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Digital circuit simulator [updated]

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  • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

    Does anybody know of a good, but cheap (preferably free) digital circuit simulator? I just read Code by Charles Petzold, and gained a hell of lot better insight into the nitty gritty details on how a CPU works. I've dabbled with basic digital electronics in a university class, but I haven't really dug into it. I figured it's time I do something about it. Bear in mind that I'm a happy novice in this area, so the application needs to be fairly simple. What I want basically, is to be able to throw in a couple of gates, power sources, connectors, lights/diodes and switches. Then I want to press a button labeled "Simulate", to see blinking lights, and what have you. It would be nice if the simulator has ICs such as adders, latches and flip-flops, but not necessary. Simple gates is enough to keep me happy for a while. :) [update]I found this, simple, but fun program: http://www.spsu.edu/cs/faculty/bbrown/circuits/howto.html[^] It's completly free, and fun to play with (for me at least)[/update] -- modified at 19:19 Thursday 6th April, 2006

    C Offline
    C Offline
    Chris Meech
    wrote on last edited by
    #5

    Jörgen Sigvardsson wrote:

    to see blinking lights, and what have you.

    Acid flashbacks have been known to cause this too. :) Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] When I want privacy, I'll close the bathroom door. [Stan Shannon] GOOD DAY FOR: Moonlighting, as porn star Savanna Samson has launched her own wine label. Her Sogno Uno, an Italian red, received an "outstanding" 90 to 91 score from influential wine critic Robert Parker. "I wanted to do something my parents could be proud of," she said. (Reuters in CNNMoney.com)

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    • C Chris Meech

      Jörgen Sigvardsson wrote:

      to see blinking lights, and what have you.

      Acid flashbacks have been known to cause this too. :) Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] When I want privacy, I'll close the bathroom door. [Stan Shannon] GOOD DAY FOR: Moonlighting, as porn star Savanna Samson has launched her own wine label. Her Sogno Uno, an Italian red, received an "outstanding" 90 to 91 score from influential wine critic Robert Parker. "I wanted to do something my parents could be proud of," she said. (Reuters in CNNMoney.com)

      J Offline
      J Offline
      Jorgen Sigvardsson
      wrote on last edited by
      #6

      Hence the need for a simulator.. ;)

      C 1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • J Jon Sagara

        It's not quite what you're looking for, but we used PSpice[^] back in the day. Look around, and you may be able to find a free academic version somewhere. Jon Sagara Look at him. He runs like a Welshman. Doesn't he run like a Welshman? Doesn't he? I think he runs like a Welshman. My Site | My Blog | My Articles

        J Offline
        J Offline
        Jorgen Sigvardsson
        wrote on last edited by
        #7

        I can't seem to find a free version, nor do I believe it's cheap. (If I have to ask, I probably can't afford it)

        J 1 Reply Last reply
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        • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

          Does anybody know of a good, but cheap (preferably free) digital circuit simulator? I just read Code by Charles Petzold, and gained a hell of lot better insight into the nitty gritty details on how a CPU works. I've dabbled with basic digital electronics in a university class, but I haven't really dug into it. I figured it's time I do something about it. Bear in mind that I'm a happy novice in this area, so the application needs to be fairly simple. What I want basically, is to be able to throw in a couple of gates, power sources, connectors, lights/diodes and switches. Then I want to press a button labeled "Simulate", to see blinking lights, and what have you. It would be nice if the simulator has ICs such as adders, latches and flip-flops, but not necessary. Simple gates is enough to keep me happy for a while. :) [update]I found this, simple, but fun program: http://www.spsu.edu/cs/faculty/bbrown/circuits/howto.html[^] It's completly free, and fun to play with (for me at least)[/update] -- modified at 19:19 Thursday 6th April, 2006

          M Offline
          M Offline
          Marc Clifton
          wrote on last edited by
          #8

          Do you have something equivalent to Radio Shack? They have a great analog/digital learning kit. Go for the real stuff and get your hands dirty with IC's, wires, etc. http://www.radioshack.com/sm-electronics-learning-lab--pi-2102913.html[^] If not, I suppose I could send you one. :~ Marc Pensieve Functional Entanglement vs. Code Entanglement Static Classes Make For Rigid Architectures Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson

          J 1 Reply Last reply
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          • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

