Good Spice + Schematic Software

[circuitcity]

Hello Everyone

This beginner needs advice

I am on the prowl for a software that has both spice simulation and schematic drawing all combined as one family. So far I've been advised to get Eagle. But I see it doesn't do SPICE Simulations ( ) just schematic design drawing. However I see B2 Spice can be integrated with some versions of eagle.

But I would rather that one software had both integrated within in. So I need feedback.

P.S: If I am completely wrong about eagle, please correct me.

[richie00boy]

The TI website has a version of TINA which is free and I quite like it.

[circuitcity]

Another question

Do all designers generally build there circuits on SPICE software? And how do they integrate the micro-controllers they are using into the SPICE software if they go digital?

I am just a soldering assembler where i work. The head engineers do design work and use Atmel Micro-controllers and use AVR Studios to program and compile into the micro-controller. But I don't understand how they then integrate that micro-controller into the full circuit which is then developed.

Somehow they go from AVR Studios to Eagle for PCB layout. I am completely missing the part where they actually do circuit simulation.

And I'm too nervous to ask them.

[sawreyrw]

Get LTspice from Linear Technology - Linear Home Page

[jcx]

its usually only really big projects or mixed signal integrated circuit development teams that can afford the extra engineers, pricey tools, time investment and get any benefit from full digital+analog simulation

in smaller mixed analog and digital circuit board level projects its common to just sim analog parts as separate pieces - maybe with "digital" sources - but with a fixed digital pattern waveform driving the analog circuit - not with a full simulation/emulation of the microprocessor and software

I find LTspice powerful enough that I haven't pushed for a integrated eda suite at work - sim analog sub circuits in LTspice, re-enter the schematic in the layout tool - the microprocessor circuitry never gets simmed - usually any significant programming effort takes several times longer than all of the analog circuit design/prototype/layout/debug steps combined