LTSpice (MacOS version)

[jacomart]

Back several years ago in the days of LTspice IV, MacOS was the premier platform for LTspice, and Mr. Engelhard, the force behind LTspice, used it as his preference. There were some clever optimizations done to exploit the OS  facilities and in general, it was "the" version with the Windows version being the afterthought. I guess it's just changed with the new LTspice XVII. It might have also had something to do with Analog digesting Linear - not up on the details, but the MacOS version was not always the laggard until recently.

FWIW, I use both. I have a fast i7 desktop with powerful fans that I can let cook indefinitely to try to brute force converge something, and I also use the MacOS version on a MacBook Pro laptop when I travel, I fully expect both versions to work well, and in general, they do work well. There are some features that are missing from MacOS, and things like the file structure have been hidden inside of the MacOS "bundle" mechanism for years (but still accessible if you open the bundle), but overall, it's not significantly hobbled - I get good work done on both versions all day long.

FWIW, I have VMware Fusion on this laptop, so I could run the Windows version, but I choose not to - there's really little reason. So sure, it might be frustrating now and then, but the only thing I lament (that I can work around) is the inability to have a "Plot Defs" file where I can define functions to do a Tian probe easier. But, you can just enter the huge Tian probe expression manually (cut and paste) and it works - I have not been shut out of any feature 100%.

I am grateful that there are both versions, and I use them both, these days more than 40 hours a week, so I find them to be essential tools. Sure, a few things could be nicer on MacOS, but that's what we have now...

FWIW, TI also offers TinaTI, which I also use, especially when I have to deal with an encrypted TI model, and they now have a new version of Pspice, which I have yet to try out. So, there are some options out there, and yet still, I use the MacOS LTspice XVII probably the most of all.

First of all, thank you for sharing your experience, it's always very interesting to know the opinions of others. From a purely functional point of view I have no criticism for the macOS version of LTspice, my disappointment mainly concerns the user interface. I have been using Microsim PSpice since its version 1.0 and still and I have a v4.01 with which I toy with every now and then and which, as you can see, has y2k bug problems
Since then I have used all sorts of CAE programs deriving from Berkeley SPICE including those for RF such as Libra, Microwave Spice, MWoffice and all their more modern descendants until 2019 when, becomed a grouchy old engineer who hates badly designed user interfaces, I have happily retired.  8)

Cheers
JM

 

[Yash]

On my MBP, I run LTSpice via WINE.

The only thing you must be aware of is the macOS path to the LTSpice libs directory and other important directories and how to access them because sometimes you will want to install new items there.

Actually, I also now run LTSpice on my Ubuntu laptop via WINE.

That way, you stay in your main OS without having to install, configure and run a Virtual machine and Virtualised O.S.

It runs really well on both these platforms.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

From a purely functional point of view I have no criticism for the macOS version of LTspice, my disappointment mainly concerns the user interface.

After all, what is it you don't like in the UI?
I use only the Windows version, and I don't particularly like the UI. But it's not specific to LTspice, I have the same gripe with Paint, with Excel, with Eagle, with Autocad, with Design Spark, with Cura...

 

[Yash]

Personally, I tested both as I would have liked to stay within the macOS UI, but the mac version was less immediate for several functions, like two or more clicks/scroll to access some things versus 1 click on Windows.

Secondly, most of the existing tutorials you will find cover the Windows version.

And thirdly, the Windows version feels more snappy at the UI level, and that's even when I am using it on macOS via WINE.

 

[abbey road d enfer]

...the mac version was less immediate for several functions, like two or more clicks/scroll to access some things versus 1 click on Windows...

And thirdly, the Windows version feels more snappy at the UI level, and that's even when I am using it on macOS via WINE.

IMO it doesn't weighs much, sincevery often I spend much more time waiting for the simulation to end than actually entering commands or building schematics.

 

[Yash]

IMO it doesn't weighs much, sincevery often I spend much more time waiting for the simulation to end than actually entering commands or building schematics.

It's the total opposite for me: I make a lot of schematics and it is only on final sims with large parameter variations that I need it to run for longer periods of time, so editing and UI is a must for me.

My longest run was a 6 hour simulation run for caps and inductor characteristics as parameters in a PSU. Well worth it.

On short iterations I do much simpler sims which are very fast.