[NOTE: I thought I could answer this question for myself by searching the forum for "CircuitMaker" - but the search mechanism gave me zero hits, so either I did it wrong or it's balking for some reason. So I'm posting this question instead.]
I saw CircuitMaker recommended by many folks as an alternative to LTSpice or other programs. A link was given to an old, XP version, but I'm running Windows 7 (via Parallels on a Mac) and the program installer is 16-bit and refuses to work.
So I Googled and they are still around - web site at https://workspace.circuitmaker.com which has a "community" aspect of course - and still offering a free version - there may be paid options as well, I don't know. I've installed and the exe is DXP.EXE, version 11 something-or-other, for Windows 7.
So far it seems very slow - which is not my usual experience with Windows 7 via Parallels - and not brilliantly designed. From the look of it they are running it on a browser platform of some sort and those can often be rather clunky.
Is anyone using this? Thumbs up or down?
My alternatives are:
- iCircuit, Mac only - very pretty & works well for simple analog circuits, but the component library is way too small for anything more than that
- LTSpice on Mac - terrible interface!
- Fritzing, which is a neat newish layout program, also browser-based but better built it seems. You can lay out a schematic, then "breadboard" it, then do a PCB, both manual and autorouting available. However I can't see that it runs simulations. It seems strictly layout.
iCircuit works very well but is too limited. What I just realized I ought to do is download LTSpice for Windows, which looks to have a much better interface than the Mac version (e.g. a toolbar, amazing!).
I saw CircuitMaker recommended by many folks as an alternative to LTSpice or other programs. A link was given to an old, XP version, but I'm running Windows 7 (via Parallels on a Mac) and the program installer is 16-bit and refuses to work.
So I Googled and they are still around - web site at https://workspace.circuitmaker.com which has a "community" aspect of course - and still offering a free version - there may be paid options as well, I don't know. I've installed and the exe is DXP.EXE, version 11 something-or-other, for Windows 7.
So far it seems very slow - which is not my usual experience with Windows 7 via Parallels - and not brilliantly designed. From the look of it they are running it on a browser platform of some sort and those can often be rather clunky.
Is anyone using this? Thumbs up or down?
My alternatives are:
- iCircuit, Mac only - very pretty & works well for simple analog circuits, but the component library is way too small for anything more than that
- LTSpice on Mac - terrible interface!
- Fritzing, which is a neat newish layout program, also browser-based but better built it seems. You can lay out a schematic, then "breadboard" it, then do a PCB, both manual and autorouting available. However I can't see that it runs simulations. It seems strictly layout.
iCircuit works very well but is too limited. What I just realized I ought to do is download LTSpice for Windows, which looks to have a much better interface than the Mac version (e.g. a toolbar, amazing!).