Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Pspice VS OpenModelica

Compare Pspice VS OpenModelica and see what are their differences

Pspice logo Pspice

OrCAD PSpice technology provides the best, high-performance circuit simulation to analyze and refine your circuits, components, and parameters before committing to layout and fabrication

OpenModelica logo OpenModelica

OpenModelica – A Free Modelica Environment!
  • Pspice Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-01
  • OpenModelica Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-19

Pspice features and specs

  • Comprehensive Simulation
    Pspice offers a broad range of simulation capabilities including analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuits, allowing for detailed analysis and testing of circuits before physical prototyping.
  • Integration with OrCAD
    It is tightly integrated with OrCAD Capture and PCB design tools, allowing for seamless design and analysis workflows.
  • Extensive Component Libraries
    Pspice boasts a vast library of components and models, which simplifies the process of circuit design and simulation.
  • Advanced Analysis Features
    It includes advanced features such as Monte Carlo analysis, Worst-case analysis, and Parametric sweeps, providing enhanced capabilities for design optimization.
  • User Community and Support
    There is an active user community and robust support, including detailed documentation and a variety of learning resources.

Possible disadvantages of Pspice

  • Cost
    Pspice can be expensive, especially for small businesses or individual users, as it requires licensing fees.
  • Resource Intensive
    The software can be demanding on system resources, requiring powerful hardware for efficient operation, which may not be available to all users.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    While powerful, Pspice has a steep learning curve, especially for beginners, which can be a barrier to entry for new users.
  • Complexity for Basic Tasks
    For simpler circuit design and analysis tasks, Pspice may be overkill and more complex to use compared to simpler alternatives.
  • Proprietary Nature
    Being proprietary software, users are dependent on Cadence for updates and support, and may face limitations with interoperability with other tools.

OpenModelica features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenModelica is an open-source tool, meaning it is free to use and modify. This allows for extensive customization and community support.
  • Modelica Standard Compliance
    OpenModelica supports the Modelica language, which is a standardized, object-oriented language for modeling complex systems.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The tool is available for various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS, providing flexibility for users across different platforms.
  • Extensive Libraries
    OpenModelica provides access to a wide range of built-in libraries for different domains, such as mechanical, electrical, and thermal systems.
  • Community and Support
    There is an active community of users and developers who contribute to the continuous improvement of OpenModelica and offer support via forums and mailing lists.

Possible disadvantages of OpenModelica

  • User Interface
    The user interface is not as polished or user-friendly as some commercial alternatives, which might make it challenging for beginners.
  • Documentation Quality
    While the tool is well-documented, some users find that the documentation could be more detailed and better structured.
  • Performance
    In some cases, the performance of OpenModelica may not match that of specialized commercial tools, especially for very large and complex models.
  • Learning Curve
    Due to the complexity of the Modelica language and the tool, there can be a steep learning curve for new users who are not already familiar with system modeling.
  • Limited Commercial Support
    As an open-source tool, OpenModelica may lack the level of dedicated commercial support and frequent updates that some users might expect from proprietary software.

Analysis of Pspice

Overall verdict

  • PSpice is generally considered a strong tool in electronics design and simulation, thanks to its detailed simulation outputs, reliability, and extensive capabilities. It is especially favored by educators and professionals who require precision and a high level of analysis in circuit design.

Why this product is good

  • PSpice is a widely used simulation program primarily for electronic circuits. It offers comprehensive analysis capabilities, including DC, AC, transient, and parametric sweeps. Its integration with OrCAD provides a robust environment for schematics and simulations, useful for both education and professional industry applications. Additionally, it features a large component library and compatibility with various industry standards, making circuit design and testing efficient and effective.

Recommended for

    PSpice is best suited for electrical engineers, educators, and students in electronics engineering, as well as professionals involved in circuit design, testing, and analysis who need reliable simulation tools to validate their designs.

