2017-07-19
This version crashes when I open a new project.
I've used it before in the past and it has been great. This version crashes on startup!
Updating
-19
#33 in Top Paid iPad Apps > Productivity
iPhone Screenshots
iPad Screenshots
Description
iCircuit is the premier iPad and iPhone app for designing and experimenting with circuits. Its advanced simulation engine can handle both analog and digital circuits and features realtime always-on analysis. It is the perfect companion to students, hobbyists, and engineers.
You use it as you would any CAD program: you add elements, connect them together, and set their properties.
But iCircuit is unlike other CAD programs because it is always simulating. It's just like working with the real circuit. You do not stop to take a measurement or spend a lot of time configuring reports. Instead, you just play with the circuit as you normally would, with the power on!
There are over 30 elements you can use to build your circuits. The app has everything from simple resistors, to switches, to MOSFETS, to digital gates.
The app features a multimeter that you use to probe around the circuit to instantly read voltages and currents. If you want to see how a value changes over time, then you can add values to the built-in oscilloscope. The scope can simultaneously track many signals over time and features a touch interface to control the total time displayed and stacked and unstacked modes to easily compare signals.
Supported elements include:
• Signal generators, Voltage sources, Current sources, and Dependent sources
• Resistors, Capacitors, and Inductors
• Manual SPST/SPDT Switches, Push buttons, and Relays
• Diodes, BJ Transistors, and MOSFETs
• Speakers, Microphones, Buzzers, DC Motors, and LEDs
• ADCs, and DACs
• Logic gates: AND, OR, NAND, NOR, XOR
• JK and D Flip-flops
• 38 7400 series digital parts
• 7-segment display and driver
• Antenna with simulated AM and FM signals
You can also create sub circuits to introduce new elements and componentize your designs.
No matter your skill set, you'll be playing with circuits in no time with iCircuit.
What's New in Version 1.8.4
* Fixes a bug with the bottom toolbar disappearing
Previous changes:
* Optimized for iOS 9 and iPad Pros
* New 3D Touch preview of circuits
* New dark theme
Seller
Name
Krueger Systems, Inc.
Information
Developer
Categories
Version
1.8.4
Size
35.9 MB
Game Center
No
VPP Device Licensing
Yes
Rating
Rated: 4+
Compatibility
iOS 6.1 or later
Devices
iPad mini 3 (Cellular), iPad Air (Cellular), iPad mini Retina (Cellular), iPad mini 4 (Cellular), iPad mini 3, iPad Pro (11-inch), iPad Air 2, iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation), iPad Pro (11-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini (5th Generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation), iPad Air (3rd generation), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2nd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air (3rd generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro (10.5-inch) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, iPad Pro (Cellular), iPad Pro (9.7-inch) (Cellular), iPad Pro (9.7-inch), iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 5s, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone XR, iPhone SE, iPhone 6, iPhone XS Max, iPad Pro (10.5-inch), iPhone XS, iPad mini (5th Generation), iPad (6th generation) Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Pro, iPod touch (6th Generation), iPad Air, iPad Air 2 (Cellular), iPad mini 4
Languages
English
App Store: Customer Ratings
Ratings & Reviews
4.0 of 5 (986 Ratings)
App Store: Customer Reviews
2017-06-21
Solid App
I'm an EE and have used enterprise-level circuit simulators that are NOT this good. Many of the problems people are highlighting in their negative reviews are due to lack of ability to use the app.
I've used it for thousands of hours of moderately complex mixed signal simulation and it works quite well. I really really hope the author keeps updating. 👍🏼
2017-05-30
Very nice real time simulator
You design your circuit, then hook up a power supply, and you have instant real time simulation. Just double tap on a wire or component, and a menu pops up giving you the option to plot (voltage or current or both) at that wire/component location, keeping it visible all the time, until you undo the option. This is good as a current or volt meter permanently set at those locations.
If you single tap on a wire or component it will highlight, and show both current and voltage at that location, but it will disappear when you tap to unhighlight it.
This feature gives you the option to do quick checks on current and voltage values, at locations without cluttering the schematic.
Now every time you make a change to the circuit, immediately the values of current and voltages update , shown at all locations. This is handy with variable resistors as you can guage current and voltage changes as you adjust the variable resistance.
The entire circuit updates in real time.
2017-04-07
Reduced my review because...
Good simulator. Worth every penny. However the developer has stopped fixing bugs. It may be that this is becoming abandon ware.
I have been really patient, now will start looking for something else.
2017-04-01
A rip off
I was able to design a fairly simple circuit with great success. But, like others have reported, my work was lost the next time I tried to access it. At this point iCircuit immediately crashes on startup. This wasn't a cheap app and it's solid evidence why Apple needs to implement a refund policy.
2017-03-31
Great app but ..
Need more components.
2017-03-23
Good, but sorely needs an update
iCircuit is an easy-to-use virtual breadboarder that handles both digital and analog circuits. The simulator is smooth and rapid. The editor lets you build rapidly, but lacks some basic functionality such as rotating components or color-coding wires, so circuits rapidly become unwieldy. When launching iCircuit for the first time, be sure to disable iCloud sync'ing, or else the app will quit on launch and you'll need to remove and reinstall it.
2017-03-21
Great App but needs updates!
Best app I've come across for on the go or just general circuit design and definitely the easiest and most user friendly
However it suffers from a severe lack of updates and it's missing a few key (and vital at times) modern components.
