. To date, no SPICE model I have downloaded has been compatible with multisim - the simulation simply errors out or the component just doesn't work like it is supposed to.

2) Software where problems like the one with the opamp non-inverting amplifier continually crop up. I.E. You have to do something or connect something to get the simulation to run without strange effects like signal clipping where other posters have indicated is not absolutely necessary in real life electronics. Basically something that is closer to real life electronics.

All in all I have found multisim rather disappointing.

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To get a useful answer you have to define "better". All simulation software is limited by the models. What is it you want to do that you cannot do with Multisim?

Keith

The other thing that annoys me about multism is that, as far as I can see when a simulation error occurs, there is no way to see which component failed e.g. if voltage or current limits were exceeded etc. So it makes it pretty hard to fix errors when multisim can't resolve the error itself.

 

[Junus2012]

Hi
the problem with the real technology models that you must pay for the company to get and it is not cheap, it is thousands of dollars . but I think some of the companies offer the models for free for the university application. I am not sure but MOSIS foundry may do that... what about you do you have any further information about how to get free models ??????

 

[boylesg]

Hi
the problem with the real technology models that you must pay for the company to get and it is not cheap, it is thousands of dollars . but I think some of the companies offer the models for free for the university application. I am not sure but MOSIS foundry may do that... what about you do you have any further information about how to get free models ??????

I have found SPICE models on the websites for some manufacturers as well as other forums etc occasionally. But to date not one single one of them has worked in Multisim.
In many ways multisim is a dudd!

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Another thing that $hits me about multisim is a certain amount of design inconsistency......and this is my C++ windows programming experience coming out.

E.G. With the oscilloscopes in multisim there is an implicit connection to GND so all you need to do is connect your channels to the circuit. But with the function generator you have to explicitly connect it to ground otherwise it flat lines at 0V. Good software design dictates that you are consistent one way or the other with your user interface.

 

[Junus2012]

What about for cadence Orcad , is there any spice free models ? and these models you got are they practical exist technology models ??

I have found SPICE models on the websites for some manufacturers as well as other forums etc occasionally. But to date not one single one of them has worked in Multisim.
In many ways multisim is a dudd!

 

[keith1200rs]

I don't have major problems with models from other companies but then I am also used to having to modify foundry models to suit my simulator so I never see minor tweaks to the models as problem.

I don't know of the specific non-inverting amplifier problem you refer to.

I think you will always get problems with certain scenarios where circuits give mathematically unsolvable equations. A capacitive T network is an example. Most simulators will fail due to there being no DC path to ground for the central node. Some may add high value resistances to every node automatically to solve that problem although I prefer to be adding those things myself.

Keith.

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Just to add, if this thread https://www.edaboard.com/threads/272283/#post1167050 is the "non-inverting amplifier problem" that you are referring to, don't blame the simulator - it is a bad circuit design that won't work. I think that has been pointed out in the thread.

Don't blame Multisim - that circuit won't work in real life either. The problem is you have no DC connection to the non-inverting input of the opamp.

You can fix it as Udhay showed in post 2 or, more simply, by just connecting a 10K resistor from the non-inverting input of the opamp to ground.

Keith