QSPICE — The Complete Guide: Qorvo’s Fast SPICE Simulator for Free
QSPICE is a SPICE-based circuit simulator developed by Qorvo, with a focus on simulation speed, accuracy and reliability. It handles circuits with a lot of digital logic well, and electronics engineers use it to simulate switch-mode power supplies, analogue circuits and control loops.
QSPICE
Qorvo
A fast mixed-signal SPICE simulator with digital blocks in C++ and Verilog — free, including for commercial use.
Get it from the vendorWhat you get
- Mixed-signal simulation — analogue and digital in the same circuit.
- Digital blocks in code — built-in C++ and Verilog compilers.
- Fast device modelling — MOSFETs, diodes and JFETs.
- Power supplies and control loops — a good fit for switching converters.
- Quality plots — good enough for publication.
Licence and limitations
QSPICE is freeware, not open source. Qorvo states that it is free for commercial use too, and the download is direct from the Qorvo site. The practical limitation: it runs only on 64-bit Windows.
Related tools
For the long-standing free simulator from Analog Devices — LTspice. For an open-source simulator built into KiCad — ngspice. For an open graphical simulation front end — Qucs-S.
LTspice
Analog Devices
Fast SPICE simulator with no component limit, unusually strong on switching converters and power circuits.
Get it from the vendor
Ngspice
Ngspice Project
Open-source SPICE simulator — DC, AC, transient and noise. The engine behind KiCad simulation.
Get it from the vendor
Qucs-S
Qucs-S Project
Circuit simulation with a graphical schematic front end over SPICE engines.
Get it from the vendorXyce — Parallel Analog Circuit Simulator
Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories’ SPICE simulator, built for very large circuits and parallel execution.
Get it from the vendorThe bottom line
QSPICE is a fast, free mixed-signal simulator you can use for commercial work too — as long as you work on Windows.