2017-03-18
Used to work fine, now crashes immediately
Used to work fine, now crashes immediately
2017-02-17
Good
We need more symbol ,please upgrade it.
2017-02-08
Update
The best circuit simulation app I've seen. Help me understand logic gate and digital. Lots of components to work with. The 7400ic, under the little i in the lower corner is many more ic. They should add more, add all of them. Update
2017-02-08
I love it ...
Great app for basic circuits.
Computer scientists may find it very limiting.
I would pay $100, it there were more components and ICs. A pro version.
Yeah yeah, I know, it will run slow on iPad. It would run slow on a PC.
Also the ability to send data to another iOS device, example, the oscilloscope and live data tables can be sent to a second and third iOS device. Perhaps even a control panel to another iOS device. More like a natural lab tables.
2017-01-26
Can you add a bridge rectifier
All it needs is more components
2017-01-14
Not so good!
Initially this is a basic tool with some interesting abilities. Needs more symbol to be added. After creating a couple of circuits, I left the program. Came back and the circuits were gone, so were the examples, and all the settings were unavailable. This program needs some updating and fixing of the obvious trap doors.
Update. Tried saving to the iCloud and the circuits built lasted longer... Tried to select a circuit out of a folder I created to send to printer and then entire folder was lost along with the examples folder. Went to look on local iPad and not there either.
According to the manual, the use should be able to access the "Trash" folder. Unable to do so with the program loaded on my iPad 9 Pro. As a result of continued problems, I have downgraded my rating to a single star. One of the things I noticed is there have been no updates to the APP for about a year.
2016-12-11
It works, get it.
A working simulator with a speaker,buzzer, lights, buttons, motors, switches, relays, and more.
This things is amazing. Wanna learn to play with electronics without letting out the blue smoke, this is the way. Great job.
2016-11-27
Buggy on iOS 10.
Decent app, with a lot of potential, suffers from some serious usability bugs on iOS 10. Voltage colors don't work. Electron flow indicators don't work. Deleting all components from a circuit causes a flashing error message about an out of bounds index.
Seems like the developer may be abandoning this app, which would be a shame. As of 2014, they were touting upcoming availability of Arduino components, now not even basic bugs being patched.
Disappointing.
2016-11-17
Basic, but buggy and with limits
Moving components around results in crazy wiring that takes lots of effort to clean up, often in a loop somewhere stopping the simulator. It also sometimes ceases to be able to delete things as the context options don't show up until you restart it. It also has problems for complex components, like a 555 timer, where by default it hides the ground, as it seems to crash if you connect the ground pin to ground.
Lastly, many basic components are hard limited to certain ranges, for example the diode. To represent a component that is not in the system, I need arbitrary voltage control on the diode. But maxing out at 25 limits you and it crashes if you chain diodes.
As others mention, it lacks some basic compound components too, like a full bridge rectifier.
Don't expect to prototype anything more than basic concepts with this.
2016-11-09
Great app but would like more components...
I am not an electrical engineer by any means but a know enough to get around. I enjoy using this app to make circuits & test before building them. I do keep running into issues of not having some what I thought were common components such as a LM317 voltage regulator or being able to drag a bridge rectifier into the circuit w/o having to use 4 separate diodes. I have a simple circuit I'm designing right now that needs a LM317 but can't finish it w/o this component in iCircuit. An annoyance is the selecting of components or to delete them can be frustrating at times but may just be a price of convenience of having a good app like this on an iPad.
Thanks,
-Kevin
2016-09-24
Doesn't work anymore, crashes on start
Crashes on iOS 10 on startup, if iCloud saving is used. Crashes in variety of ways if iCloud is not used.
2016-09-15
Works perfectly but the UI needs improvements.
Excellent for circuit simulation and helps a lot with my course. However, the UI is a little bit inconvenient.
2016-06-10
Great, until...
I made a few circuits for some practical effects in a show, and as a lighting designer and master electrician it's very helpful to make them on the go, send them off, and have the practical test ready when I get in. However, in sharing a folder out, I lost everything in it on the first try. It was only a few schematics, but I have to now make them again. Trying to load the circuit file into the app didn't work, and none of the schematics I made came up as visible (just blank pages).
So, while its nice to make these on the go, it's a little useless if I can't send them to anyone. I would say this would be well worth $10, if you could share the folders successfully. Otherwise, it's very useless organizationally.
(Also, you can't save anything as a PDF to iCloud Drive, which is just weird).
2016-05-20
A Very Good App (Update 2016)
Been using this App on both the iPad and a MAC for several years. There have been numerous updates that have greatly improved the App.
Overall iCircuits does a very good job of simulating digital and analog circuits. There are a fair number of basic analog and digital components. It's a good App to try basic circuit ideas before building them up on a bread board.
Have upgraded to iPad Pro allowing the use of a stylus. This had made inputing circuit elements much easier as is with the MAC version. That said the functionality of both versions is the same.
Overall iCircuits is well worth the money.
2016-05-18
Great app but,..
I'm having the same issue with deleting components. Very aggravating.
2016-04-30
Great App!
If you want to see how stuff works electrically this is the app. Been working great since my 5s and now my 6+ make this app a valuable tool that you should not be without.
Support was fast, friendly and responsive, sorry I haven't needed support in a while.
Nice job!
