Spectrum Software
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | February 1980 |
| Founder | Andy Thompson |
| Defunct | July 4, 2019 |
| Headquarters | Sunnyvale , United States |
| Products | Micro-Cap, Logic Designer and Simulator, Circuit Designer and Simulator |
Spectrum Software was a software firm located in California that specialized in tools for electrical simulation and analysis, with its most recognized product being the circuit simulator Micro-Cap. Established in February 1980 by Andy Thompson, the company initially developed software tailored for Apple II platforms.
The company's first offering, Logic Designer and Simulator, debuted in June 1980 as the pioneering integrated circuit editor combined with a logic simulation system designed for personal computers. This early software laid the groundwork for what would later become Micro-Cap by enabling digital circuit design and simulation.
In August 1981, Spectrum introduced Circuit Designer and Simulator, an analog version that included a built-in text editor for circuit descriptions compatible with a straightforward linear analog simulator. Following this, the inaugural Micro-Cap package was launched in September 1982 as the evolution of its predecessor products. The term Micro-Cap is an abbreviation for Microcomputer Circuit Analysis Program.
Spectrum Software discontinued its business operations on July 4, 2019, at which point it made its software available as freeware. By early 2023, the company's website had been taken down.
External links
- Archive of Micro-Cap website (https://web.archive.org/web/20230219052113/http://www.spectrum-soft.com/index.shtm), February 19, 2023