QSPICE is a new analog mixed-signal simulator from Qorvo offering advanced performance, capability and features. It is currently being eased into beta release.
Here’s a quick FAQ of anticipated questions. Comments welcome.
Q: Why would anyone write another SPICE program?
A: It would be possible to give a very lengthy answer here. But the real reason is that simulation requirements change. QSPICE allows larger circuits to be solved with fewer simplifications, meaning that a more literal representation of the engineering problem can be simulated which makes the design process less error prone.
Q: Does QSPICE have any spyware?
A: Absolutely none. No information is uploaded to the network. All computations are done locally.
Q: What are the requirements to run QSPICE?
A: A 64-bit edition of Windows 10 or Windows 11 is required. Any hardware capable of running Windows 11 can run QSPICE.
Q: Can QSPICE read schematic files from other CAD/SPICE packages?
A: No. The QSPICE schematic file format is more self-contained than other tools. For example, the symbols are included in the schematic file as well as most imported 3rd party models. This is nice for being able to share work with your colleagues, but complicates CAD file format translation since a translator would really need to include the symbols from the foreign tool which opens up copyright issues. All that said, if you open up a schematic file in notepad, you might find the file format is somewhat self explanatory.
Q: What does free for commercial use mean?
A: It means that the industry is welcome to standardize on QSPICE. It should too, in the interest of improved simulation capability, performance, and universal availability.
Q: Why would Qorvo make QSPICE free for commercial use?
A: Qorvo’s mainstay was and is RF for products like cell phones and radar. Qorvo is diversifying its technical portfolio into power. As a way of introducing Qorvo to power, QSPICE is Qorvo’s contribution to the power community. I don’t think I’m the only one that thinks the world is ready to standardize on a better SPICE program, particularly one that’s actually free for commercial use.