CRUMB

I’ve been using this simulator to follow the Ben Eater 8 bit computer series and I absolutely love this app. There’s a few quirks that you may run into but the fixes are rather straightforward at least for the iPad version. I’ve experienced some crashing on Mac which has been frustrating but overall, I’m in love!

I think the idea is very good, but implementation is bad. Making it 3d feels unnecessary and actually makes it difficult to place parts. Once on the breadboard, moving them seems impossible. I am repositioning everything but the part I want to move. Ultimately I spent 30 minutes placing like three pieces and eventually gave up. I understand this is an ambitious project, and using the unity engine imposes various constraints. That’s all understandable, but I think this app at least currently is a poor choice for rapid prototyping. I have no idea what other reviewers are doing, but working with basic electronic components and wires to connect things is just difficult and slow. I want a rapid prototyping app and this just isn’t it. It is a shame too, because it seems quite capable.

I discovered this app just as I was beginning to learn about electronics, and I’ve learned so much in the past week of using it! The examples have taught me a ton and I’ve learned way more from experimenting with this than I ever did with a real breadboard. There are tools to let you see what the voltage and current are doing and warn you when you make a mistake that would fry something. I’ve given five stars because I think the value I’ve gained far outweighs the cost I paid, but I do hope you keep improving it. The touch controls and UI can be a little flaky at times, and I would love to have more components, like MOSFETs, transformers, relays, AC power supply, and a little music player for learning how to build an amplifier. I’d also like to have many more examples of classic circuits to experiment with. Thanks for building this. It’s fantastic.