2016-04-23
It won't even open
I'm supposed to be able to use this for school, and can't all. It's downloaded, and everyone was given their codes and they use Canute theirs. I can't even open mine because all it does is display waiting beneath the app icon as if it were finishing a download. There's nothing to download because it was already done. I don't want to delete the app and then risk having to pay for it to download it again. Thank you for causing me to not be able to finish my labs and such.
2016-03-25
Great app
Just starting in electronics and find this app great for simulation. A lot friendlier than any of the spice apps. Moving components can be a tricky and rotating the push button switch is nearly impossible. Adding a few more buttons to ease manipulation of components should go a long way. Runs beautifully on my iPad Pro.
2016-02-23
A little more effort in the gui usability would go a long way
I would love the song much better if I could delete or manage the breadboard easier I feel like it's impossible to delete things sometimes otherwise I think is a great program
2016-02-12
I demand my money
they charged me 92 cents more
2016-01-17
It works again on 7.1.2
Thanks for the quick bug fix to allow iOS 7.1.2.
2016-01-13
Electrical engineering student approved!
I love this app! It has helped me with many homework questions and lab questions. Even my professor likes it!
2016-01-07
Amazingly useful for both learning and creating.
I will freely admit that I am only a dabbler in electronics. However, it is really nice to have a tool that lets me stop and think about what I'm doing, and visualize the results. I have learned quite a bit from using this app, and it has provided me with a way to test out ideas for I commit myself to actually creating them.
However, I have to take one star off for completely inadequate VoiceOver support. Because I am visually impaired, use VoiceOver quite often to assist me with soft for that is visually challenging. It's always very jarring to find out that I can't do things like select items on voiceoverVoiceOver is turned on.
2016-01-04
Really Great App for Electronics Hobbyists
This is one app I always come back to, whether designing a circuit, or something as simple as drawing out a two-way light switch. If you have ever breadboarded circuits, this is a way to do it without all of the soldering and procuring parts. Full testing capabilities, oscilloscope and voltmeter built in as well. It's like having a virtual electronics lab. Truly a great app!
2015-12-29
Had this in the past
I'm seeing reviews griping about not being able to delete circuits and figured I'd try and see if this issue still exists and I can say, at least on an iPhone 6, I had no issues deleting things. Just tap what you want, it'll turn blue, tap it again, and the menu pops up.
2015-12-13
updated review
after using it for some time, this app has really grown on me. its a powerful little app.
2015-11-28
Ugh.
Ok, so I'm not an EE, just a software guy learning.
To me the discovery of this app is wonderful!! It's like having my old 150 in 1 electronics kit again, but without the smell of burned components.
GarageBand for circuits...
ok, now that I'm using it more... the UI needs help. I have modified the examples, but shouldn't they be read-only? How do I put them back? How do I delete switches? When I go to tap them, instead of delete, i move the switch. Why doesn't the (i) thing for a component allow delete?
2015-10-29
Enjoy the app!
I am not an engineer, but ticker around with electronics. I really like this app.
2015-10-17
Interesting yet unusable
This app is interesting and a useful learning tool as long as you don't want to create anything new. With the latest version it crashes every time I try and edit a parameter of a circuit component I've placed.
2015-10-03
Most awesome "but yet" fully realized App
This is like someone giving you a Ferrari, but without keys to start the engine. The dev could complete less than 1% of the original work to produce this app, but obviously refuses to do so. When you can't delete or move a wire, it kind of defeats the whole purpose of owning this app...(because it becomes the Ferrari you don't have the keys to drive). I'd be ok with even an in-app additional purchase of $50 bucks, to get those keys, but try convincing the developer to add a wire delete or move...probably won't happen.
2015-09-25
Storage Options
Can you add more storage options like google drive?
2015-09-22
UI Issues
I absolutely love this app if only the user interface was designed better. If there was a tool bar that had erase,pan,draw it would definitely be five stars.
2015-09-19
Unusable due to UI issue
I purchased this app to help with an electrical engineering circuit design class. Upon downloading and installing, I was initially impressed with the design simplicity, and unique style that this app has. I attempted to model some simple circuits, but then I found a fatal flaw.
Once an element is placed and saved, and unable to undo, it is nearly impossible to delete. This is largely do to the incredibly touchy nature of the UI on iPad. The UI demands that in order to delete a circuit element, you must select it, and momentarily press the element in order for the option menu. The menu then lets you delete it. However getting this menu is nearly impossible, because if your finger moves even the most fractional amount, the interface does not recognize the press. I've found that I would try to press 10+ times on an element just to get the menu, and this is simply unnacceptable. Until they patch this problem, this app is unpractical for any application. Once they patch the issue, I will happily recant my review.
2015-09-01
Awesome app, easy to use and great features
This is an awesome app to design circuits, it looks absolutely beautiful, way better than multisim, but Sometimes the readings are not accurate. Therefore 4 stars instead of 5... Hopefully they will upgrade this app, for 10 dlls. It seems expensive, but as long as they update and fix the accuracy of the measurements, then it's the perfect app!
Extremely helpful for you electronics aficionados...
Best way to create a schematic and test it before the breadboard.
Awesome.
2015-08-15
Great! Spice on iOS.
