Freedom251 › Electrical Design Software
PLECS
What PLECS is
PLECS is desktop software for modeling and simulating power-electronic systems such as converters, motor drives, and control algorithms. Its component library spans electrical circuits, mechanics, magnetic circuits, thermal models, controls, and signal processing. Ideal on/off semiconductor switches and a two-step switching-event method support switched-system simulation. Lookup tables can calculate switching and conduction losses and junction temperature. Control blocks include continuous and discrete functions, PWM generators, state machines, and custom C code; the optional PLECS Coder generates real-time C code. Analysis tools include steady-state and small-signal studies, transfer functions, closed-loop gains, and state-space matrices. PLECS Standalone provides variable-step and fixed-step solvers, while PLECS Blockset runs inside MATLAB and Simulink. Scripts can use Octave, Python, or MATLAB. PLECS runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows and has a 30-day trial, but no free plan.
Who it suits
PLECS suits industrial companies, research labs, and technical universities developing power-electronic systems. It fits teams working on vehicles, renewable-energy equipment, inverters, or power supplies.
What it does well
- Models converters, motor drives, and controls
- Includes electrical, thermal, mechanical, and magnetic domains
- Provides steady-state and small-signal analyses
- Supports MATLAB, Python, and Octave scripts
- Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows
What to know first
- No free plan
- PLECS Blockset requires MATLAB and Simulink
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| PLECS trial license | Free fully functional trial for 30 days from the date the license is issued · Fully functional · 30 days | Free |
| PLECS Blockset Dongle License (commercial) | $11,200.00 for a permanent license, including 1 year of software maintenance service · Dongle license · commercial, government or personal use | $11,200, paid once |
| PLECS Blockset Concurrent License (commercial) | $16,000.00 for a permanent license, including 1 year of software maintenance service · Concurrent license · commercial, government or personal use | $16,000, paid once |
| PLECS Blockset Individual License (commercial) | $8,000.00 for a permanent license, including 1 year of software maintenance service · Individual license · commercial, government or personal use | $8,000, paid once |
| PLECS Standalone Individual License (commercial) | $8,000.00 for a permanent license, including 1 year of software maintenance service · Individual license · commercial, government or personal use | $8,000, paid once |
As plexim.com lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
PLECS focuses on detailed power-electronics modeling, simulation, analysis, and optional code generation. The paid licensing structure and Blockset dependency are important when selecting an edition.
Facts from PLECS's own pages
- Analysis tools
- PLECS provides steady-state and small-signal analyses, including open-loop transfer functions, closed-loop gains and state-space matrices. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Blockset dependency
- PLECS Blockset requires MATLAB and Simulink, and the maker lists support for Windows, Mac and Linux. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Controls and code generation
- Control blocks include continuous and discrete functions, PWM generators, state machines and custom C code; the optional PLECS Coder generates real-time C code. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- PLECS Blockset runs inside Simulink, and PLECS simulation scripts can automate simulations and process results using Octave, Python or MATLAB. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- Plexim identifies industrial companies, research labs and technical universities as customers, including teams developing electric cars, rail vehicles, wind turbines, solar inverters and power supplies. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Modeling domains
- Its component library covers electrical circuits, mechanics, magnetic circuits, thermal models, controls and signal processing. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Notable licensing limit
- PLECS Blockset commercial pricing lists individual, dongle and concurrent licenses; its annual lease costs 50% of the corresponding permanent license. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Platform support
- PLECS Standalone packages are listed for 64-bit Windows, Intel and ARM Mac, and Intel Linux. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- Plexim's privacy policy says it does not sell or rent personal information and describes limited sharing with infrastructure, service and business providers. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- PLECS models and simulates power electronic systems, including converters, motor drives and control algorithms. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Standalone edition
- PLECS Standalone is an independent time-domain simulator with its own variable-step and fixed-step solvers. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- PLECS support includes tutorials, application examples, technical solutions, installation help, a user forum and a contact-support channel. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Switched system simulation
- PLECS uses ideal on/off semiconductor switches and a two-step switching event approach to simulate switched systems efficiently. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
- Thermal analysis
- Lookup tables can be used with ideal switch models to calculate semiconductor switching and conduction losses and junction temperature. · plexim.com, 5 Oct 2026
Where PLECS stands on Freedom251
- Electrical Design Software#22 of 41