10 Must Learn Electrical Engineering Software

The job of an Electrical Engineer involves the design, development, simulation, prototyping, and testing of electrical equipment and systems. Electrical Engineering is based heavily on the use of various simulation software and programming skills. Here’s given a list of electrical engineering software every Electrical graduate must learn. These softwares help build a strong career path in electrical engineering, whether working in research & academia building components and systems as a field engineer. The mentioned softwares are used extensively in designing electrical engineering projects.

10 Must Learn Electrical Engineering Software for EE Graduates

1. MATLAB (Software for Numerical Computing)

MATLAB (MATrix LABarotary) is the most popular electrical engineering software among Electrical Engineering students. It was launched in 1983 by Mathworks Inc. and was one of the first commercial packages for linear algebra. It has evolved over time and has become the most comprehensive software for Numerical Computing, Dyanimc System Simulations, Algebraic Solutions, Symbolic Mathematics etc. It contains add-on packages (called Toolboxes) for various functionalities. Toolboxes provide built-in functions to perform numerical computations including but not limited to Ordinary & Partial Differential Equations, Optimization, Linear System Implementation, Linear Algebra, Control System Design, System Identification, Curve Fitting.

The programing language used in MATLAB (The software package) is also called Matlab. Matlab is a high-level programming language, it contains a good number of built-in functions to efficiently deal with matrices, numerical computations, symbolic mathematics etc.

2. Simulink (GUI based software for Dynamic System Simulation)

Simulink is the GUI based companion software for Matlab. It is powered by Matlab programming language. Many electrical engineers find Simulink much easier to use than MATLAB. When you use MATLAB^® and Simulink^® together, you combine textual and graphical programming to design your system in a simulation environment. Directly using the thousands of algorithms that are already in MATLAB. Use MATLAB to create input data sets to drive simulation. Run thousands of simulations in parallel. Then analyze and visualize the data in MATLAB.

Though Simulink is general-purpose software for implementing graphical simulation, it has a specialized toolbox for simulating Power Systems. It can be used to simulate, analyze renewable energy resources, transmission lines, electrical transients, standby switching of power supply.

3. Pspice (Electrical Schematic Software)

OrCAD EE PSpice is a SPICE circuit simulator application for simulation and verification of analog and mixed-signal circuits. PSpice is an acronym for Personal Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis.

OrCAD EE typically runs simulations for circuits defined in OrCAD Capture, and can optionally integrate with the MATLAB/Simulink, using the Simulink to PSpice Interface (SLPS). OrCAD Capture and PSpice Designer together provide a complete circuit simulation and verification solution with schematic entry, native analog, mixed-signal, and analysis engines.

PSpice was a modified version of the academically developed SPICE, and was commercialized by MicroSim in 1984. MicroSim was purchased by OrCAD a decade later in 1998.

The PSpice Advanced Analysis simulation capabilities cover various analyses- Sensitivity, Monte Carlo, Smoke (Stress), Optimizer, and Parametric Plotter providing in-depth understanding of circuit performance beyond basic validation. The OrCAD PSpice Simulink- PSpice Integration(SLPS) provides co-simulation and helps verify system-level behavior.

4. Multisim (Circuit Simulation & PCB Design Software)

Multisim integrates industry-standard SPICE simulation with an interactive schematic environment to instantly visualize and analyze electronic circuit behavior. Its intuitive interface helps educators reinforce circuit theory and improve retention of theory throughout engineering curriculum. By adding powerful circuit simulation and analyses to the design flow, Multisim helps researchers and designers reduce printed circuit board (PCB) prototype iterations and save development costs.

5. ETAP (An Electrical Engineering Software for Power Systems)

Being an industry-standard software, ETAP (Electrical Transient Analyzer Program) is a full spectrum analytical electrical engineering software company specializing in the analysis, simulation, monitoring, control, optimization, and automation of electrical power systems. The ETAP software offers the best and most comprehensive suite of integrated power system enterprise solution that spans from modeling to operation.

Various toolbars in ETAP provide functionality provide almost all the analyses needed to design, regulation and operation of a power system. ETAP can be used to perform Power Flow Analysis, Relay Coordination & Protection design, control system design, optimal power flow.

6. Power World Simulator (Visual Electrical Engineering Software software)

PowerWorld Simulator is an interactive power system simulation package designed to simulate high voltage power system operation on a time frame ranging from several minutes to several days. The software contains a highly effective power flow analysis package capable of efficiently solving systems of up to 250,000 buses.

The functionality of PowerWorld Simulator can be increased by adding serveral additional add-on to the base simulator package. The add-ons can be used for Distributed Computing, adding the effect of Geomagnetically Induced Currents (GIC), Integrated topology processing, optimal power flow, transient stability, voltage stability (PVQV) and many more.

7. PSCAD (Electromagnetic Transient Analysis Software)

PSCAD is an electrical engineering software package for electromagnetic transient analysis in power systems. It is developed by Manitoba Hydro Int. Ltd. based on the slogan “If you can dream it, you can simulate it

As power systems evolve, the need for accurate, intuitive simulation tools becomes more and more important. With PSCAD™/EMTDC™ you can build, simulate, and model your systems with ease, providing limitless possibilities in power system simulation. Included is a comprehensive library of system models ranging from simple passive elements and control functions to electric machines and other complex devices.

PSCAD has benefited from over 30 years of continuous research and development. We are inspired by the ideas and feedback from our global user base. This philosophy has helped establish PSCAD as the most popular power system transient simulation package available today.

8. PSS/E (An Electrical Engineering Software for Power System Simulations)

PSSE is used by planning and operations engineers, consultants, universities, and research labs around the world. PSSE allows you to perform a wide variety of analysis functions, including power flow, dynamics, short circuit, contingency analysis, optimal power flow, voltage stability, transient stability simulation, and much more.

9. LabVIEW (Designing Interfacing and HMIs)

LabVIEW (Laborartory Virtual Instruments Engineering Workbench) is a systems engineering software for applications that require test, measurement, and control with rapid access to hardware and data insights.

The LabVIEW software offers a graphical programming approach that helps you visualize every aspect of your application, including hardware configuration, measurement data, and debugging. This visualization makes it simple to integrate measurement hardware from any vendor, represent complex logic on the diagram, develop data analysis algorithms, and design custom engineering user interfaces.

For real-time control, LabVIEW is the best tool available in the market. It can connect with multiple devices to acquire data from sensors and control actuators based on processed data.

10. Keil uVision

For designing and testing embedded systems, microcontrollers are used extensively for control electrical instruments. Keil uVision provides an all-in-one solution for programming embedded devices.

The µVision IDE combines project management, run-time environment, build facilities, source code editing, and program debugging in a single powerful environment. µVision is easy-to-use and accelerates your embedded software development. µVision supports multiple screens and allows you to create individual window layouts anywhere on the visual surface. The µVision Debugger provides a single environment in which you may test, verify, and optimize your application code. The debugger includes traditional features like simple and complex breakpoints, watch windows, and execution control and provides full visibility to device peripherals.

Final Words

You may also want to read a case study of real-tim digital controller design using Matlab/Simulink and LabVIEW.

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