LTspice/SwitcherCAD III Update Ver. 2.00c
Mike Engelhardt
available. This version introduces a graphical
symbol editor, unlimited hierarchical schematics,
updated help documentation and improved
performance.
This program will run those Pspice models in
public domain or available from vender sites, but
faster and more reliably than Pspice.
Version 2.00c is available for immediate download
from http://www.linear.com/software.
People with earlier versions installed can use the
"Tools=>Sync Release" menu option to incrementally
update to the current version. However, if your
version predates April 10, 2002, you will have to
run the update command twice to get to the current
version.
This is a free, high-performance, unlimited, fully
functional SPICE simulator with unlimited integrated
schematic capture and waveform viewer. It is not
shareware or a demo. It is a fully functional
freeware.
* P-SPICE compatible semiconductors models, e.g.:
- diode recombination current
- bipolar quasi saturation
- JFET impact ionization
* P-SPICE behavioral modeling, both legacy POLY()
statements and arbitrary expressions, Laplace,
and look-up tables.
* P-SPICE netlist compatibility for .param, .func,
ako models...
* Multiple entries in a single library(hspice syntax)
* MOSFET models my be binned by size.
* New devices such as an arbitrary capacitance. Write
an expression for the charge, it symbolically
differentiates the expression and integrates the
capacitances. (Useful for rapid prototyping new,
hypothetical, transistor behavior.
* Temperature, model parameter or global parameter sweeps
* An original mixed-mode simulator(not xspice based)
* A VDMOS transistor device that intrinsically handles
the power MOSFET's gate charge behavior
* BSIM 3.2.4, BSIM 4.2.1, BSIMPD2.2.3, and EKV 2.62
* Marching waveforms/cross probing of any device or
subcircuit port current
* Dynamic waveform data compression
* Device database(power MOS, diodes, bipolars, JFETS)
* 400+ models of switch mode controllers and regulators
* Integrated unlimited hierarchical schematic capture
with unlimited undo and redo
* Multiple plot panes with ganged attached cursors.
* Unlimited redo/redo of plot settings.
* Parametric plotting(often called X-Y plotting)
* Fourier analysis(both .four statements and FFT's of
simulated data.)
* Numerous educational example circuits included.
* Free lifetime updates
This is a very easy to use SPICE/Schematic capture system.
It includes clear, on-line help but you should just be able
to mouse it out without reading any documentation. You
draft your circuit and push the "Run" toolbar button.
There are numerous examples included in the
"examples\Educational" directory.
It is the World's fastest SPICE. It started out as a re-
write of Berkeley SPICE 3F4/5 to improve it's performance on
machines with faster processors than memory and to improve
the timestep control of Berkeley SPICE. Professional analog
IC design engineers use it for full-chip, transistor level
simulations. Typical speed-ups over P-SPICE 9.X are three
to six fold. It wins the industry standard transistor-level
SPICE bench mark, the MCNC Bench Mark Suite, in speed and
convergence. Of course, when using it's own mixed-mode
simulator in it's own native HDL, there's nothing like it at
all.
--Mike Engelhardt
Jorge Omar
Congratulations for the nice upgrade.
Regards,
Jorge
"Mike Engelhardt" <pm...@concentric.net> wrote in message news:<b0i1bu$1...@dispatch.concentric.net>...
Jonathan Kirwan
wrote:
>Mike
>
>Congratulations for the nice upgrade.
>
>Regards,
>
>Jorge
Agreed!
Jon
Terry Pinnell
>There's a new version of LTspice/SwitcherCAD III
>available. This version introduces a graphical
>symbol editor, unlimited hierarchical schematics,
>updated help documentation and improved
>performance.
Mike: I've downloaded and installed it and intend experimenting for a
while. One immediate thing I'd like to do is change the /\/\/\ type
resistor for a rectangle (just my preference). Could you point me in
right direction please? Is there a shortcut, or have I got to design a
new one from scratch?
Terry Pinnell
Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
Helmut Sennewald
"Terry Pinnell" <terr...@dial.pipex.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:hu0u2vcvpls69pjeu...@4ax.com...
Hello Terry,
there is already an European type resistor in the "misc" directory.
Its body is too "fat". I shrinked it by 3 units on all sides
(left, right, bottom, top). Still a little bit too thick, but more
what we like.
Open a new sheet. Instantiate the European resistor.
Move the curor over the European resistor and then press
<ctrl> and right mouse key. Then click on "open symbol" filed
in the box. Hey, that's really easy now in version 2.0x.
I like it even more with the new symbol editor.
Best Regards
Helmut
Helmut Sennewald
"Helmut Sennewald" <HelmutS...@t-online.de> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:b0n2pe$po6k3$1...@ID-60775.news.dfncis.de...
>
> "Terry Pinnell" <terr...@dial.pipex.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:hu0u2vcvpls69pjeu...@4ax.com...
