I am using
DesignSoft TINA v8 to simulate a couple of circuits. Everything is fine, except its library only supports a few models for the LED component and none of these models looks fine because with 5V I need a low Current-Limiting Resistor to turn the LED on.
LEDs are constant current devices with a predictable forward voltage drop based on the amount of current flowing through them. These I-V current-voltage curves are available in the datasheet for specific LEDs. The CQX35 shows it nicely, so if you want to drive one of these LEDs with a forward voltage of 1.5V off a 5V power supply, you need something in that circuit to absorb the extra (5-1.5)V. The easiest way to absorb extra power in a circuit is to use a simple resistor. You need to know the intended LED to define the resistor using V=IR, but the math is very straightforward once you determine your system parameters. If you want to drive that 1.5V LED at 5mA, you need to absorb (5-1.5)V at 5mA in a resistor. (5-1.5)V = 5mA * R. Solving for R gives a resistor value of 700 ohm.
700 ohm looks ok, but it's definitively too small far from what I'd like to achieve with my simulations, since I would like to have 1K ohm, so I would like to model a different LED.
Unfortunately I can edit the properties of the component, but I am bit lost with too many parameters
# Name Parameter Units Default Example Area
1 IS Saturation current A 1e-14 1e-14 *
2 RS Ohmic resistance Ω 0 10 *
3 N Emission coefficient - 1 1.0
4 TT Transit-time s 0 0.1ns
5 CJO Zero-bias junction capacitance F 0 2pF *
6 VJ Junction potential V 1 0.6
7 M Grading coefficient - 0.5 0.5
8 EG Activation energy eV 1.11 1.11 Si
0.69 Sbd
0.67 Ge
9 XTI Saturation-current temperature exponent 3.0 3.0 jn
2.0 Sbd
10 KF Flicker noise coefficient - 0
11 AF Flicker noise exponent - 1
12 FC Coeff. for for.-bias dep. cap. formula 0.5
13 BV Reverse breakdown voltage V ∞ 40.0
14 IBV Current at breakdown voltage A 1.0e-3
15 TNOM Parameter measurement temp. °C
I was expecting to find just two parameters: "If" and "Vf". There many more.
I haven't yet understood how to import a PSPICE model into TINA, I am not sure I can do it with version 8, I haven't enough budget to upgrade to v12.
Anyone has already tried to create a custom LED model for TINA? If so, let me know