Simulator & Emulator

[Trinity]

What is the difference b/w a simulator & an emulator?

[siriusb]

A simulator tries to EXACTLY reproduce the behavior of systemX on systemY. But an emulator tries to emulate most of the function os systemX on systemY.
Mostly, emulation is done to emulate the internal architecture/design of systemX on systemY, and simulation is done to emulate the visible functions of a device/system.
The difference is so minute that for all matters trivial, they can be used inter-changeably.

[Keith Sebastian]

Just adding to an excellent comparison by siriusb here are some very accurate defs courtesy Labor Law Talk's encyclopedia.

A simulation is an imitation of some real device or state of affairs. Simulation attempts to represent certain features of the behavior of a physical or abstract system by the behavior of another system.

Eg: Flight Simulators

An emulator, in the most general sense, duplicates (provide an emulation of) the functions of one system with a different system, so that the second system appears to behave like the first system.

Eg: I use a GameBoy emulator on my Symbian based smartphone to play Nintendo Gameboy game ROMS.

-keith