> > "Mike Engelhardt" <pm...@concentric.net> wrote:
> >
> > >There's a new version of LTspice/SwitcherCAD III
> > >available. This version introduces a graphical
> > >symbol editor, unlimited hierarchical schematics,
> > >updated help documentation and improved
> > >performance.
> >
> > Mike: I've downloaded and installed it and intend experimenting for a
> > while. One immediate thing I'd like to do is change the /\/\/\ type
> > resistor for a rectangle (just my preference). Could you point me in
> > right direction please? Is there a shortcut, or have I got to design a
> > new one from scratch?
> >
>
> Hello Terry,
> there is already an European type resistor in the "misc" directory.
> Its body is too "fat". I shrinked it by 3 units on all sides
> (left, right, bottom, top). Still a little bit too thick, but more
> what we like.
After some experiments I shrinked only the width of the resistor body
by five units on the left side and 5 units on the right side.
No shrinking of the body length. Now it looks better for me on
a small test circuit.
Terry, what will be your preference?
Best Regards
Helmut
Terry Pinnell
>> Hello Terry,
>> there is already an European type resistor in the "misc" directory.
>> Its body is too "fat". I shrinked it by 3 units on all sides
>> (left, right, bottom, top). Still a little bit too thick, but more
>> what we like.
>
>After some experiments I shrinked only the width of the resistor body
>by five units on the left side and 5 units on the right side.
>No shrinking of the body length. Now it looks better for me on
>a small test circuit.
>
>Terry, what will be your preference?
>
>Best Regards
>Helmut
>
>
>>
>> Open a new sheet. Instantiate the European resistor.
>> Move the curor over the European resistor and then press
>> <ctrl> and right mouse key. Then click on "open symbol" filed
>> in the box. Hey, that's really easy now in version 2.0x.
>> I like it even more with the new symbol editor.
>>
>> Best Regards
>> Helmut
>
Thank you, Helmut. I'm starting from cold here, so it's going to take
me a while to try that!
Terry Pinnell
>> Open a new sheet. Instantiate the European resistor.
>> Move the curor over the European resistor and then press
>> <ctrl> and right mouse key. Then click on "open symbol" filed
>> in the box.
OK, Helmut, done that - now what?
I have the [europeanresistor.asy] window visible, with that too-wide
resistor. Should I be able to edit it? (Permanently?). The red anchor
points don't move. Habe quickly scanned Help but so far don't see how
to make it narrower.
Your narrower version (but not shorter) sounds fine for me.
>> Hey, that's really easy now in version 2.0x.
>> I like it even more with the new symbol editor.
Terry, West Sussex, UK
Helmut Sennewald
> "Helmut Sennewald" <HelmutS...@t-online.de> wrote:
>
> >> Open a new sheet. Instantiate the European resistor.
> >> Move the curor over the European resistor and then press
> >> <ctrl> and right mouse key. Then click on "open symbol" filed
> >> in the box.
>
> OK, Helmut, done that - now what?
>
> I have the [europeanresistor.asy] window visible, with that too-wide
> resistor. Should I be able to edit it? (Permanently?). The red anchor
> points don't move. Habe quickly scanned Help but so far don't see how
> to make it narrower.
>
Hello Terry,
a change of this symbol is permanent. You can make a backup copy before
you change it.
After you have opened the symbol with "Open symbol":
Click in the menu bar on "Drag". It's one of the symbols looking like a
hand.
Move the cursor in a position so that you can drag a rectangle around the
two
red circles(anchors) on the right side of the resistor body.
Click the left mouse key and hold it down at that position.
Drag the rectangle moving the mouse and still keeping down the left mouse
button.
On the right side are 4 anchor points you have to include at once.
Release the left mouse button when your "rectangle" surrounds the anchor
points.
Watch the x/y position on the left side in the bottom bar when you now move
the mouse.
Press the left mouse button again if the lines are in the wanted position.
Best Regards
Helmut
Terry Pinnell
>Hello Terry,
>a change of this symbol is permanent. You can make a backup copy before
>you change it.
>
>After you have opened the symbol with "Open symbol":
>
>Click in the menu bar on "Drag". It's one of the symbols looking like a
>hand.
OK (no tool icon here, but Edit>Drag or F8 gets to it).
>Move the cursor in a position so that you can drag a rectangle around the
>two
>red circles(anchors) on the right side of the resistor body.
>Click the left mouse key and hold it down at that position.
>Drag the rectangle moving the mouse and still keeping down the left mouse
>button.
>On the right side are 4 anchor points you have to include at once.
>Release the left mouse button when your "rectangle" surrounds the anchor
>points.
OK
>Watch the x/y position on the left side in the bottom bar when you now move
>the mouse.
Those co-ords vary while I'm selecting enclosure rectangle. Say I
release mouse when they are at (51, 100); I drag rectangle, and when
appearance seems OK I see they are (42, 100), i.e. I've moved 10
pixels to the left. Is that what you mean?
