It would be an understatement to call the electronics industry a bedrock of modern global commerce. Electronics are a dominant force across all industries, from bespoke and bleeding-edge technologies at the forefront of computer processing to the basic consumer devices that prop up international markets. This industry may be behemoth, but it is also ever-shifting and ever-vibrant – and remains an ideal environment for new enterprises and disruptors.
But electronics is more than big ideas about product; even someone with a background in electrical engineering will discover there is more to developing electronics than prototyping, especially on the large scales which most electronics businesses aim to reach. Of the many industry-unique systems and processes utilized to bring a new product to life, one is circuit simulation. But why is it so important?
1. Reducing Development Costs and Time
Simulating circuits in software is essential, first and foremost, for the reduction in development costs and time spent iterating on a new product. Most consumer and low-voltage circuits spend development time on breadboard and in prototype products, but digital breadboarding provides a swift, inexpensive and elegant solution to testing and refining circuits before physical prototyping.
This has the effect of significantly cutting down on research and development, by enabling the quick identification of design flaws early – and hence reducing the need for multiple iterations of physical hardware. This is especially useful for smaller start-ups that don’t have the luxury of time or resources; circuit simulation software makes it far easier for engineers to prototype without investing in run after run of defective prototype.
2. Enhancing Design Accuracy and Performance
An added bonus of using digital circuit simulation over real-life prototyping is the quicker arrival at optimal circuit design. Development time is given largely to broad-strokes decisions on form and function, but drilling down into circuit optimization can take a considerable bulk of time. Rather than building, testing and measuring circuits with arrays of test equipment, engineers can analyze power consumption, signal integrity, and component performance via simulation – reducing human error and man-hours spent on testing.
3. Supporting Advanced Electronics Innovations
As electronics become more complex with AI, IoT, and 5G technologies, it becomes harder for electrical engineers to reliably mock up even basic circuits for modern products. This is not to say that physical breadboarding or prototyping is impossible; rather, that circuit simulation enables quicker experimentation with newer technologies, particularly where it comes to complex designs incorporating complex digital technology.
4. Enabling Collaboration and Remote Work in Engineering
Finally, circuit simulators are fantastic software solutions for modern businesses with global or hybrid staff. Particularly when working in electronics means working with manufacturing facilities in Asia, circuit simulation software makes communication and collaboration on prospective circuits far easier – improving efficiency in distributed engineering teams and enabling a swifter green light for mass production.
