At embedded world 2026, on the DigiKey booth, Paige Hookway speaks with Mike Engelhardt, Founder at QSPICE about an introduction to QSPICE and a look at recent updates.
Engelhardt, who also created LT Spice nearly three decades ago, presented QSPICE as a high-performance evolution of his original work, designed for accurate and robust analog and mixed-mode circuit simulation.
“QSPICE has outstanding Spice basics. It has outstanding mix-mode simulation capability, fast graphics with the GPU, and it helps engineers design circuits,” Engelhart explained. He emphasised that Q Spice is designed to be the benchmark in its field, using numerical methods that were not widely known ten years ago. “If you’re going to write a simulator, you have to know that you can write the very best one. That’s what QSPICE is,” he said.
QSPICE has been developed over many years with a focus on performance and usability. It offers GPU-accelerated graphics and advanced numerical methods, providing engineers with a tool that combines speed and precision. The software is designed to handle complex circuits efficiently, helping engineers streamline their design and testing processes. Engelhart described QSPICE as the benchmark in the field, emphasising that it incorporates simulation methods that were not widely known ten years ago.
One major update has been the addition of tools to generate JFET, MOSFET, and diode models directly from standard data sheet parameters. These tools allow engineers to digitise characteristics from PDFs and produce accurate simulation models in minutes rather than hours. This addresses a common challenge in analog simulation, where manufacturer-provided models are often limited or unavailable. By enabling engineers to generate models independently, Q Spice improves both workflow efficiency and the accuracy of early-stage designs.
The seasonal release of Pumpkin QSPICE in October introduced further enhancements, including the ability to implement device equations in Python, Rust, or Java, with automatic boilerplate code generation. Distributed simulation via Berkeley sockets was also added, allowing parts of the simulation to run across multiple machines. Additional updates included improvements to numerical methods, the IDE, and operational amplifier performance. These incremental enhancements collectively strengthened Q Spice’s functionality and versatility for engineering teams.
For new users, the simulator’s speed and robustness are immediately apparent. Engelhart aims for engineers to notice the performance advantage compared with other tools, particularly in handling complex or large-scale simulations. Looking ahead, Q Spice is expanding support for lateral semiconductor devices, such as GAN, with native models in development. These improvements will enhance the simulator’s capabilities for next-generation electronics design.
Overall, QSPICE continues to evolve as a professional-grade tool for circuit designers, combining technical depth, user-focused improvements, and a growing range of capabilities that address both standard and emerging design challenges. Seasonal updates and model generation tools reflect Engelhart’s commitment to making simulation more efficient, accurate, and accessible for engineers worldwide.
Find out more in the interview below.