This is a very well done full fledged spice frontend that has remarkably good performance despite being on a mobile platform. This may not include real part models (LM324 op amps or IRZ44 mosfets) though you can add your own subcircuit parts easily. The live current flow works great, though you need to adjust the time step to a much smaller interval than what the simulation otherwise needs to get it to work really well - which is to be expected. It's great for teaching or visualizing filters or switching circuits. Just remember to use electron flow - it actually reflects reality and the pin names of semiconductors only make sense in this context. The "convention" is looking at the flow bubbles instead of the flow of the water itself.
2015-07-10
Used To be A Four Star Awesome
I used to enjoy using this app for prototyping and testing out schematics before designing them until
- App crashes when I hit the info (i) button
- There is no longer a "re-do" option when I end up pressing the undo by mistake
Please fix these!
2015-05-18
Spectacular for the beginner.
Just a first rate education tool. If you are reading through AoE for the first time or are in an EE program in college you must get this app.
The only thing that I’d like to see improved is the UI around deleting elements. It’s a bit laborious.
2015-05-11
Several Issues
- subcircuits within subcircuits do not function
- creating new folders is impossible
- deleting push switches requires selecting their containing circuit and deleting the whole thing
- dragging and dropping elements without even touching wires sometimes creates singular matrix or 0 resistance error
- oscilloscope does not display smoothly at some frequencies
- deleting circuit elements is cumbersome
- creating on/off switches is cumbersome
- I don't see a way to make bode plots
Obviously from my rating, the app works really well other than these issues, so if you can live with them, it's worth the $10.
2015-04-04
Almost there...
The app seems great, but is useless to me until negative voltage regulators are added. Hurry please!
2015-03-31
Love the app, hate the new bugs...
Great app for quick circuit modeling and representation. Unfortunately the latest 1.8 update renders this app unusable... When working, this is hands down the best intuitive circuit app for any new to the field or experienced engineer.
2015-03-30
Bad App
Worked great at first, now unusable. Don't waste your money.
2015-03-30
Crashes Immediately
Like many others have reported, this app does nothing but crashed immediately after opening.
2015-02-09
Meets and exceeds expectations
Yes this is a great app, and absolutely indispensable for anyone learning or doing electronics. You can visualize voltage and current for every part of a circuit right there within the components and wires. It's one thing reading equations for an RLC circuit and another to watch it happening live, for example. You can also have your iOS device be a mic or accelerometer input, and output sound to your speakers. Adding components is easy, as is changing their parameters on the fly. Looking forward to what new features are added in the future.
2014-08-21
This app has potential!
I think this is a fantastic app at a fantastic price. I've never had problems with its functions, and it has always performed very well with how I use it. For iPad, it's an extremely powerful app and I don't think it deserves some of the negative reviews it has so far.
The only reason why I didn't give it 5 stars is the user interface. It is very sensitive and unlike traditional iPad interface. It can get frustrating. Anyways, nice job. Keep the updates coming!
2014-08-15
Easy to use, fast simulation app
I've used this app for awhile now and this new version adds syncing ability with iCloud and a few new components. Several circuits I had saved did get lost during the update and many others now crash on the iPad. Rebuilding the circuit fixes this but I shouldn't have to rebuild everything just because of an update.
The app is very easy to use and fast for basic simulation needs.
The new appearance is fairly similar, but moving the buttons around is an annoyance for longer term users. There should be some options for selecting the button locations rather than no options at all. The scope behaves differently, not sure if it is better or worse yet. The response time of the over circuit voltages and currents is significantly faster versus previous versions.
Overall, if you need to build a quick circuit and want a near instant result this is the app to get. A new user will be pleasantly surprised with the speed and agility that circuits can be made. The app always has experienced occasional crashes and from what I can tell still does.
2013-12-30
Great App!
This is a great app. Granted it would be difficult to write a full simulation tool for a micro controller-based platform so we can't expect too much, but it is a great app for mobile platforms.
My most immediate item on my wish list is a trigger input for the oscilloscope.
The app does crashes a lot though. I'm running on an iPad Air/iOS 7. It seems to crash most when doing more complex analog circuits, like basic switching power supplies (basic buck booster).
The scope doesn't seem to output the correct output for diodes. Instead of clipping, the signal is scaled and offsetted.
It would be nice to indicate device failure if too much voltage or current is fed. For instance, 120v can be fed into a LED and it just lights up. This might give us a false sense of security when we go build our circuits.
There are other things to be added and fixed, but I still use this app on a daily basis for small circuits.
Great job!
2013-08-30
Overall excellent!
This app is very well constructed. I am teaching a Circuits Course at a US university, and plan to integrate the app into my class room instruction. I like the current flow animation a lot. As many reviews have stated, this is a very intuitive app to run. They all should be like this!
The only reason I did not give 5 stars is that I have found some cases with dependent sources where it does not work (I think I have the syntax correct). If this were updated I would give this 5+ stars in a heartbeat. I even plan to draw all circuits schematics for HWs via this software. MUCH better than anything Microsoft has constructed. Well worth $10 for an instructor, and I would imagine also for students.
2013-08-21
Pretty great app, probably blows away the competition, could still use some basic improvements
This app has most of the basic passive and active components you might need, plus some more complex parts like digital gates, op amp, and some larger packages. The simulation aspect also seems pretty accurate, I've built a working joule thief so it does inductive coupling in transformers accurately.
Some of my cons:
1 - Needs a delete button. I want to be able to quickly click on a part and then click the delete button, not hover for a second and wait for the bar to pop up, and sometimes it doesn't register.
