2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

A persistent challenge in undergraduate engineering education lies in developing students’ intuitive understanding of circuit behavior. Contemporary learners are inherently experiential and benefit from pedagogical approaches that emphasize simulation, experimentation, and programming-based exploration. Traditional instructional methods, which rely heavily on static circuit diagrams and manual analytical techniques, often fail to effectively bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and practical hardware implementation. JSIM was conceived to address this disconnect by providing an interactive, real-time circuit simulation platform that unites theoretical circuit analysis with applied experimentation. Developed entirely in C++ using only standard libraries, JSIM performs nodal and mesh analyses efficiently, even on highly resource-constrained systems such as low-power microcontrollers. Through dynamic matrix construction and adaptive memory management, the software enables students to engage with circuit fundamentals in a manner consistent with computational and mathematical frameworks introduced in early engineering curricula. The current implementation of JSIM supports fundamental circuit elements, including voltage sources, current sources, resistors, capacitors, and inductors, facilitating the modeling and analysis of essential resistive and reactive networks. These capabilities make the platform particularly effective for investigating the frequency and time-domain behavior of fundamental filters, such as low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass configurations. Informed by educator feedback and prior conference discussions, JSIM 2.0 aims to extend the original framework by integrating basic hardware-based signal acquisition, digital signal processing functionality, and interoperability with other circuit simulators, most notably Falstad. This iteration seeks to incorporate an FFT-based spectral visualization as well as waveform capture at user-defined probe points, enabling near real-time comparison between simulated and experimentally measured circuit responses. By consolidating simulation, analysis, and measurement within a unified, portable platform, JSIM 2.0 reduces reliance on traditional laboratory instrumentation, streamlines instructional delivery, and enhances experiential learning outcomes. Classroom evaluations of JSIM 2.0 are forthcoming to assess its effectiveness in improving student comprehension, engagement, and instructional efficiency. This integrated approach strengthens the connection between programming and electrical engineering concepts, fostering a cohesive and application-driven understanding of embedded system design.