The best firmware emulators, according to hackers
12 firmware emulators recommended in Hacker News comments over the past year, ranked by how many separate people recommend each one.
All firmware emulators
- VelxioBrowser-based emulator for Arduino, ESP32 and Raspberry Pi boards that runs with no setup, so projects can be tested without physical hardware. Critics say it takes away learning.21recommend
- DiodeBrowser-based tool to build, program and simulate circuits in 3D, valued for its visual simulation and approachability. Critics say it is clunky and hard to use.17recommend
- Circuit ArtistPeople recommend it for its elegant signal propagation simulation, including Elmore delay, and its attractive pixel-art visuals. No common caveat appears in the quotes.11recommend
- Esp32simRuns real ESP32 firmware in the browser, free and open source, so developers can test embedded projects without hardware. Critics say parts of the code look AI-generated.11recommend
- LTspiceFree circuit simulator that is quick, easy to use, and often has the model you need already ported. Critics say the interface is an acquired taste.10recommend
- SPICEFree, open-source circuit simulator that electronics engineers use to model analog behaviour before building. Critics note weak security history and that it wasn't built for programmers.8recommend
- CircuitJSFree, browser-based circuit simulator that people use to prototype analog circuits and teach electronics. Critics raised no recurring complaints.7recommend
- WokwiRecommended for simulating circuits and running integration tests without physical hardware, speeding up projects. Caveat: it is not like real hardware and carries a monthly cost.6recommend
- Falstad Circuit SimulatorFree circuit simulator people recommend for learning electronics basics, with a nice animated display.6recommend
- ngspiceFree circuit simulator that people use for real engineering work. Critics call its core code dated, say it assumes outdated systems, and find switching to xschem clumsy.5recommend
- NAND-16People recommend it as a smooth, interactive way to learn how a computer works from NAND gates, even on phones; the most common caveat is incorrect circuit rendering.5recommend
- SimanticDevelopers recommend it for timing-accurate firmware simulation with maintenance handled by the vendor. Critics doubt its viability and question its choice of microcontrollers.5recommend