2 - Needs discrete scope probes as parts you can add to the circuit. Maybe even voltmeter and ammeter parts that can be added. Like some SPICE sims have, it's more intuitive. And also the support for the probe itself to display whatever it's measuring right there on the circuit, maybe in a text label, so I don't have to switch back and forth from circuit to scope.
3 - The scrolling through parts could be better implemented. Sometimes it gets hung up because it doesn't know if I'm trying to scroll or drag a part. Maybe a separate bar to scroll with.
4 - More parts, of course, and also part folders with some kind of organization.
Overall though, it's a great app, the highest quality circuit sim you'll find. If you need to simulate, fork out the 10 bucks. It's worth it.
2013-07-06
Finally!
As a professional electronics engineer, I've always found engineering apps to be seriously lacking... until this one. It is so nice to be able to explore ideas away from the desk: sketch it out, simulate it and get trustworthy results. Also, the performance is quite good on my 1st generation iPad.
The things I'd really like to see in future versions are:
1. Add triggering capability to the oscilloscope. I have to constantly stop the simulation in order to examine a waveform in detail.
2. Add markers to the oscilloscope.
3. When a wire is deleted, the entire length of wire is removed, not just a section of it.
4. Add the ability to select and move, or delete multiple items. Theres an edit mode where wires can be drawn, maybe add a delete mode where tapping an item deletes it. Also a move mode where items can be repositioned easily.
In conclusion, this is a great app that has truly added value to my professional life. This app is well written and quite worth the price.
2013-03-29
Impressive
The guy behind this app -- Frank Krueger -- did a great job. I'm really impressed.
Tweaking circuits in iCircuit is faster than on a breadboard. iCircuit is a huge help in analyzing and understanding schematics you find on the Internet, and also actual circuitry for which you don't have any schematics.
It's also more valuable than many emulators running on your computer, simply because of the iPad's portability. Just carry it into your workshop, plunk it down next to your project, and get to work.
2013-03-20
Great on-the-go circuit editing and simulation
Love having this capability in my pocket. Works great for statically biased circuits. The simulator loses it's mind on occasion when your circuit has stuff like floating nodes.
The circuit editing is a bit fussy since there are so many handles to grab with your fat fingers. It's easier to use on an iPad than an iPhone, but the portability is the real plus to me.
Once you figure out what it can and can't do it becomes a super useful tool for goofing around with circuit ideas and checking your understanding of a new circuit idea.
2013-03-18
Uh, guys... ?
I just paid $10 for an app that gives a 'loop with no resistance' error on the most basic of circuits... one where there is very DEFINITELY resistance: place two DC sources on separate current loops through a single resistance (the visual- sources left and right, resistance in between, polarity of the sources such that each current loop would pass same direction through resistor... like looking at an electric mixer running... ).
My guess is that this is a function of lack of internal resistance in a battery source? Even considering this, the above scenario should still work given identical DC sources. Still, this is an amateur glitch in an otherwise excellent program.
Also, drawing neat circuits is nearly impossible. The wires seem to refuse to travel in a straight line, making instead odd unnecessary right-angle detours around... well... around NOTHING. Frustrating! And to correct this, you have to manipulate the size of the components and then are left to delete all of the leftover wire bits. And if the wire is one 'square' long, you have to first extend the size of the wire just to be able to select it for deletion. SLOPPY!
So close to being a great app... I'm gonna contact these guys. Will update if I get a response. Or if I don't...
2013-03-17
maybe
buggy. I think the app is ok, but as I make revisions (like undo) then zoomed windows register by the top margin only. this makes it impossible to zoom on the lower portions. there's more, but I'm too frustrated now to focus on them (there are several...) ok, if you're trying to relocate a selected item, then it scrolls instead. the text labels when copied and pasted appear in seemingly random places... hard to describe? let me try... copy a text label, try to paste in general area, appears in top-left corner of rather large hi-lighted area in unrelated area. this means it must be dragged to a more specific location (remember how it can be difficult to relocate...)
2013-03-10
Great App works for my Science Olympiad needs
Great App works for my Science Olympiad needs. The only improvement that I could suggest, is to allow the user the ability to type in values for resistance and the other values for components the sliding function is so frustrating when I am trying achieve 1.1 ohms and I get every thing except that. An automatic VIRP table would be great, so that you see the measurements for each component and the circuits total in one place.
2013-03-10
Pretty cool app
Overall, this app is pretty cool. It is awesome in the circuit simulation category. I love all the options for circuit components. Would love to see some microcontroller options someday. The only reason it's not a five star for me is some little things with the user interface. For instance, trying to select a wire for deletion is a pain in the behind. And unless you have the info box for a component in the upper third of the screen, it becomes impossible to actually see what values you enter until your done. Other than those two things, this has quickly become one of my favorite apps.
2013-03-04
Excellent learning tool
I am enjoying the usability of this ap. Not so complicated as the spice model as far as flipping back and forth through simulation data. Instead the the simulation takes place as you build the circuit, so you can see how the different components interact. The use of the meter and the scope is genius.
The only nocks against this app are the limited component library and the fact that you can't move the meter scope leads from an a-b configuration to say a and c in an a,b,c,d circuit. You can do a-b, b-c, c-d, and d-a, but to go from two points that aren't right next to each other, is a no go. This however does not seem to limit the app as much as you would think as you can display all the readings on every part of the circuit at the same time. So you can see instantly the pertinent numbers.
