jCircuits is free Java based digital circuit simulator software to simulate digital circuits. jCircuits lets you design a digital circuit by using the basic logic gates, adders, MUX, and bus components to simulate the circuit and view the results on LED.
I like using jCircuits because it offers option to add buses of various kinds. You have Shift bus, XOR bus, MUX multiplexer bus, and lots more. Also, jCircuits keeps track of the every command in the log file which can be accessed from the user interface. I have explained this feature later in the article.
Another interesting thing that I like is the option to view the circuit in 3D view. Of course, it does not change or improve the functionality of the circuit, but it’s a good feature for understanding the working of the circuits.
I have tested jCircuits in Windows 7 and it worked well for me. Below I have posted an image in which you can see the simulation in jCircuits.
Note that the only thing that I did not like using jCircuits is that the simulation sometimes hangs (or is too slow). I tried changing the simulation speeds but it did not do much.
Working with Digital Circuit Simulator jCircuits:
jCircuits is quite simple to use digital circuit simulator. From the user interface you have the option to select the component and place it on the circuit drawing space. I really like that the panning of circuit is smooth and the zoom works well using the mouse wheel.
Note that in order to connect the components you have to toggle from different component mode to wire mode. So, I would advice you to first place the components on the circuit board and then toggle to wire mode to connect the components.
I have mentioned about the 3D view in the beginning of the article. From the menu bar you have the option to view the circuit in 3D mode. You can zoom, pan, rotate the circuit to view the 3D view. It is a good feature to learn about the connections of digital circuits.
The log feature is really good as you can keep track of the commands executed while working with jCircuits digital circuit simulator.
Features of jCircuits:
- Java based digital circuit simulator software.
- Very simple to use.
- Option to view the circuit in 3D view for better understanding.
- No set up required.
- Support for bus components.
- View Log file.
- Predefined sample circuits that include:
- XOR – Adder
- Half – Adder
- RS – Flip Flop
- Data Flip Flop
- Multiplexer
You might want to try similar software CEDAR.
Conclusion:
jCircuits is good digital circuit simulator software for anyone who is learning about digital circuits. Though, there are a couple of things that I did not like that include slow simulation, no option for undo, and option to save the circuit did not work for me. Overall, I like the simulation, 3D view, and bus components for designing the digital circuit.