            Does anybody know of a good, but cheap (preferably free) digital circuit simulator? I just read Code by Charles Petzold, and gained a hell of lot better insight into the nitty gritty details on how a CPU works. I've dabbled with basic digital electronics in a university class, but I haven't really dug into it. I figured it's time I do something about it. Bear in mind that I'm a happy novice in this area, so the application needs to be fairly simple. What I want basically, is to be able to throw in a couple of gates, power sources, connectors, lights/diodes and switches. Then I want to press a button labeled "Simulate", to see blinking lights, and what have you. It would be nice if the simulator has ICs such as adders, latches and flip-flops, but not necessary. Simple gates is enough to keep me happy for a while. :) [update]I found this, simple, but fun program: http://www.spsu.edu/cs/faculty/bbrown/circuits/howto.html[^] It's completly free, and fun to play with (for me at least)[/update] -- modified at 19:19 Thursday 6th April, 2006

            B Offline
            B Offline
            Bob X
            wrote on last edited by
            #9

            Might find something here.[^] :)

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

              I can't seem to find a free version, nor do I believe it's cheap. (If I have to ask, I probably can't afford it)

              J Offline
              J Offline
              Jon Sagara
              wrote on last edited by
              #10

              It has been 5+ years since I've used PSpice. I just remember buying a textbook that included a copy for academic use. They also used to have an academic version available for download, but, again, that was a long time ago. Sorry I can't be of more help. Jon Sagara Look at him. He runs like a Welshman. Doesn't he run like a Welshman? Doesn't he? I think he runs like a Welshman. My Site | My Blog | My Articles

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

                Does anybody know of a good, but cheap (preferably free) digital circuit simulator? I just read Code by Charles Petzold, and gained a hell of lot better insight into the nitty gritty details on how a CPU works. I've dabbled with basic digital electronics in a university class, but I haven't really dug into it. I figured it's time I do something about it. Bear in mind that I'm a happy novice in this area, so the application needs to be fairly simple. What I want basically, is to be able to throw in a couple of gates, power sources, connectors, lights/diodes and switches. Then I want to press a button labeled "Simulate", to see blinking lights, and what have you. It would be nice if the simulator has ICs such as adders, latches and flip-flops, but not necessary. Simple gates is enough to keep me happy for a while. :) [update]I found this, simple, but fun program: http://www.spsu.edu/cs/faculty/bbrown/circuits/howto.html[^] It's completly free, and fun to play with (for me at least)[/update] -- modified at 19:19 Thursday 6th April, 2006

                7 Offline
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                73Zeppelin
                wrote on last edited by
                #11

                I would say SPICE. There are some downloads here[^]. It does require that you have some previous knowledge of electronic circuits and how they operate, etc.. I used to have a copy of PSPICE, but it is currently in storage in another country. :doh:

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                • 7 73Zeppelin

                  I would say SPICE. There are some downloads here[^]. It does require that you have some previous knowledge of electronic circuits and how they operate, etc.. I used to have a copy of PSPICE, but it is currently in storage in another country. :doh:

                  M Offline
                  M Offline
                  Marc Clifton
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #12

                  thealj wrote:

                  but it is currently in storage in another country.

                  Hmmm. Is that like "the dog ate my homework"? Very original. ;P Marc Pensieve Functional Entanglement vs. Code Entanglement Static Classes Make For Rigid Architectures Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • J Jon Sagara

                    It's not quite what you're looking for, but we used PSpice[^] back in the day. Look around, and you may be able to find a free academic version somewhere. Jon Sagara Look at him. He runs like a Welshman. Doesn't he run like a Welshman? Doesn't he? I think he runs like a Welshman. My Site | My Blog | My Articles

                    C Offline
                    C Offline
                    code frog 0
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #13

                    Man, Pspice... Those were the days. H-Spice is where it's at though... if you have $1,000,000. He's looking for the digital design boards we used in school to build the low level gates that form switching theory, and, or, nor, nand. He'll also need some of the more advanced packages that you can wire up that perform basic functions for you. In our class we built a fully functioning calculator. It was pretty cool. - Rex


                    The enemy's gate is down. :cool: Welcome to CP in your language. Post the unicode version in My CP Blog[^] now.

                    J 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • C Chris Meech

                      Jörgen Sigvardsson wrote:

                      to see blinking lights, and what have you.

                      Acid flashbacks have been known to cause this too. :) Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] When I want privacy, I'll close the bathroom door. [Stan Shannon] GOOD DAY FOR: Moonlighting, as porn star Savanna Samson has launched her own wine label. Her Sogno Uno, an Italian red, received an "outstanding" 90 to 91 score from influential wine critic Robert Parker. "I wanted to do something my parents could be proud of," she said. (Reuters in CNNMoney.com)

                      G Offline
                      G Offline
                      Gary Wheeler
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #14

                      Migraines are good for it too X| :((.


