Author Topic: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis  (Read 37567 times)

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Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« on: September 07, 2013, 07:56:27 am »
Part 1 in a series of LTSPICE tutorial videos.
In this introduction Dave explains what LTSPICE is and how to do the simplest of the SPICE analysis options - basic DC operating point analysis.
Also how to draw basic schematics, display voltages and current on your schematic, and a beginner few traps to avoid.

 
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Offline jancumps

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2013, 08:25:59 am »
What do you use to make videos with screen capture and voice over?
 

Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2013, 08:31:11 am »
What do you use to make videos with screen capture and voice over?

Camstudio
The trick is setting a fixed screen of 1280x720 so you don't get re-sizing distortion. Full HD is too big and ends up with text too small.
 

Offline floris

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2013, 08:32:43 am »
I am very curious what you think of TINA
in the beginning of the 90's we used this in scool so this exits very long already
It has very nice analysis functions
 

Offline firewalker

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2013, 09:15:47 am »
And LTSpice is available for Windows, GNU/Linux and MacOS.

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Offline Dagon

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2013, 09:42:06 am »
Good stuff, I was just starting to use ltspice so this is good timing!

There is indeed a lot of videos on ltspice out there already but a lot of them aren't very good.
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Offline cyteen

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2013, 09:45:27 am »
Any chance you could add the use of ASCO (A SPICE Circuit Optimizer) http://sourceforge.net/projects/asco/?source=pdlp with LTSPICE to your series of tutorials?
 

Offline firewalker

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2013, 10:24:12 am »
Any chance you could add the use of ASCO (A SPICE Circuit Optimizer) http://sourceforge.net/projects/asco/?source=pdlp with LTSPICE to your series of tutorials?

I compiled a Win32 (didn't saw a Windows binary) version for him in case he wants to try it.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/31742622/ASCO-0.4.9.rar

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« Last Edit: September 07, 2013, 10:30:58 am by firewalker »
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Offline EEVblogTopic starter

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2013, 11:31:13 am »
Any chance you could add the use of ASCO (A SPICE Circuit Optimizer) http://sourceforge.net/projects/asco/?source=pdlp with LTSPICE to your series of tutorials?

I have not used that before, but most likely not. It would be wise to stick with the stock install of LTSPICE for tutorials.
 

Offline Jebnor

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2013, 02:28:49 pm »
Fantastic! 

At the end, you were looking at the sample Audio Amp.  Any chance you could talk Doug into doing an Amplifer design tutorial series?
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Offline mrflibble

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #10 on: September 07, 2013, 03:10:09 pm »
Nice tutorial, I think you covered the basics for operating point pretty well.  :-+ Including the ever popular M vs Meg. Have had fun with that one in the past, grrrrr. :P
 

Offline wblackledg

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #11 on: September 07, 2013, 03:16:33 pm »
excellent as usual dave!

So maybe this is a newbie question ,but for simple circuits can't you use this as a design tool and export it to create a pcb?
 

Offline nigel53

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #12 on: September 07, 2013, 03:23:50 pm »
Excellent stuff!

As said before loads of video's on this but most are not very good. I would tend to agree that concentrating on LTSpice is the better option than trying to cover other products as well. Looking forward to importing other models into LTSpice.
 

Offline Rigby

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #13 on: September 07, 2013, 03:56:05 pm »
Aah, thank you for this.  Just as I was beginning to play with LTSpice, too.  Excellent.  (I was going to type "Bloody Ripper" there but it just isn't cool when an American says it.)

Since you're going to teach us all how to use LTSpice, I think it would be extremely apropos if you (or someone) could start tossing up LTSpice schematics of the demo circuits you show us, such as the soft latch circuit and such, so that we can have a play as well.  Though, I guess if you're going to teach folks to use the tool, the students should implement the circuits in LTSpice themselves, huh?

Thanks again.
 

Offline mrflibble

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #14 on: September 07, 2013, 04:15:11 pm »
So maybe this is a newbie question ,but for simple circuits can't you use this as a design tool and export it to create a pcb?