2013-01-23
Great app. Easy to use. Functional. Mostly complete.
I'm an Electrical Engineering student and lab assistant. For my job as a lab assistant, this app is great for demonstrations to the new students. It is also great for hobbyist applications. I really appreciate the simplicity of the user interface. It's really easy to use and I love the included oscilloscope and DMM. Way easier to use than several programs that I've tried previously. The biggest downside that this program has is that you can't create your own symbols. For most of my applications I require the ability to take a full sheet, turn it into a symbol and include that symbol in another schematic. This app is entirely devoid of that option, insofar as I am aware. That is the one feature I wish this app had that it is lacking. Other than that, it's a wonderfully well made app.
2013-01-19
iCircuit
This sim is o.k. The Scope feature needs to be improved, it's a bit complex to figure how to show the correct frequency and at times just does not function. Wave forms do not seem to display correctly, example, when looking at wave forms through each stage of an inverter, there was no difference between the wave forms. Maybe better explanation of the scope feature and how to configure it. The sim does seem to have issues sometimes with real world circuits when placed in the sim. Changing of capacitor values in oscillator circuits often are not reflected immediately in the scope. Overall for the price, not bad. Kind of a pain to use on the iPad.
2013-01-12
Accuracy and support concerns
My initial impressions of this app are that it's probably the best circuit simulator currently available for IOS, but that I can't be confident of the results. Based upon my understanding of transformer primary and secondary winding currents displayed on the simulator's scope, power does not appear to be conserved across the windings as it should be. I may be misinterpreting the scope readings. I emailed the developer, but I've received no reply. The user forum is a great means by which users can share insights and help each other, but many questions go unanswered, and the developer rarely posts responses. This app has great potential, and I'm happy to have supported its developer by purchasing it. But my initial experience suggests that simulation results should be carefully scrutinized and that prospects for getting assistance are limited.
2012-12-17
Good, but could be better... still
Really, I was more excited about this app before going around with it...
Some problems with component models (JFET being the most clear example of it... positive Vgs on a n-channel JFET won't make the gate conduct, witch is quite wrong) added to the impossibility of making a oscillator function correctly (every design will oscillate at 64Hz or 128Hz, regardless of the time constants and so) and a pesky bug that makes the app crash after using the scope for the first time...
Sincerely, it needs fixing and improvements (adding vaccum tubes, for example, would be really nice)... US$9,99 is starting to sound a little too much to spend on it...
2012-11-04
Worth the price.
I got this to teach myself electronics. So far, so good. The app has a great user interface -- it seemed easy and intuitive to figure out for me, and I'm a total noob when it comes to the subject of electronics. Kudos on that!
This isn't a criticism, but I'd say there is room improvement in this app, like the addition of a shared online library of user-created circuits with a rating system and comments, etc. More different micro-controllers and other gizmos to plop down. Wouldn't it be cool if you could put in a Mouser or Digikey part number and have it create the item into your circuit directly? There's some potential ad revenue in that! And a few further refinements to usability, stability, etc. which are already good but there's always room to improve.
2012-10-31
Great app for the beginning electronics geek
This is not in the same league as pro grade multi thousands $$$ spice simulators, but it's the same concept, just simplified down for the intended hobbyist user. Real time simulation is unique in this oat bracket, and integration with the iPad's built-in sensors and I/O devices is also a neat, unique feature.
Great for simulating circuits out of Forrest M. Mims books. See what an Atari Punk Console does before actually building one, and so on. I file this under "stuff I wish I had when I was getting started at 12 years old."
2012-10-09
Excellent tool to teach circuit analysis
I teach in college the theory behind icircuits that is called "matrix modal analysis". My students develop the matrices and perform the operations to compute voltage differentials and currents. After that using icircuits they build the circuit and feel how the computer is performing the same matrix operations in the background. Great tool for faculty and students!
Reading the reviews, I saw one saying that icircuits teaches the principles of series and parallel. This statement is completely wrong because the computer does not have eyes to see series and parallels which are obsolete concepts in computer based circuit analysis.
2012-09-02
Needs Measurement Device Representation in Circuit Diagram
Please include the ability to add an ammeter/voltmeter/ohmmeter/oscilloscope/function generator/etc. in the circuit diagram itself! Even if they're not actively functional (although obviously that would be ideal), I need to represent those features connected with the circuit to show in my lab report! Other than that, I like the app interface in general. Great design, but it doesn't do what I need at present.
PS. Also, please consider adding a resistor color-code scroll wheel utility for setting the value of resistors. (See "ResistorCC" in app store for reference.) This would eliminate the scroll-bar issue (at least for that element) and help bridge the connection between the digital prototype and the physical lab, making it easier to go from the screen to the bread-board! You could also add scroll wheel settings to set the values of other elements as well apart from color-coding, but it doesn't make sense not to for resistors.
Thanks, looking forward to the next update!
2012-05-21
Finally, a circuit building app…and it's great!
I had been looking for an app for iOS or Mac for building circuit schematics, akin to CircuitMaker for Windows, for quite a while. Finally, I came across iCircuit and must say, I'm greatly satisfied. It may seem a little pricy at $9.99, but it's worth it. It's Universal and a desktop-quality app. Building is easy, the live circuit simulation is great and making/using subcircuits is a breeze. If you're an electrical/electronics person who is interested in design, it's a must have.
