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Circuit simulators are awesome, but they never go the next step such that they work with actual purchasable components. The user always has to read datasheets and translate everything into spice parameters.

Also, they typically don't allow the user to specify maximum power for every component and check that the voltages and currents are within safe limits.



This "next step" is really on the vendor/manufacturer instead of simulator developers. It won't be addressed, either, because it's extra development and cost for the vendor to bare when a lot of low cost/generic applications won't benefit from having simulation files. Additionally, it's a lot more work for the vendor to characterize and also guarantee that their products are close in value after years of production. Some datasheets are very sparse not by mistake - they promise you exactly as much as the datasheet, no more no less (for reputable vendors anyway).

The Micro-Cap simulator has the smoke test feature, for example. It's now abandoned and free for download.


> The Micro-Cap simulator has the smoke test feature, for example. It's now abandoned and free for download.

The website however is now dead, but thanks to the Internet Archive we can still access it to download the software.

https://web.archive.org/web/20220117133700/http://www.spectr...

That software would be a great candidate for a crowdfunding campaign to purchase the source rights from the author and release it as Open Source.

Edit: and it works great with WINE under Linux.


> This "next step" is really on the vendor/manufacturer instead of simulator developers. It won't be addressed

Which is exactly why the simulator/community should address it.


It depends on the circuits. Some are highly dependent on certain characteristics of the part that might differ between different series of the actual part.

With time you gain the experience to know which circuits are problematic and which are easy-going.


If you buy modern power electronic semiconductors, you can usually find so m spice models from the manufacturer (though they do indeed typically not model thermals).


Spice models are not easy to find, in my experience. Given some random transistor on Digikey, I'd say the odds are less than 20% that I can find the corresponding spice model.


Fair, but that should generally not be so restrictive that it causes a problem with "having SPICE models for actually purchasable components".




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