Not sure if that's the easiest design flow around... In the past I have used gschem to do the schematic and then used that in ltspice. All in all, I don't think ltspice is the obvious choice for schematic capture (with the goal of producing a pcb from the schematic). Ltspice is however a very nice choice as simulation engine. :)

 

Offline Zbig

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #15 on: September 07, 2013, 07:00:22 pm »
I admit I haven't installed it yet but is there any simple way of switching it to "European" schematic symbols (I don't know the proper name of the standard)? You know, rectangles for resistors instead of the springy-thingy, etc. It's not an "ideological" thing for me or anything, it's just easier for me to wrap my head around when seeing more familiar visual language (e.g. when I see "US" resistor symbol, I immediately think "inductor").
« Last Edit: September 07, 2013, 07:13:34 pm by Zbig »
 

Offline Bored@Work

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #16 on: September 07, 2013, 07:19:31 pm »
is there any simple way of switching it to "European" schematic symbols

Yes and no. It comes with a few European symbols. But you would normally have to select them separately (from the component menu, not from the toolbar), which gets annoying pretty fast.

Alternatively, what you can do is to replace the US symbols in the LTspice installation with the European ones. This is relatively simple, because LTspice uses one file per symbol. You will find that a few European symbol versions are missing, so you need to draw your own with LTspice's symbol editor. And be aware that an LTspice update "sync release" undoes your changes.  It is important that you keep the relative position of all the pins of all the symbols you replace.

I have a .bat script that I run as administrator which replaces a few symbols with my own ones, including European symbols. It just does a simple copy of the contents of my symbol directory hierarchy to the lib\sym directory hierarchy of the LTspice installation.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2013, 07:27:10 pm by Bored@Work »
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Offline hikariuk

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #17 on: September 07, 2013, 09:44:18 pm »
I admit I haven't installed it yet but is there any simple way of switching it to "European" schematic symbols (I don't know the proper name of the standard)? You know, rectangles for resistors instead of the springy-thingy, etc. It's not an "ideological" thing for me or anything, it's just easier for me to wrap my head around when seeing more familiar visual language (e.g. when I see "US" resistor symbol, I immediately think "inductor").

I believe the standard for European style symbols is IEC 60617.
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Offline wblackledg

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #18 on: September 08, 2013, 02:38:15 am »


I was trying to emulate this with  ltspice as a tutorial for myself.  I have an interest in Crystal radios.

I couldn't figure out the switch or the antenna?  perhaps this is not a very good example of a first try?

thanks.
 

Offline c4757p

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #19 on: September 08, 2013, 02:44:04 am »
For the antenna, use a voltage source with the impedance of the antenna as series resistance. Obviously you'll need to know the signal strength. For the switch, just make a connection where you want the switch closed.

Good luck finding a working model of a germanium diode.
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Offline wblackledg

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #20 on: September 08, 2013, 02:49:31 am »
For the antenna, use a voltage source with the impedance of the antenna as series resistance. Obviously you'll need to know the signal strength. For the switch, just make a connection where you want the switch closed.

Good luck finding a working model of a germanium diode.

yeah, I think that diode is sort of the heart of any crystal set.  that was why I was wondering if this was not the best place to start..  :-DD :-DD
 

Offline c4757p

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #21 on: September 08, 2013, 04:29:32 am »
Anyway, you haven't put your home country in your profile, so I don't know whether advising you on how to simulate a crystal radio in SPICE would be considered aiding and abetting criminal blasphemy.
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Offline Zbig

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #22 on: September 08, 2013, 10:35:11 am »
Alternatively, what you can do is to replace the US symbols in the LTspice installation with the European ones. This is relatively simple, because LTspice uses one file per symbol. You will find that a few European symbol versions are missing, so you need to draw your own with LTspice's symbol editor. And be aware that an LTspice update "sync release" undoes your changes.  It is important that you keep the relative position of all the pins of all the symbols you replace.

I have a .bat script that I run as administrator which replaces a few symbols with my own ones, including European symbols. It just does a simple copy of the contents of my symbol directory hierarchy to the lib\sym directory hierarchy of the LTspice installation.

Thank you, that's a helpful hint and I'll definitely try it out.
 