                      Software Zen: delete this;

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

                        Hence the need for a simulator.. ;)

                        C Offline
                        C Offline
                        code frog 0
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #15

                        http://www.xilinx.com/ise/logic_design_prod/webpack.htm[^] Use this I also have another simulator I can upload for (free it's an academic version) you if that doesn't work but it should. You can use this page: http://coen.boisestate.edu/EE230/[^] Which goes to my College here in Idaho which I think had a great course on digital desing. The labs are there to and you might enjoy those as you *will* need some direction to go if you want to learn it.


                        The enemy's gate is down. :cool: Welcome to CP in your language. Post the unicode version in My CP Blog[^] now.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

                          Does anybody know of a good, but cheap (preferably free) digital circuit simulator? I just read Code by Charles Petzold, and gained a hell of lot better insight into the nitty gritty details on how a CPU works. I've dabbled with basic digital electronics in a university class, but I haven't really dug into it. I figured it's time I do something about it. Bear in mind that I'm a happy novice in this area, so the application needs to be fairly simple. What I want basically, is to be able to throw in a couple of gates, power sources, connectors, lights/diodes and switches. Then I want to press a button labeled "Simulate", to see blinking lights, and what have you. It would be nice if the simulator has ICs such as adders, latches and flip-flops, but not necessary. Simple gates is enough to keep me happy for a while. :) [update]I found this, simple, but fun program: http://www.spsu.edu/cs/faculty/bbrown/circuits/howto.html[^] It's completly free, and fun to play with (for me at least)[/update] -- modified at 19:19 Thursday 6th April, 2006

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                          D Offline
                          dighn
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #16

                          Hmm... CircuitMaker used to have a free student version. You could run analog/digital simulations on it. I just checked and it doesn't appear to be on the official site anymore, maybe you can google it and see if you can find the old version

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

                            Does anybody know of a good, but cheap (preferably free) digital circuit simulator? I just read Code by Charles Petzold, and gained a hell of lot better insight into the nitty gritty details on how a CPU works. I've dabbled with basic digital electronics in a university class, but I haven't really dug into it. I figured it's time I do something about it. Bear in mind that I'm a happy novice in this area, so the application needs to be fairly simple. What I want basically, is to be able to throw in a couple of gates, power sources, connectors, lights/diodes and switches. Then I want to press a button labeled "Simulate", to see blinking lights, and what have you. It would be nice if the simulator has ICs such as adders, latches and flip-flops, but not necessary. Simple gates is enough to keep me happy for a while. :) [update]I found this, simple, but fun program: http://www.spsu.edu/cs/faculty/bbrown/circuits/howto.html[^] It's completly free, and fun to play with (for me at least)[/update] -- modified at 19:19 Thursday 6th April, 2006

                            R Offline
                            R Offline
                            Ray Cassick
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #17

                            Just dive in.. get a breadboard, some ICs, a decnet power supply, some resistors and LEDs and go to town :) Ahhh prototyping on a breadboard... brings a tear to my eye... Amazing how many software people have a low-level background in digital circuits :) Are we nothing more than a bunch of disillusioned hardware people ?


                            My Blog[^]
                            FFRF[^]


                            J C 2 Replies Last reply
                            0
                            • R Ray Cassick

                              Just dive in.. get a breadboard, some ICs, a decnet power supply, some resistors and LEDs and go to town :) Ahhh prototyping on a breadboard... brings a tear to my eye... Amazing how many software people have a low-level background in digital circuits :) Are we nothing more than a bunch of disillusioned hardware people ?


                              My Blog[^]
                              FFRF[^]


                              J Offline
                              J Offline
                              Jorgen Sigvardsson
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #18

                              That is my next project. I thought I'd get up to speed with a simulator first, and see if it's as exciting a week from now. I don't want to spend a lot of money on something I'll find boring. I am waiting for the USB driver/hardware learning kit I ordered the other week. I got a note in my inbox the other day, saying that it has been shipped. Should be here in a week or so, unless the customs wants to have their fun with it first. My dream is to hack something up, connect it to my computer, and the control the thing with a driver, written by myself. Not that I'd change the world or anything with it, but I think I would definately boost my geek status. :-D As soon as I've had my fun with the USB stuff, I will dive right into the world of PCI... :)

