这是焦点的不同。模拟器1专注于重新创建系统的行为，而不考虑系统内部的功能。模拟器s2着重于系统组件的建模。当你主要关心一个系统做什么时，你使用模拟器;当你关心它如何做时，你使用模拟器。

就其一般的英文含义而言，emulation是“在品质或行为上努力达到或超过他人”，而simulation是“模仿、复制、复制行为、外观或特性”。差别不大。竞赛来自æmulus，“奋斗，竞争”，与“模仿”和“形象”有关，这表明表面上的相似。“模拟”来自similis的“像”，“相似”一词也是如此，这可能暗示了更深层次的一致性。

引用:

维基百科:模拟器 维基百科:计算机模拟 Wiktionary:模拟 Wiktionary:模拟 词源在线:仿真 词源在线:模拟

用比较正常的说法来说:如果你的软件能做被模仿系统能做的所有事情，那么它就是一个模拟器。如果它只是近似于系统(it或其他)的结果，那么它就是一个模拟器。

这个问题最好的答案可能是看一看历史实践。

在过去，我曾在PlayStation和SEGA的PC上看到过游戏主机模拟器。

模拟器是指那些试图模拟现实生活行为的软件，比如驾驶或飞行。《Gran Turismo》和《微软飞行模拟器》都是模拟游戏的经典例子。

就语言差异而言，模仿通常指的是模仿某人(或某事)值得称赞的特征或行为。仿真与模仿是不同的，模仿是为了嘲弄而复制一个人。

动词“simulation”在语言学上的意思基本上是假装或模仿某人或某事。

我不认为模拟器和模拟器可以比较。两者都模仿某些东西，但不是同一推理范围的一部分，它们不在同一上下文中使用。

简而言之:模拟器被设计用来复制原始程序的某些特性，甚至可以在真实环境中替换它。模拟器的设计不是为了复制原物的特征，而是为了在人类看来与原物相似。没有了原有的功能，仿真器无法在实际环境中代替原有的功能。

An emulator is a device that mimics something close enough so that it can be substituted to the real thing. E.g you want a circuit to work like a ROM (read only memory) circuit, but also wants to adjust the content until it is what you want. You'll use a ROM emulator, a black box (likely to be CPU-based) with a physical and electrical interfaces compatible with the ROM you want to emulate. The emulator will be plugged into the device in place of the real ROM. The motherboard will not see any difference when working, but you will be able to change the emulated-ROM content easily. Said otherwise the emulator will act exactly as the actual thing in its motherboard context (maybe a little bit slower due to actual internal model) but there will be additional functions (like re-writing) visible only to the designer, out of the motherboard context. So emulator definition would be: something that mimic the original, has all of its functional features, can actually replace it to some extend in the real world, and may have additional features not visible in the normal context.

A simulator is used in another thinking context, e.g a plane simulator, a car simulator, etc. The simulation will take care only of some aspect of the actual thing, usually those related to how a human being will perceive and control it. The simulator will not perform the functions of the real stuff, and cannot be sustituted to it. The plane simulator will not fly or carry someone, it's not its purpose at all. The simulator is not intended to work, but to appear to the pilot somehow like the actual thing for purposes other than its normal ones, e.g. to allow ground training (including in unusual situations like all-engine failure). So simulator definition would be: something that can appear to human, to some extend, like the original, but cannot replace it for actual use. In addition the pilot will know that the simulator is a simulator.

我认为我们不会看到ROM模拟器，因为ROM不与人类交互，我们也不会看到任何平面模拟器，因为在现实世界中，飞机无法有一个替代物来执行相同的功能。

在我看来，模拟器或模拟器中的模型可以是任何东西，并且不必与原始模型相似。一个ROM模拟器模型将很可能是软件而不是硬件，MS飞行模拟器不能比它更软件。

这两个术语的比较将与当前选择的答案(来自Toybuilder)相矛盾，后者将差异放在内部模型上，而我的建议是，差异在于假的是否可以用于执行实际世界中的实际功能(确实在某些可接受的范围内)。

注意，飞机模拟器还必须模拟地球、太阳、风等，这些都不是飞机的一部分，所以飞机模拟器必须模拟飞机的某些方面，以及飞机的环境，因为它不是在这个实际环境中使用，而是在一个训练室中使用。

This is a big difference with the emulator which emulates only the orginal, and its purpose is to be used in the environment of the original with no need to emulate it. Back to the plane context... what could be a plane emulator? Maybe a train that will connect two airports -- actually two plane steps -- carrying passengers, with stewardesses onboard, with car interior looking like an actual plane cabin, and with captain saying "ladies and gentlemen our altitude is currenlty 10 kms and the temperature at our destination is 24°C". Its benefit is difficult to see, hum...

总之，模拟器是一个真实的东西，旨在工作，模拟器是一个假的，旨在欺骗用户。

如果一个飞行模拟器可以把你从a带到B，那么它就是一个飞行模拟器。

仿真器可以代替原来的，以供实际使用。 虚拟PC是一种模拟PC的设备。

模拟器是用于研究和分析的模型。

模拟器总是必须接近实时运行。对于模拟器来说，情况并非总是如此。地质模拟可以做到1000年/秒甚至更久。

To understand the difference between a simulator and an emulator, keep in mind that a simulator tries to mimic the behavior of a real device. For example, in the case of the iOS Simulator, it simulates the real behavior of an actual iPhone/iPad device. However, the Simulator itself uses the various libraries installed on the Mac (such as QuickTime) to perform its rendering so that the effect looks the same as an actual iPhone. In addition, applications tested on the Simulator are compiled into x86 code, which is the byte-code understood by the Simulator. A real iPhone device, conversely, uses ARM-based code.

相比之下，模拟器模拟真实设备的工作。在模拟器上测试的应用程序被编译成实际设备使用的实际字节码。仿真器通过将字节码转换为可由运行仿真器的主机执行的形式来执行应用程序。

为了理解模拟和模拟之间的微妙区别，假设您试图说服一个孩子玩刀是危险的。为了模拟这种情况，你假装用刀割伤自己，并痛苦地呻吟。为了模仿这一点，你真的会割伤自己。