Offline alanb

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #23 on: September 08, 2013, 11:02:01 am »
I have recently started to use both Ltspice and Diptrace and have tried unsuccessfully to transfer net lists from Diptrace to LTSpice? When exporting from Diptrace I get the error 'Spice settings are not defined for the following parts......' followed by a list of all the components.
Am I missing something or does this not work?
 

Offline DutchGert

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #24 on: September 08, 2013, 05:17:34 pm »
Very nice one Dave, please keep it up!

Perhaps U could link in the LTSpice schematics u made/use so we can play along at home?
 

Offline c4757p

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #25 on: September 08, 2013, 05:20:15 pm »
Build the schematics yourself, it's good to get practice. If you just "play along" you'll only learn the parts you're interested in.
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Offline mmagin

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #26 on: September 08, 2013, 05:25:52 pm »
Has anyone tried the fairly new Mac OS X build of LTSpice found that it's as broken as I have?  Wondering if it's just me.
(Menu items missing, sometimes have to force quit it, schematic editing works, can't set up a simulation.)

I may just give it up on it and use it on my Windows machine, but then I have to make the install work with UAC (as a long-time user of real multi-user operating systems, I think turning off UAC globally is a dumb thing to do.)
 

Offline dr.diesel

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #27 on: September 08, 2013, 05:30:04 pm »
And LTSpice is available for Windows, GNU/Linux and MacOS.

Mmmmmmm, they didn't used to, gonna have to check that out!

Offline c4757p

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #28 on: September 08, 2013, 05:31:27 pm »
LTspice works very well under Linux with WINE, I imagine it would work similarly well if you installed the Windows version under WINE on Mac.

And LTSpice is available for Windows, GNU/Linux and MacOS.

Really? I don't see it, I just see the Mac version. Or by "available" do you mean "under WINE" :-//
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Offline jancumps

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #29 on: September 08, 2013, 06:39:42 pm »
Yes, it needs Wine. I just installed it under Ubuntu to follow alongg with this video.

Initialy I had installed the linux version of Spice and tried to couple it with the Linux version of KiCad, but that didn't work out. The penguins didn't align.
 

Offline rizzy

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #30 on: September 08, 2013, 07:12:44 pm »
Initialy I had installed the linux version of Spice and tried to couple it with the Linux version of KiCad, but that didn't work out. The penguins didn't align.

Do they on Windoze?
 

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #31 on: September 08, 2013, 08:31:37 pm »
Anyway, you haven't put your home country in your profile, so I don't know whether advising you on how to simulate a crystal radio in SPICE would be considered aiding and abetting criminal blasphemy.

Well, I'm an American, if that's what you mean?  :-DD
 

Offline jancumps

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #32 on: September 08, 2013, 10:48:30 pm »
Initialy I had installed the linux version of Spice and tried to couple it with the Linux version of KiCad, but that didn't work out. The penguins didn't align.

Do they on Windoze?
Don't know. I never tried that.
 

Offline Totoro

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #33 on: September 09, 2013, 11:12:33 am »
Thank you, Dave for the LTSPICE tutorial. Please continue! I look forward to them.
I have LTSPICE with Wine on Mac OS X and want to learn more!
 

Offline dentaku

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #34 on: September 09, 2013, 11:44:34 am »
I've never been happy with the interface of LTSPICE.
I wish they would just let you pan around the screen while holding down the spacebar for one, more like Adobe Illustrator.

ALSO: How was Dave getting an arrow pointer instead of the crosshair most of the time?
It's difficult to select stuff in LTSPICE and it needs more shortcut keys.
An interface that has a scissor tool is clumsy too. Just let me right-click on something OR draw a square around things then press the Delete key.

It's nice software, it's just the interface that's annoying to try and figure out.
Maybe I just haven't tried hard enough.
 

Offline Rigby

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #35 on: September 09, 2013, 11:50:25 am »
LTSpice is software that considers perfect UI to be a secondary (or tertiary) concern.  It seems that simulation functionality is the primary concern of the development team.

I wouldn't worry about these things too much.  Lots of application specific software has weird bugs and a general lack of polish.  Often this is due to a near complete focus on the core functionality of the application.  In my experience, the more specific the software, the less polish there is.  This is certainly true in software that I write.  I care much more for correct output than anything else, so that's what I spend my time on.
 

