[time-nuts] Spectrum Software Micro-Cap downloads

[Richard (Rick) Karlquist]

On 9/11/2020 10:04 PM, Lloyd Blythen wrote:
> Thanks Bob.
> 
> About a month ago I looked at which free simulators were available. In case
> it saves anyone doing the same ...
> 
> Micro-Cap was recommended consistently as having the best schematic-capture
> and GUI. Trouble is, although it's now free, that's only the binary:
> there's no ongoing development or support.
> 
> For that reason most people have gone with LT-Spice from Analog Devices
> (originally Linear Technology before the acquisition). Schematic symbols
> look awful unless that matters enough to make you design your own, the help
> resembles something from a Windows95 archaeological dig and understandably
> the most comprehensive libraries are for AD's own devices. But there's a
> huge on-line community, it's under active development, AD supports it very
> well, more and more devices from other sources are coming available, and
> providing it at no charge and without limitations is a very generous offer
> for something so useful.

My take on this is completely different.  The only "active development" 
consists of adding devices.  The tool has only been updated in 2004
("version IV" ) and 2017 (version XVII) or something like that.  The
clever Roman numeral designation makes it look like there have been
17 updates.  The last update finally added group delay.  It didn't
fix any of the other well known problems having to do with data 
plotting, AFAIK.

OTOH, I used Microcap for years during the stone age and it was
a great program even then.  VASTLY superior to LTSpice.  I'm not worried 
about "support".  I am still able to use Visio 2000 and other older 
versions which are superior to the present offering.  Microsoft provides 
what I call "anti-support".  But the old Visio versions run perfectly
well on Windows 10 without any tricks.  I suspect that Micro-Cap will be
just fine on its own going forward.

Rick N6RK