Analysis of OpenModelica

Overall verdict

  • Overall, OpenModelica is a strong choice for users seeking a cost-effective, open-source option for system modeling. Its robust features and active development community contribute to its high regard among users in both academic and industrial settings.

Why this product is good

  • OpenModelica is considered good due to its open-source nature, which allows for customization and flexibility. It supports a wide range of modeling capabilities, especially for multi-domain physical systems. The software is constantly updated by a large community of researchers and developers, who provide support and share improvements. Additionally, it is compliant with the Modelica language, making it a versatile choice for those familiar with Modelica's capabilities.

Recommended for

  • Researchers and academics in need of an open-source tool for detailed system modeling.
  • Engineers and developers familiar with the Modelica language looking for a versatile modeling environment.
  • Organizations and individuals seeking a cost-effective alternative to commercial modeling software.

Pspice videos

How to build and simulate a simple circuit in PSpice?

More videos:

  • Tutorial - LTspice - Introduction, basic analysis, how to, comparision to PSPICE

OpenModelica videos

Simulacion Openmodelica Control de Tanques

More videos:

  • Review - Modelica - Graphical modeling of electric circuits with OpenModelica

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Pspice and OpenModelica)
Simulation
81 81%
19% 19
Technical Computing
0 0%
100% 100
Computer Simulations
100 100%
0% 0
Numerical Computation
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Pspice and OpenModelica

Pspice Reviews

Electronic circuit design and simulation software list
TopSpice – this is a demo version circuit simulator from Penzar. This electronic simulation tool is tailored to work with Windows only and its is compatible for Windows XP/Vista/7. TopSpice is a mixed mode mixed signal digital,analog, behavioral simulation software. It offers both Pspice and Hspice compatible simulation of circuits.

OpenModelica Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenModelica yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenModelica seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 7 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Pspice mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Pspice yet. Tracking of Pspice recommendations started around Mar 2021.

OpenModelica mentions (7)

  • Modelica
    Obligatory mention to Openmodelica[1] which is an open source implementation based on the Modelica language. While I haven't used it yet, I was planning on exploring some of the features this holiday. [1] https://openmodelica.org/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • An open source, educational, low-cost modern analog computer
    I have used https://openmodelica.org/. It's another one of those "invest substantial time understanding what they are doing, and you will likely be rewarded." Simple things are simple, but I found it took longer than I would have like to bang out e.g. a PID algo with a particular motor and load. If you want to try this, buy the book, and follow it to the end. Then keep learning, as you build more and more... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Best software for parallel robot simulation?
    If the robot simulation doesn't need to pick up stuff or take into account changing contacts with other objects you can use Modelica's Multibody library which you can run for free with OpenModelica. This will be more accurate than other simulators because modelica can analytically solve the dynamics equations. You don't need to write them either just to connect blocks for various components. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Anyone know if python can be used to make a MATLAB simulink clone (dragging and dropping elements)? If not, do you have recommendations of other languages that can do this best to make a desktop app?
    OpenModelica consists of a combination of graphical and written components to simulate dynamic systems. I don’t know what control system feature set might be available. AMESIM is a more extensive paid tool that operates on the same Modelica modeling language. IIRC, at least Simuscape operates on Modelica under the hood. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Just introduced to diffeq last year. Curious how to go about modeling something like this.
    It shouldn't be too difficult to model in Modelica. You could approximate the pendula in 1D with masses on springs or just use Modelica's multibody library. Source: over 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Pspice and OpenModelica, you can also consider the following products

Solve Elec - Solve Elec is a free educational program to draw and analyze electrical circuits.

Oregano - oregano - An electrical engineering tool for GNOME

LTspice - LTspice® is a high performance SPICE simulation software, schematic capture and waveform viewer with enhancements and models for easing the simulation of analog circuits.

BlackBoard Circuit Designer - Help building prototypes on so called breadboards easily

Circuit Simulator - Animated electronic circuit simulator using ideal components to visualize voltage and current.

PCBWeb - PCBWeb is a 100% free Windows desktop CAD application for designing and manufacturing electronics...