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MacSpice for Mac

Electronic circuit simulator.

Free
In English
4.3
Based on 6 user rates

MacSpice overview

MacSpice is an electronic circuit simulator. Circuit simulation is a way of building and testing virtual models of electronic devices. It is usually cheaper and quicker to simulate a design than to build a prototype. MacSpice uses a text-file 'netlist' description of the circuit as input. This is a list of components and the nodes they connect to. Users may prepare netlists with a text editor, or derive them from a circuit diagram using a third-party schematic-capture application. MacSpice then builds a numerical model of the circuit and analyses this.

A command interpreter (shell) is used to specify the types of analyses that are required and how the results should be processed, saved or displayed. The high quality of the MacSpice command interpreter makes the automation of tasks straightforward.

MacSpice 3.2 runs natively on Mac computers with 64-bit Intel or Apple silicon processors. It is compatible with Berkeley Spice 3f5 but incorporates many improvements - from simple bug-fixes to entirely new commands, algorithms and solution strategies. For example: the memory leaks that affected Spice 3f4 have been cured; new algorithms have been developed to facilitate the simulation of large circuits, and to reduce simulation time; MacSpice provides a robust multi-parameter optimizer and facilities for inter-process communication with other applications.

What’s new in version 3.3.1

Enhancements:
  • The front-end error/warning reporting code has been refactored. As a result, most commands in source files now include error/warning messages that identify the line responsible.
  • New location command for debugging scripts.
  • Improvements to the drawing and labelling of grids for graphs.
  • Performance of the fft() and ifft() functions.
  • Improvements to SVG and PostScript graphics drivers.
  • Improvements to the way the graph-plotting commands handle the 'all' wildcard. For example, plot all excludes the abscissa from the list of vectors displayed and plot all vs all triggers an error.
  • Improved hash() function quality for vectors with complex arguments. (Hashes of complex vectors will differ pre- and post-v3.3.0.)
  • Added support for parameters with string values, e.g.:
    • set foo = @modname[param]
    • set foo = @devname[param]
    now work as expected. Also,
    • let bar = @modname[param]
    • let bar = @devname[param]
    assign the hash value of the param string to bar.
  • Vectors:
    • faster look-up by name;
    • faster expression evaluation;
    • internal storage of complex vectors changed from 'interleaved' to 'split' format.
  • Improved behaviour when executable is invoked directly as a command line tool.
  • Incremental plotting (iplot) now uses:
    • the type of the scale for the x-grid;
    • the multiplot linestyle.
  • Report an error when the number of steps specified for AC or NOISE analyses is invalid.
Bugs Fixed:
  • Syntax error in the output generated by the SVG hardcopy driver.
  • Missing final point on graphs when the number of points equalled polydegree+1.
  • Device and model parameters with names containing special characters "-+*/%~" were inaccessible using the @name[param] syntax.
  • Character '?' was not allowed in node, variable, etc. names.
  • Format error in 'show all' values for vsrc device pos_node/neg_node.
  • Freezing during incremental plotting (iplot).
  • Memory issue when the set command was used after destroy all.
  • Fixed length buffers in mkfnode() and mksnode().
  • A number of minor memory leaks.
  • Regression: Data copy error in vec_mkfamily(). [Build 362]
  • Regression: Non-recognition of indented comment lines. [Build 366]
View older MacSpice versions

MacSpice for Mac

Free
In English
Version 3.3.1
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4.3

(4 Reviews of MacSpice)

  • Comments

  • User Ratings

myschizobuddy-1
myschizobuddy-1
Nov 29 2011
2.10.29
0.0
Nov 29 2011
0.0
Version: 2.10.29
please merge with Solve Elec
Iliketrash
Iliketrash
Sep 2 2010
2.10.26
0.0
Sep 2 2010
0.0
Version: 2.10.26
A huge, huge thanks to Mr. Williams for his continuing work in developing, documenting, improving, and supporting Spice on the Mac.
Guest
Guest
Jan 31 2005
3f5 2.8
0.0
Jan 31 2005
0.0
Version: 3f5 2.8
Works just as I hoped, and let me finish a homework problem just now that would have otherwise required me to take a twenty minute trip to the lab. Only thing that could be improved is better documentation - as in, easy-to-read PDF files written by a knowledgeable engineer. I'm trying to do some stuff with diodes and am at a little loss as to how to accurately represent them. I know this program is designed for people already familiar with spice, though, so I can't fault the program much. Great job! And freeware?! You win the prize for best software of my day!
Guest
Guest
Dec 11 2003
3f5 R6
3.0
Dec 11 2003
3.0
Version: 3f5 R6
This is the best program out there for you engineering majors. The alternative--get the emulator VPC 6.0 and a cup of coffee, then wait for your simulations to run.
Chuckk
Chuckk
Jan 1 2022
3.2.1
4.0
Jan 1 2022
4.0
Version: 3.2.1
Hal-Itosis
Hal-Itosis
Jul 27 2017
5.0
Jul 27 2017
5.0
Version: null
89hansF
89hansF
Oct 5 2015
4.0
Oct 5 2015
4.0
Version: null
Leslie-Titze
Leslie-Titze
Nov 28 2011
5.0
Nov 28 2011
5.0
Version: null
Guest
Guest
Jan 31 2005
4.8
Jan 31 2005
4.8
Version: null
Guest
Guest
Dec 11 2003
3.0
Dec 11 2003
3.0
Version: null