Circuit Wizard alternative: digital logic in your browser
Circuit Wizard is electronics software from New Wave Concepts, a company in Cambridge, UK, that also makes Livewire, PCB Wizard, Control Studio and Bright Spark. Its maker describes it as a system that combines circuit design, PCB design, simulation and CAD/CAM in one package, and says its products are used in thousands of schools, colleges and businesses. It comes in Standard, Professional and Education editions, runs on Windows (the trial versions need an x86 processor and Windows XP or later, and simulate only the demonstration circuits), and its home page announces a new version as coming soon. If what you need is digital logic, from gates to a working CPU, digiwleea is a free alternative that runs in any browser.
What Circuit Wizard is good at
It covers a whole electronics project in one package: design the circuit, simulate it, then turn the same design into a PCB layout with CAD/CAM output. That makes it a natural fit for school projects where students build a real board at the end. (digiwleea is an independent project, not affiliated with New Wave Concepts.)
How digiwleea is different
digiwleea does one part of that job in more depth: digital logic. It simulates at the switch level (every wire is 0, 1 or floating), with no analog voltages, components or PCB layout. In exchange you build the gates themselves from CMOS transistors, then adders, latches, registers, RAM and an 8-bit CPU that runs a stored program, plus the assembly language behind it, through a 40+ level course where every part is checked against its truth table, with an AI tutor (Wleea). It runs in any modern browser, including school Chromebooks and phones, with nothing to install. For analog circuits and PCBs, Circuit Wizard (or a free option such as Falstad's simulator or EasyEDA) is the better choice.
| Circuit Wizard | digiwleea | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Windows | Any modern browser, Chromebooks and phones included |
| Simulates | Electronic circuits, as part of a design-to-PCB package | Digital logic at the switch level: 0, 1 and floating |
| PCB design | Yes, from the same circuit, with CAD/CAM output | No |
| Learning path | An Education edition for schools and colleges | A 40+ level course from transistor to CPU, with an AI tutor |
| Price | Paid editions (Standard, Professional, Education); a limited free trial | Free lab and Act I; Premium for the full course |
No sign-up is needed to start: open the lab and place your first transistor, or read the free theory course. The account (and the AI tutor) are optional.
More comparisons: Electronics and SPICE simulators
See for yourself: build a logic gate from transistors in the simulator, then follow the path from sand to an 8-bit CPU.
Open the digiwleea lab →Frequently asked
Is Circuit Wizard free?
No. It is sold in Standard, Professional and Education editions. Free trial versions are available from New Wave Concepts, but they simulate only the demonstration circuits.
Does Circuit Wizard run on a Chromebook or a Mac?
Its downloads are Windows programs (the trials need an x86 processor and Windows XP or later). digiwleea runs in the browser, so it works on Chromebooks, Macs, Linux and phones for digital logic.
Is there a free online alternative to Circuit Wizard?
For digital logic, digiwleea's lab and first course act are free in the browser. For analog circuits, Falstad's circuit simulator is free online, and EasyEDA covers schematics and PCB design in the browser.
Is Circuit Wizard good for learning digital logic?
It is a general electronics package that covers design, simulation and PCBs. digiwleea is built around digital logic alone: you build each gate from transistors and work up to a CPU, with every step checked.