2012-04-21
Good but could be better.
Although I have a background in programming software, I could still learn a few things about hardware. I purchased this app to learn.. However, I am having a hard time doing so with ONLY examples. Maybe a description menu of each part could be added? Also, controlling and adding wires is a pain.. They never seem to follow my finger, but tries to take another path for some reason (it's not because that path is shorter from its destination, because I have plenty of examples of when it isn't). Also, a permanent menu should be added to copy, past and delete. It's too hard and time consuming the way it is right now (mainly the deleting part)... Also, perhaps you could add an editing menu to LEDs to change the color? I would like to have other colors besides red.
I'm still new to this app, so maybe my complaints are only because of my lack of experience. I look forward to future updates and my rating will be higher :)
2012-04-19
Great for conceptual work
I use iCircuit in my classes to demonstrate more complicated circuits than we have time to build by hand. Just today, one of my students wanted to look at circuit models of neurons. She'd had never used the app before, but she was able to construct an example model she found online in less than 10 minutes and we were able to get a good sense of how the circuit works.
I have found the app invaluable for teaching circuits, though there are limitation. On my iPad 2s that I have in my classroom, the app will crash when you build a circuit that oscillates with a high frequency. While this isn't a full circuit simulator and it has it's limitations, it's a great classroom tool and well worth the price.
2012-04-03
Keeps improving!!
I got this app when it had mostly just a resistor capacitor inductor op amp and a diode with the standard voltage devices. In the beginning I was sad to see a limited number of parts so I gave it at 4 stars.
Since i had my circuits class, when i bought this app, it's had vast amounts of improvements. I can't say enough of how much I jump with joy every time I see an update for this app. I bought a digital storage oscilloscope for debugging prototype boards. I've confirmed its accuracy with my real circuits and scope after "trusting" it's virtual scope's accuracy for many months of use. That makes me a true believer in this app and hopefully others find it as useful for themselves!
2012-01-05
Love this app
I teach a high school electronics course and this has really helped students visualize what is happening in the circuit. My only complaint is when I try and use the RCA adapter for my iPad to connect it to my projector the meter is always open and obstructs the circuit, so I end up using my document camera instead. I thought about trying a VGA adaptor but then I would have to disconnect and re connect my computer. Other than that thanks for the great app, and keep adding components.
2011-12-13
Frustrated. Wasted money.
I just threw away $10. It is horribly frustrating. I rigged a simple cap charging via resistor from a battery.
Scope page can't be zoomed w common iPhone pinch move. All I saw was some spasmatic line flopping on the scope. Appears I can't set scope for more than the millivolt level and even messing w manual config screen no matter what I couldn't just see the simple cap volt charge up curve.
I entered inspector for all my parts and clicked all around, changed settings, etc. I poked around what I believe was every screen in program. I saw the yellow electron ants moving on schematic, just couldn't get anything useful on scope plot screen.
I went to the website for this app and read the 'user manual' which was useless. It did take reading the manual to find the secret handshake needed to just get a signal on the scope in the first place.
I work w real and software scopes every day at work and couldn't see one single useful level in this app. Messed w it for over 30 min. A shame b/c I had high hopes. I feel screwed out of my money.
2011-11-13
Excellent!
I'm always cautious about upgrading an app that worked so well but I'm glad to report this one works excellent even on my iPad1 with sys ver 3.2.2. I have many productivity apps and this is easily one of my favorites. I would highly recommend it to any iPad owner who works with or is really interested in electronics on almost any level from curious experimenter / inventors through designers, engineers, scientists, etc. Can see this is also powerful tool to aid troubleshooting systems from on the bench to out in the field.
2011-11-03
Great app
I am an electrical engineer, I ran a few analog models to see how they compare to my idealized pencil and paper analysis; the simulations were nearly right on. The user interface takes some getting used to but once you use it a few times it becomes second nature. This app is great for for checking your ideal analysis. The only way to improve this app is to allow the user to modify more of the components electrical characteristics so they more closely match the real components.
A truly great app! Makes me wonder why my company paid thousands for the professional program I have been using.
2011-10-27
Safe, inexpensive learning.
Can easily master using this app without detailed instructions. Perfect for the student, hobbyist , and perhaps some professionals. Could always use more components but there is sufficient for most prototyping. Haven't tested the upper limit of simulation on an iPhone 4 but is more than adequate performance for small (<100) elements. Scope is nice. Using with iPad would be a big plus. Buy it if you are prototyping small/med circuits and it will save you valuable time.
2011-10-26
The new version turns this into a must have app.
I was one of the folks who regretted spending the money in this app when it first came out. However the updated feature set, bug fixes, and improved UI make this an incredible app for anyone interested in the field... When I threw together an inductor circuit and was able to actually WATCH the resistance to current change, the flip a switch in my circuit and WATCH as the field collapsed, all I could do was smile.
A+++++. There is some genius behind this app, and it finally has the interface and use-ability it deserves.
2011-10-17
4.5 stars
Not quite 5 stars and 4 seems too low for an app with so many cool things and also with so much potential. Very fluid and it's exactly what I've always envisioned a circuit simulator to be like (I've often daydreamed of creating something like this while fumbling around in pSpice). Great use of the touch UI. It's genius in its simplicity. But therein lies my issue with this app. It's too simple at times. I want more power, more circuit elements and options (e.g. Tubes, frequency analysis, etc...). Even though it's missing these things (most of this is probably limited by the iPad hardware), it's still really cool. A little on the pricey side but still great. I can't wait to see what this app has to bring in the future!
