Is there an updated massive open source style library for LTspice?

[xnotx]

Just curious... Actually was looking for a potentiometer library, and found one, but can't get it because I don't have a yahoo account and cannot make one, nor do I want one.

Thanks

[Eternauta]

Wurth has a large LT library of passive component:
http://www.we-online.com/web/en/electronic_components/produkte_pb/bauteilebibliotheken/ltspice/ltspice.php

[Ian.M]

There's a *LOT* of files on the official LTwiki.

For potentiometers look in:
http://ltwiki.org/files/LTspiceIV/lib/sym/Pot&Sw/ for the symbols, and
http://ltwiki.org/files/LTspiceIV/lib/sub/Pote.lib is the associated library, (including both potentiometer_standard.lib and potentiometer_tapped.lib with documentation and sample files at
http://ltwiki.org/files/LTspiceIV/examples/LtSpicePlus/Discretos/Sw&Pote/

N.B. the potentiometer symbols at the above location all have the line

Code: [Select]

SYMATTR ModelFile pote.libso you dont need to .include any other library to use them.

[Russ314]

Can someone who is using LTspiceXVII copy/paste the model/sub files for all the LTC devices? Linear Technology/Analog Devices idiotically prevents you from downloading individual SPICE files, and instead tries to force you to download LTspiceXVII. Well unfortunately, I can't upgrade to XVII, so I'm stuck with LTspiceIV. And since LTspiceIV no longer updates, I literally have no way of simulating any of the new product line from these companies. They're basically FORCING me to switch to Microchip products, which I'm trying to avoid. Am I missing something?! Their website is a steaming pile of shit, so maybe I'm just overlooking the SPICE model download links. I tried to re-download LTspiceIV, hoping it would have an updated library, but instead it only... ruined my life. I'm about to run a system restore to try and reverse the damage, but I'm not very hopeful.

CLIFFS:
1. Linear/Analog fucked me.
2. I need models/subs for LTC devices. The LTspiceIV library doesn't include any of the ones I need, such as LTC7000, LTC7001, or LTC7003.

[Ian.M]

Cant do that here as the Linear Technology/Analog Devices parts models are all copyright Analog Devices, and posting them without permission could be quite some legal trouble for Dave.  However you can get it direct from the source:

Simply download the Mac OSX installer for  LTspiceXVII,  open the downloaded LTspice.dmg file with 7-ZIP^* and browse to \LTspice Installation\LTspice.app\Contents\lib\ and extract what you need. 


However, I wouldn't be surprised if some of their own parts encrypted models require the LTspiceXVII SPICE engine, so either wont run under, crash or give bogus results with LTspiceIV. 

* If you aren't on Windows you'll probably need a different archive utility, although 7-Zip *can* be run under Wine.

[Russ314]

The laptop I use for LTspice runs on Vista. In fact, SPICE/CAD is literally the only thing I use that laptop for. Vista support has been discontinued, which is why I can't upgrade to XVII. It's quite frustrating the way Linear/Analog recognizes XP, which is from 2001, but fails to recognize Vista, which is from 2007.

Anyway, I come from a PC world (as much as I hate it), so your mention of OSX frightens and confuses me... Your devil emoticon tells me it's something I should look into. I'm crossing my fingers that the LTC700x subs will work in LTspiceIV because the components are basically the same as the 20-year-old LTC models, just several orders of magnitude faster. But the overall framework is the same. I figured the difference would mainly be tweaking the values in the subs/models.

P.s., the system restore worked! I'm stoked. I thought I'd lost my old libraries. When I re-downloaded IV, I told it to save in a different directory, so as not to overwrite my old installation. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to matter where I told it to install; it detected the existing installation and overwrote it anyway.

[Russ314]

I just checked my LTspice\Lib\Sub folder to see if I had anything in the LTC7xxx range, and it looks like I only have two measly parts. They were installed 7/24/2015, so I'm guessing that was the last time that Linear issued updates for LTspiceIV users. So... if any Vista/XP users want to use new components made after 2015, I guess Linear/Analog's official answer is "Go fuck yourself."

I find it strange that copyrights are in any way involved in this issue. It's not like Linear is making money from software. The whole point of the SPICE models is to boost the sales of their physical components. They should want as many people as possible to have access to their software. You'd think they'd plaster their models/subs everywhere, all over the internet, every chance they could get.

[Ian.M]

The reason why I pointed you at the OSX installer is (IIRC) they don't maintain a separate codebase for OSX.  I believe its actually the Windows LTspice application preinstalled and packaged (I believe using WineBottler - not confirmed) to run under Wine, a MS Windows emulation layer for Unix & Linux.  As such, it contains the same application data files but is much easier to extract files from, even under Windows, than the Windows executable installer on too low a Windows version to run it.

Linear/Analog have been quite proactive getting stuff taken down from various fora and websites that infringes their model copyrights, e.g. information about certain undocumented device primitives supported by the LTspice engine and used in their proprietary models.  Hence my comment above about not posting their library files here.

P.S. when messing around with LTspice installs, I suggest making a zipped copy of the whole application folder and library folder if not within it, so you have an easy way to roll-back any changes.

[Russ314]

Simply download the Mac OSX installer for  LTspiceXVII,  open the downloaded LTspice.dmg file with 7-ZIP^* and browse to \LTspice Installation\LTspice.app\Contents\lib\ and extract what you need.

Wow, that worked beautifully. I'm still working on how to actually USE the sub though. Apparently, you can't simply copy/paste it into the lib/sub folder the way you can with 3rd party stuff. It doesn't populate in the [PowerProducts] folder the way it should.

Btw, I see now what you mean about the encryption. They sure are paranoid. I guess maybe another company could use the subroutine parameters to reverse-engineer the actual components? Anyway, the encryption is fine by me, because it means their intellectual property rights AREN'T being violated by us posting here. I don't need to see what's in the dang file, I just need to run it somehow.

[Russ314]

information about certain undocumented device primitives supported by the LTspice engine and used in their proprietary models.

Luckily, I don't understand anything about making/modifying SPICE files, so I won't get into that

[Ian.M]

Replacing the whole LTspice IV lib folder with the LTspiceXVII one unpacked from the .dmg file works for me.  Make sure when you unpack it, you don't get an extra 'lib' in the path, as that doesn't work.   After you've got it working you'll probably want to copy over any third party models and symbols from your old lib folder, including checking if you need to paste any extra .model lines into the new standard.* files in the lib\cmp folder.  If you want the test jigs for the new parts, you'll also need to unpack the examples/jigs folder from the archive and put it where LTspice expects to find it.

I've run the LTC7000 and LTC7003 test jigs apparently successfully under LTspiceVII, though I haven't checked the results against their datasheets.

What you wont get: Any LTspice XVII specific part selection 'wizards' that didn't exist in LTspice VII.  Anything that relies on extended functionality of the SPICE engine.

[Russ314]

Wait, I got it. I was basically confused by having too many LTspice folders everywhere. Which you actually warned me about. Which means... you've been right about LITERALLY everything so far. I don't know who you are Ian, but you're the man.


A tip for future readers/lurkers - don't forget to copy BOTH files for each component. You have to copy the sub file into lib/sub, then you have to copy the asy file into lib/sym (or lib/sym/PowerProducts if it's a MOSFET driver). These proprietary components all have their own symbols.