Offline gotnoise

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #36 on: September 09, 2013, 03:58:49 pm »
Thanks a million, Dave! This series is already (and will be) very helpful!
I do realize that many of your viewers are advanced and probably bored by the content. You mentioned this problem previously, and that you won't reach the same viewer count as compared to your other videos. But please keep producing LTSpice tutorials. I am sure you will be able to recruit more beginners to your vlog crowd, so on the long run you might get good viewer counts with this as well. And whoever does not like the content, nobody has to watch it. We can just pick whatever fits our bill anyway.
 

Offline Bored@Work

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #37 on: September 09, 2013, 04:50:54 pm »
It seems that simulation functionality is the primary concern of the development team.

There is no development team. There is one guy. And he seems to be stuck in the '70th when it comes to user interfaces.

LTspice follows the old "select a tool and then manipulate the drawing with the tool" paradigm. This emerged in CAD as a 1:1 copy of the way draftsmen used to work. Select a pen of a particular size and draw as many lines as possible with that pen. Then change to another pen. Then to the compass (or is it compasses?), and do as many as possible with it before changing to yet another tool.

While modern user interfaces use an object-oriented approach. First select the object to manipulate, then the operation to apply to the object.

Quote
I wouldn't worry about these things too much. Lots of application specific software has weird bugs and a general lack of polish.

I would, if it would be my application. It is very typical for LTspice that users don't find functions. Often not even the much hated last resort - reading the manual - works for some things, because they aren't documented. LTspice's user interface is as bad as some open-source EDA software user interfaces.
« Last Edit: September 09, 2013, 04:52:42 pm by Bored@Work »
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Offline hikariuk

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #38 on: September 09, 2013, 05:02:42 pm »
LTspice follows the old "select a tool and then manipulate the drawing with the tool" paradigm. This emerged in CAD as a 1:1 copy of the way draftsmen used to work. Select a pen of a particular size and draw as many lines as possible with that pen. Then change to another pen. Then to the compass (or is it compasses?), and do as many as possible with it before changing to yet another tool.

I note its original name was "SwitcherCAD".
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Offline firewalker

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #39 on: September 09, 2013, 05:46:21 pm »
Persuade LT to open source LTSpice.

After that we can make it accept python addons! Bored@Work?  :-DD :-DD :-DD

I believe no one in LT wants to take over and polish it. Maybe after the retirement of the solo developer there will be a major redesign. Probably polished, only for Windows and not free of charge.  >:D >:D >:D

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Offline ales22

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #40 on: September 09, 2013, 06:00:15 pm »
Great little tool for beginners is Analog Circuit Simulator Applet here http://www.falstad.com/mathphysics.html. It's not for detailed analysis, but rather for demonstration of basic principles - it has many example circuits predefined and ready to try. It helped me many times in EE studies.
 

Offline firewalker

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #41 on: September 09, 2013, 06:02:15 pm »
BTW. What language they use for LTspice?

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Offline robrenz

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #42 on: September 09, 2013, 06:08:50 pm »
Great video Dave  :-+ please do more of the same.

Offline Bored@Work

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #43 on: September 09, 2013, 06:20:11 pm »
Persuade LT to open source LTSpice.

Won't happen. If they fear one thing than that someone reverse-engineers or otherwise learns about the inner working of LTspice when it comes to their proprietary, encrypted switcher models.


BTW. What language they use for LTspice?

Microsoft Visual C++.
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Offline firewalker

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #44 on: September 09, 2013, 06:41:35 pm »
They could keep the engine closed and split it from the gui. Although I don;t know if it worth the hassle.

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Offline ondreji

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #45 on: September 09, 2013, 10:42:58 pm »
Has anyone tried the fairly new Mac OS X build of LTSpice found that it's as broken as I have?  Wondering if it's just me.

Indeed, it's quirky. I wasn't able to rotate placed component :). On the other hand I didn't try very hard. So far, it looks better to use Wine and win version of LT Spice. Anyway, I used it for lees than 5 minutes...
 

Offline mmagin

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #46 on: September 10, 2013, 12:27:43 am »
Has anyone tried the fairly new Mac OS X build of LTSpice found that it's as broken as I have?  Wondering if it's just me.