PS, please add tubes :)
2011-10-05
Great idea poor finish
I like the concept of this app, it gives me access to circuit modeling software when I am not siting down in front of a computer so that I can do some BASIC checking, which I fine by me however that being said it is very cumbersome to use so it can be very time consuming to design basic circuits. That's not the problem I have with it though, why is there a slide bar for dialing in component values? That bar virtually eliminates the ability of the user to actually do any kind of accurate circuit analysis on even the most basic circuits. Please give us a keyboard to use I'm begging you.
2011-07-23
Unbelievable!
This app made my life so much easier. I've already solved a couple of issues at my job using the simulator to confirm theories I had about some buggy circuits. it's like a virtual breadboard, scope, power supply, and function generator all rolled into one without the quirkiness of other simulators and much easier on-the-fly editing.
There's definitely room to expand the features (more customizable electrical properties, additional components, fixed speeds for certain current values, etc.), but I'm still very impressed at how much has been achieved thus far.
2011-05-03
Great app
One of a kind, highly recommend the app. Thanks for putting this together and for listening to the fans of the app. Great updates, much more user friendly UI.
Replacing the delete and add buttons with a submenu that includes add copy and delete is probably a good idea. Adding a save button in there too would make me feel better about closing my circuit even though it saves fine. Even on the iphone with its small screen, the edit button would be great. The double tap is a little clumbsy.
2011-03-19
Not there yet
It's UI is not intuitive and difficult to use. Try panning a page or finding an A/C source. The behavior of the parts drawer is very clunky. You tap to open it and if you take a moment to think, it will close on you. Why not "tap to close" and give the whole thing an icon in the control bar with the other icons... And those slider controls! They snap back like rubber bands when you get to the end! Why not use spinners?
You get a 7 segment display, but no decoder/driver!
The "Tips" are REQUIRED reading. Take my word for it. But I must say, for all its many flaws, it has potential to be great. Assuming the developer makes frequent updates to get pass the current issues. The last update (almost 7 months ago) isn't looking to good for that happening though. If this is all there is, I say keep your money...
2010-11-23
Can't change amperage on DC line
The app is great except they left out 1 very important thing, the ability to change the amperage on the incoming DC or any voltage. This wouldn't be a problem except the starting amperage is 1 MilliAmp!!!! So while you can monitor any line at a glance by simply clicking on and telling it to show voltage and amperage, the amperage always reads 0 since the initial amperage is always 1MA. It's stupid decisions like this that ruin a great app.
I wouldn't care except the fact that I'm mostly working with circuits that use transistors and I need to know the current at the base.
Oh well, will just wait and hope for an update that fixes it.
2010-09-19
Unbelievable!!!
I will never need to use my breadboards again. I can build op amp circuits right here. My scope will probably gather some dust too. In a few minutes I built a sine wave generator, tweaked values to get the frequency and voltage I wanted and then emailed the circuit to my brother. LOL! Your product description does not do it justice at all. You should name every component in this virtual breadboard. I have been searching on "op amp" for months. Never saw iCircuit before. Worth 50 bucks. The only thing missing is the smell of solder. LOL! What a buy!!!!!!!
2010-09-14
Finally
I only used this app for a day and it cleared up so many questions. I have built circuits with the expensive programs that is provided at my University but none of them were as insightful as this program. All the books that I have read and all the power point lectures I sat through and all the labs can't amount to what I have in my hands now! I have a couple of projects coming and this will look great as a visual aid for a presentation. I will end this comment soon because no one likes long reviews.
Awesome job! I will put it to use for some homework too! (after all the hand calculations of course)
2010-08-05
Fantastic tool for any Visual Learner
Any student, hobbyist or expert in electronics would benefit from this application. Allows you to visually understand how the current flows throughout a circuit. I've used the java browser based version of this in the past and I'm very happy to come to the iPad/iPhone for away from from the computer mockups. I gave it 5 stars because it does a great job at what it's primary purpose is to but a couple upgrades I'd like to see in the future are the capability to present the rms and average value in the oscilloscope view. A great start indeed, highly recommended.
2010-08-01
Support the students!
I graduated in 1991 and we didn't have computers in our lab for analysis ... A program like this would have straightened the learning curve just a bit more than it was. Being able to connect as many senses as we can enhances the learning experience and makes the knowledge stick.
I bought this app to support the students out there in hopes the developer continues to develop this app into something irreplaceable for both students and working engineers. Collaboration among colleges for example: If I have a circuit that won't do what I need it to do, let me share it with someone else and get a second pair of eyeballs on it.
I look forward to tinkering with some ideas i've had for a while now but never went out to get the materials to play with it. This app should be all I need.
Mike
2010-07-29
Very impressed
I would have loved to have this app last semester during circuits lab. PSPICE has kept me from leaving my laptop at home, but no longer, and good riddance. This app is brainlessly simple to use, and the simulations are extremely accurate. I just finished using it for an electronics lab simulation using a network of transistors, and I was able to do so at a fraction of the time it took me in PSPICE with nearly identical results. The issues with this app are quite minimal, a couple crashes while tinkering with part settings but none lost any work.
Add the ability to do DC/AC sweeps and I won't have much need for anything else, although the multimeter is sufficient for most things.