                              R A 2 Replies Last reply
                              0
                              • M Marc Clifton

                                Do you have something equivalent to Radio Shack? They have a great analog/digital learning kit. Go for the real stuff and get your hands dirty with IC's, wires, etc. http://www.radioshack.com/sm-electronics-learning-lab--pi-2102913.html[^] If not, I suppose I could send you one. :~ Marc Pensieve Functional Entanglement vs. Code Entanglement Static Classes Make For Rigid Architectures Some people believe what the bible says. Literally. At least [with Wikipedia] you have the chance to correct the wiki -- Jörgen Sigvardsson

                                J Offline
                                J Offline
                                Jorgen Sigvardsson
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #19

                                That thing looks like the Mykit[^] I had as a kid. I have fond memories of building long wave radio receivers with it. Ah... I will never forget when my mom asked my why I put this looooong wire between two poles in the backyard. "I'm building a radio receiver mom!" :) If I find this digital circuit stuff as exciting as I think it is, the next step is to purchase "the real deal". I just don't want to spend a lot of money on stuff I'll throw away in 10 years from now, wondering why the hell I bought all that junk. :)

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • C code frog 0

                                  Man, Pspice... Those were the days. H-Spice is where it's at though... if you have $1,000,000. He's looking for the digital design boards we used in school to build the low level gates that form switching theory, and, or, nor, nand. He'll also need some of the more advanced packages that you can wire up that perform basic functions for you. In our class we built a fully functioning calculator. It was pretty cool. - Rex


                                  The enemy's gate is down. :cool: Welcome to CP in your language. Post the unicode version in My CP Blog[^] now.

                                  J Offline
                                  J Offline
                                  Jorgen Sigvardsson
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #20

                                  Hmm.. spice. big money. Sounds like something out of "Dune". :rolleyes:

                                  C 1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • R Ray Cassick

                                    Just dive in.. get a breadboard, some ICs, a decnet power supply, some resistors and LEDs and go to town :) Ahhh prototyping on a breadboard... brings a tear to my eye... Amazing how many software people have a low-level background in digital circuits :) Are we nothing more than a bunch of disillusioned hardware people ?


                                    My Blog[^]
                                    FFRF[^]


                                    C Offline
                                    C Offline
                                    code frog 0
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #21

                                    Ray Cassick wrote:

                                    Are we nothing more than a bunch of disillusioned hardware people ?

                                    It was required where I went to school. All CS majors had to take a year of digital...


                                    The enemy's gate is down. :cool: Welcome to CP in your language. Post the unicode version in My CP Blog[^] now.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

                                      Hmm.. spice. big money. Sounds like something out of "Dune". :rolleyes:

                                      C Offline
                                      C Offline
                                      code frog 0
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #22

                                      The money comes from the fact that you get a lot of IC templates to build with. Huge templates of logic to get you going building some pretty incredible stuff.


                                      The enemy's gate is down. :cool: Welcome to CP in your language. Post the unicode version in My CP Blog[^] now.

                                      J 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • C code frog 0

                                        The money comes from the fact that you get a lot of IC templates to build with. Huge templates of logic to get you going building some pretty incredible stuff.


                                        The enemy's gate is down. :cool: Welcome to CP in your language. Post the unicode version in My CP Blog[^] now.

                                        J Offline
                                        J Offline
                                        Jorgen Sigvardsson
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #23

                                        Ah. It would seem to me that it's probably worth every cent. :)

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • J Jorgen Sigvardsson

                                          That is my next project. I thought I'd get up to speed with a simulator first, and see if it's as exciting a week from now. I don't want to spend a lot of money on something I'll find boring. I am waiting for the USB driver/hardware learning kit I ordered the other week. I got a note in my inbox the other day, saying that it has been shipped. Should be here in a week or so, unless the customs wants to have their fun with it first. My dream is to hack something up, connect it to my computer, and the control the thing with a driver, written by myself. Not that I'd change the world or anything with it, but I think I would definately boost my geek status. :-D As soon as I've had my fun with the USB stuff, I will dive right into the world of PCI... :)

                                          R Offline
                                          R Offline
                                          Ryan Binns
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #24

                                          Jörgen Sigvardsson wrote:

                                          I will dive right into the world of PCI

                                          Prepare to spend a hell of a lot of time with that one... PCI is a pig to get going :~

                                          Ryan

                                          "Punctuality is only a virtue for those who aren't smart enough to think of good excuses for being late" John Nichol "Point Of Impact"

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