Micro-Cap is a
SPICE
In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
compatible analog/digital circuit simulator with an integrated schematic editor that provides an interactive sketch and simulate environment for electronics engineers. It was developed by
Spectrum Software
Spectrum Software was a software company based in California, whose main focus is electrical simulation and analysis tools, most notably the circuit simulator Micro-Cap. It was founded in February 1980 by Andy Thompson. Initially, the company c ...
, and was only available with a paid commercial license. In July 2019, Spectrum Software closed down and Micro-Cap was released as
freeware
Freeware is software, often proprietary, that is distributed at no monetary cost to the end user. There is no agreed-upon set of rights, license, or EULA that defines ''freeware'' unambiguously; every publisher defines its own rules for the free ...
. Software updates and technical support are no longer available. In early 2023, their website went offline, though it was previously backed up at archive.org.
Final archive of Spectrum Software website; February 19, 2023.
/ref>
Version history
The name Micro-Cap was derived from the term Microcomputer Circuit Analysis Program. The forerunners to the Micro-Cap simulator were the Logic Designer and Simulator. Released in June 1980, this product was the first integrated circuit editor and logic simulation system available for personal computers. Its primary goal was to provide a “circuit creation and simulation” environment for digital simulation.
In August 1981, the analog equivalent of the first program, Circuit Designer and Simulator, was released. Its integrated text editor created circuit descriptions for a simple, linear, analog simulator. September 1982 saw the release of the first Micro-Cap package as a successor to the Circuit Designer and Simulator.
* 1982 Micro-Cap
* 1984 Micro-Cap 2
* 1988 Micro-Cap 3
* 1992 Micro-Cap 4
* 1995 Micro-Cap 5
* 1997 Micro-Cap 5 2.0
* 1999 Micro-Cap 6
* 2001 Micro-Cap 7
* 2004 Micro-Cap 8
* 2007 Micro-Cap 9
* 2010 Micro-Cap 10
* 2013 Micro-Cap 11
* 2018 Micro-Cap 12 - the final major version
See also
* Comparison of EDA software
This page is a comparison of electronic design automation (EDA) software which is used today to design the near totality of electronic devices. Modern electronic devices are too complex to be designed without the help of a computer. Electronic dev ...
* List of free electronics circuit simulators
List of free analog and digital electronic circuit simulators, available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and comparing against UC Berkeley SPICE. The following table is split into two groups based on whether it has a graphical visual interface or not. ...
References
;Notes
Spice Programs: Computerized Circuit Analysis For Analog EEs
Modeling IIj Noise in HEMTS with SPICE-Based Micro-Cap
AC Analysis of Idealized Switched-Capacitor Circuits in Spice-Compatible Programs
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External links
*
Download Micro-Cap
archived
Micro-Cap Brochure
archived
Micro-Cap Application Notes
archived
{{CAD software
Electronic design automation software
Electronic circuit simulators