{"slug": "ltspice", "name": "LTSpice", "category": "other", "category_name": "Other software", "description": "", "recommenders": 3, "commenters": 4, "warners": 0, "score": 2.862, "rising": 0.35, "first": "2026-01-30", "latest": "2026-10-12", "why": "And also use SPICE in the LTSpice incarnation; I should give ngspice a spin one of these days.", "why_is_quote": true, "has_verdict": false, "sentiment": {"recommend": 3, "neutral": 0, "compare": 1, "warn": 0}, "spark": [0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0], "listed": true, "loved": [], "caveat": "", "short_quote": "And also use SPICE in the LTSpice incarnation; I should give ngspice a spin one of these days.", "icon": true, "domain": "analog.com", "github_repo": null, "official_url": "https://www.analog.com/en/resources/design-tools-and-calculators/ltspice-simulator.html", "pricing": "", "aliases": ["LTSpice", "LTspice"], "verdict": null, "praise": [{"label": "", "summary": "", "quotes": [{"id": 794794896, "item_id": 49674681, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49674681", "by": "kazinator", "date": "2026-09-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And also use SPICE in the LTSpice incarnation; I should give ngspice a spin one of these days.", "excerpt": "I would never call a software project SPICE; I use a fucking search engine when naming things to avoid the cringe of ignorantly landing on a dupe. (And also use SPICE in the LTSpice incarnation; I should give ngspice a spin one of these days.)", "context": "", "use_case": "circuit simulation", "switched_from": "", "story": "I refuse to let SPICE die"}, {"id": 754231201, "item_id": 47139450, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47139450", "by": "peterus", "date": "2026-02-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "then use LTspice as a rigorous simulator", "excerpt": "I've found a combination of circuitjs and a spice simulator to be quick for prototyping custom analog circuits (made mainly from discretes). Circuitjs https://www.falstad.com/circuit/circuitjs.html allows you to edit components live unlike spice simulators, but with the tradeoff of convergence issues for more complex circuits, so I use circuitjs as a playground then use LTspice as a rigorous simulator. If it's a circ", "context": "", "use_case": "rigorous circuit simulation", "switched_from": "", "story": "Diode \u2013 Build, program, and simulate hardware"}, {"id": 749159552, "item_id": 46822472, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46822472", "by": "Joel_Mckay", "date": "2026-01-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Simulators are not perfect, but they are a lot cheaper when starting out.", "excerpt": "That is a terrible learning environment. Our profs always leave a box outside the laboratory with free expired textbooks, partial part lots, and damaged/old test equipment. Some people get into Science, Software, and Electronics for the wrong reasons.. And end up miserable teaching after failing in the private sector. A few 555 can teach people a lot, and burning out parts is part of the learning process. Most fold t", "context": "", "use_case": "circuit simulation", "switched_from": "", "story": "Doin' It with a 555: One Chip to Rule Them All"}]}], "caveats": [], "who": [], "tags": [], "use_cases": ["circuit simulation", "rigorous circuit simulation"], "compared": [], "makers": [], "threads": [{"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50058242", "title": "Ask HN: What's the oldest software tool you still rely on every day?", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49672641", "title": "I refuse to let SPICE die", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47094768", "title": "Diode \u2013 Build, program, and simulate hardware", "mentions": 1}, {"url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46780891", "title": "Doin' It with a 555: One Chip to Rule Them All", "mentions": 1}], "sentiment_by_month": {"2025-11": {}, "2025-12": {}, "2026-01": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-02": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-03": {}, "2026-04": {}, "2026-05": {}, "2026-06": {}, "2026-07": {}, "2026-08": {}, "2026-09": {"recommend": 1}, "2026-10": {"compare": 1}}, "quotes": [{"id": 800937793, "item_id": 50058612, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50058612", "by": "mircerlancerous", "date": "2026-10-12", "stance": "compare", "quote": "I've tried to move to LTSpice a number of times, but it's interface is less intuitive.", "excerpt": "Circuit Maker 2000, for designing descrete circuits. I've tried to move to LTSpice a number of times, but it's interface is less intuitive. CM200 has a really clean UI for design and simulation. Doesn't run as well on Windows as it used to, but still good enough", "context": "", "use_case": "circuit simulation", "switched_from": "", "story": "Ask HN: What's the oldest software tool you still rely on every day?"}, {"id": 794794896, "item_id": 49674681, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49674681", "by": "kazinator", "date": "2026-09-12", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "And also use SPICE in the LTSpice incarnation; I should give ngspice a spin one of these days.", "excerpt": "I would never call a software project SPICE; I use a fucking search engine when naming things to avoid the cringe of ignorantly landing on a dupe. (And also use SPICE in the LTSpice incarnation; I should give ngspice a spin one of these days.)", "context": "", "use_case": "circuit simulation", "switched_from": "", "story": "I refuse to let SPICE die"}, {"id": 754231201, "item_id": 47139450, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47139450", "by": "peterus", "date": "2026-02-24", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "then use LTspice as a rigorous simulator", "excerpt": "I've found a combination of circuitjs and a spice simulator to be quick for prototyping custom analog circuits (made mainly from discretes). Circuitjs https://www.falstad.com/circuit/circuitjs.html allows you to edit components live unlike spice simulators, but with the tradeoff of convergence issues for more complex circuits, so I use circuitjs as a playground then use LTspice as a rigorous simulator. If it's a circ", "context": "", "use_case": "rigorous circuit simulation", "switched_from": "", "story": "Diode \u2013 Build, program, and simulate hardware"}, {"id": 749159552, "item_id": 46822472, "url": "https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46822472", "by": "Joel_Mckay", "date": "2026-01-30", "stance": "recommend", "quote": "Simulators are not perfect, but they are a lot cheaper when starting out.", "excerpt": "That is a terrible learning environment. Our profs always leave a box outside the laboratory with free expired textbooks, partial part lots, and damaged/old test equipment. Some people get into Science, Software, and Electronics for the wrong reasons.. And end up miserable teaching after failing in the private sector. A few 555 can teach people a lot, and burning out parts is part of the learning process. Most fold t", "context": "", "use_case": "circuit simulation", "switched_from": "", "story": "Doin' It with a 555: One Chip to Rule Them All"}]}