Indeed, it's quirky. I wasn't able to rotate placed component :). On the other hand I didn't try very hard. So far, it looks better to use Wine and win version of LT Spice. Anyway, I used it for lees than 5 minutes...

Yep, I've gone and ran it under wine as well, and that way it seems to work flawlessly so far
 

Offline Bored@Work

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #47 on: September 10, 2013, 05:50:54 am »
I note its original name was "SwitcherCAD".
Yes, LTspice/SwitcherCAD. The binary is still called scad3.exe. Because ...

They could keep the engine closed and split it from the gui. Although I don;t know if it worth the hassle.

... it was once split. Into the schematic capture part (SwitcherCAD), and the SPICE engine (LTspice). But they put that into one binary. And after some releases, they just renamed the combination LTspice IV.

Makes you wounder if they still have their SPICE engine run separately in other inhouse tools. Because that is how LTspice/SwitcherCAD started, as an inhouse tool which they later opened up to customers.

What I always find sad with all the manufacturer-specific SPICE versions is that all the manufacturers never cooperated to just settle on a single industry-wide standardized SPICE version. Manufacturers do cooperate in standard committees for some things, but they could never be bothered or didn't manage to do that to evolve SPICE.
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Offline Rigby

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #48 on: September 10, 2013, 09:41:07 am »
What I always find sad with all the manufacturer-specific SPICE versions is that all the manufacturers never cooperated to just settle on a single industry-wide standardized SPICE version. Manufacturers do cooperate in standard committees for some things, but they could never be bothered or didn't manage to do that to evolve SPICE.

There's always going to be a certain amount of pride that will impede this notion.  I agree with you that this would be nice indeed, but Manufacturer A doesn't want to put a lot of effort into a tool that lets users see that Manufacturer B's part is exactly what they need.
 

Offline dentaku

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #49 on: September 10, 2013, 12:54:14 pm »
So... I guess my question would be
How did Dave get that arrow pointer during his demo?
I always end up with the crosshair tool, scissors, hand etc.. but I've never seen a regular old white arrow tool like you'd expect in any drawing tool (like Illustrator) that you can use for selecting things.
Was that arrow pointer maybe something his screen capture software provides (it WAS extra big looking).

Multisim might not have a nice interface either but from what I can see at least it seems to follow some of the regular UI conventions. Of course it's not a free application.
 

Offline Ronald1962

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #50 on: September 10, 2013, 01:16:23 pm »
Hi folks,

I do have some trouble in displaying the voltage values at the nodes of the circuit.

It always shows three question marks, but not the values as Dave it did in the video. One time he also
got the question marks and solved this problem, but I couldn't find out how.

Could anybody help?

Thanks a lot in advance!

Ronald
« Last Edit: September 10, 2013, 01:17:55 pm by Ronald1962 »
 

Offline Ronald1962

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #51 on: September 10, 2013, 02:39:27 pm »
Solved the problem by myself!

You have to keep the mouse on the line while pressing the mouse button...
 

Offline wblackledg

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #52 on: September 10, 2013, 08:19:56 pm »
Anyway, you haven't put your home country in your profile, so I don't know whether advising you on how to simulate a crystal radio in SPICE would be considered aiding and abetting criminal blasphemy.

Well, I'm an American, if that's what you mean?  :-DD

c4757p ,  seriously, I would love to see a crystal radio / germanium diode simulation using LTSPICE.

thanks.
 

Offline c4757p

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #53 on: September 10, 2013, 08:34:48 pm »
Looks like if you poke around on Google for "germanium diode spice model", you do get some results. I tried germanium transistors a while ago and couldn't come up with anything resembling an accurate simulation. But try them and see if they work.

Or, just build the circuit...
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Offline wblackledg

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #54 on: September 10, 2013, 09:11:50 pm »
Looks like if you poke around on Google for "germanium diode spice model", you do get some results. I tried germanium transistors a while ago and couldn't come up with anything resembling an accurate simulation. But try them and see if they work.

Or, just build the circuit...

ok, thanks.
 

Offline vk6zgo

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #55 on: September 11, 2013, 02:38:00 am »
As a "greybeard"(Old Fart) what freaks me out is that the source is always displayed using a DC generator symbol,so the audio signal source in Dave's amplifier is drawn the same way.

Strangely,the negative supply has its negative side earthed,& a note underneath saying it is a negative voltage,
(in other words you have to multiply it by-1).

The base bias source in another part of the circuit is the right way around,however!

I suppose it makes the programming easier,having only one type of source,but it is quite annoying to those of us who have read  standard schematics on paper for many years.
 
 

Offline c4757p

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #56 on: September 11, 2013, 02:52:13 am »
You don't have to do it that way, if you're concerned about the diagram's clarity. There's an alternative symbol for an AC source, and you can of course change V2 to a 10V source and flip it around. You can also draw your own symbols if you're really finicky; they'll work just as well as the built-ins.
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Offline Zepnat

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #57 on: September 14, 2013, 09:03:50 pm »
Great stuff this, I actually downloaded spice after watching this video, I had heard of it before but didn't know what it was. Soon got a simple circuit going. The detail Dave put in these videos is incredible and is much appreciated.
 

Offline AF6LJ

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #58 on: October 07, 2013, 10:30:02 pm »
Good Stuff, I am looking forward to the next in the series.  :)
Sue AF6LJ
 

Offline ohmineer

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #59 on: October 14, 2013, 07:09:00 pm »
Nice tutorial, thanks for it.

I hope you continue with the rest of the series soon!
 

Offline DutchGert

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #60 on: October 17, 2013, 03:54:39 pm »
Nice tutorial, thanks for it.

I hope you continue with the rest of the series soon!

Yes, hoping for that as well!
 

Offline ssassen

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #61 on: December 25, 2017, 02:28:03 pm »
Alright, can't seem to figure this one out, not helped by the fact my Google-Fu is not what it used to be due to excessive intake of sugary treats (it is Christmas afterall). This ties in what Dave posted in his DC Operating Point Analysis video, so please excuse me for bumping a >120 days old topic.

I have a schematic drafted where I want to label a number of nodes with their DC voltages in a transient analysis.

I do this by simply left clicking on the nodes in question, et voila, the DC voltage shows up. However, it shows up formatted with 5 decimal places, which is a little too much. I'd like to round that off to one or two decimal places.

If I however right click the node and add the expression 'round(V(a1))' to round off the voltage at node 'a1' it rounds off to no decimal numbers, which in my case means that 1.38798V is rounded to 1V, that's not what I'm after, I'd like to see either 1.4V or 1.39V.

Any of you fine gentlemen know how to accomplish this undoubtedly trivial feat? Thanks and Merry Christmas!
 

Offline ssassen

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #62 on: December 25, 2017, 02:55:38 pm »
Alright, a bit cumbersome, but round(V(a2)*0.01k)/0.01k seems to work, change 0.01k/0.01k at your leisure, for example to display 925mV, this needs to read 1k/1k.
 

Online Ian.M

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Re: EEVblog #516 - LTSPICE Tutorial - DC Operating Point Analysis
« Reply #63 on: December 25, 2017, 07:29:13 pm »
Try adding:
Code: [Select]
* restrict precision for .op data labels
.func sf(x,n)  {round(x*10**(n-1-floor(log10(abs(x)))))/10**(n-1-floor(log10(abs(x))))}
to your plot.defs file (in the same folder as the LTspice executable), then you can restrict the .op data label precision by using the expression sf($,3) in place of the default $ for the label.  Of course you can replace the 3 with any other integer for the precision in the range 1 to 8, or replace the $ with any expression calculable from ONLY node voltages and component currents.

Unfortunately the .op data labels are provided by the DC initial operating point solution, which isn't available if you use the .tran uic option and is meaningless if you use the .tran startup option.   Its regrettable that there is no way of setting them to display the results at an arbitrary time t or to display the result of .measure commands.

N.B.  The .op data labels and the waveform viewer can't 'see' any functions or parameters defined on (or included by) the schematic.  If it isn't either built-in or in plot.defs you cant use it for data display.
« Last Edit: January 01, 2018, 04:24:33 am by Ian.M »
 


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