>Press the left mouse button again if the lines are in the wanted position.
OK.
But how do I then line up the connection points so they are
symmetrical? If I repeat the above steps, they snap across most of the
width, i.e I cannot get fine adjustment. Is there some setting I
haven't yet found to turn off the Snap, or make the grid finer?
BTW, where in Help did you find that vital step about pressing Ctrl
while r-clicking please?
Allan Herriman
wrote:
>There's a new version of LTspice/SwitcherCAD III
>available. This version introduces a graphical
>symbol editor, unlimited hierarchical schematics,
>updated help documentation and improved
>performance.
Hi Mike,
I just installed this new version of SwitcherCAD III, and I have found
that it gives errors on circuits that worked in an earlier version
(1.14k).
I get the error message whenever I use a PWL voltage source, e.g.
.PARAM Amplitude = 2.37V
.PARAM PW = 244ns
VLower 102 0 PWL
+ TIME_SCALE_FACTOR={PW}
+ VALUE_SCALE_FACTOR={Amplitude}
+ Repeat forever
+ (0, -0.1)
+ (0.5512, -0.2)
+ (0.5513, 0.5)
+ (0.6024, 0.8)
+ (1, 0.9)
+ (1.3975, 0.8)
+ (1.4487, 0.5)
+ (1.4488, -0.2)
+ (2, -0.1)
+ (2.4487, -0.5)
+ (2.4488, -1.2)
+ (3.0, -1.1)
+ (3.5512, -1.2)
+ (3.5513, -0.5)
+ (4, -0.1)
+ endrepeat
The error message is:
"Missing value for final PWL time in source vlower"
I'm reasonably sure that my netlist is ok.
Have you changed the definition of PWL sources?
Thanks,
Allan.
Helmut Sennewald
> "Helmut Sennewald" <HelmutS...@t-online.de> wrote:
>
> >Hello Terry,
> >a change of this symbol is permanent. You can make a backup copy before
> >you change it.
> >
> >After you have opened the symbol with "Open symbol":
> >
> >Click in the menu bar on "Drag". It's one of the symbols looking like a
> >hand.
>
> OK (no tool icon here, but Edit>Drag or F8 gets to it).
>
Hello Terry,
what screen(graphic) resolution do you have?
With 1024*768 or higher, the full tool bar should be visible.
Click "View" and enable status bar and tool bar if they are not marked.
> >Move the cursor in a position so that you can drag a rectangle around the
> >two
> >red circles(anchors) on the right side of the resistor body.
> >Click the left mouse key and hold it down at that position.
> >Drag the rectangle moving the mouse and still keeping down the left mouse
> >button.
> >On the right side are 4 anchor points you have to include at once.
> >Release the left mouse button when your "rectangle" surrounds the anchor
> >points.
>
> OK
>
> >Watch the x/y position on the left side in the bottom bar when you now
move
> >the mouse.
>
> Those co-ords vary while I'm selecting enclosure rectangle. Say I
> release mouse when they are at (51, 100); I drag rectangle, and when
> appearance seems OK I see they are (42, 100), i.e. I've moved 10
> pixels to the left. Is that what you mean?
>
Yes.
> >Press the left mouse button again if the lines are in the wanted
position.
>
> OK.
>
> But how do I then line up the connection points so they are
> symmetrical?
Do the same with the two left anchor points of the symbol.
Of course, move it right 4 units.
> If I repeat the above steps, they snap across most of the
> width, i.e I cannot get fine adjustment. Is there some setting I
> haven't yet found to turn off the Snap, or make the grid finer?
>
I would like to have a higher magnification possible, too.
You need a quiet hand.
> BTW, where in Help did you find that vital step about pressing Ctrl
> while r-clicking please?
>
Help->Schematics->Editing Components Overview : 3th paragraph
I regret my answer that the symbol will survive forever.
My last sync release has overwritten my changed symbol.
So we have to give it another name, e.g. "europeanresistor1.asy".
And now comes the trick of the day.
Make a copy of the symbol res.asy to be able to go back.
copy your new "europeanresistor1.asy" to res.asy .
Restart SwitchwerCAD.
Now you will get with every schematic the new European symbol
"europeanresistor1.asy", even with all your old schematics or the
"Educationial" schematics of SwitctherCAD.
Terry, I will send you the modified symbol directly.
Best Regards
Helmut
Mike Elliott
With regard to the Control-Right-Click function that opens up the
Component Attribute Editor, might I make a suggestion that one should be
able to get to this dialog box through the simple right-click? It
already brings up a different attribute box, why not put a button on
that box to get to the Component Attribute Editor as an alternate method
for those of us who tend to forget all the control-shift-left-click-
while-holding-our-tongues-just-so things.
A question: the Component Attribute Editor allows one to turn off and on
the display of various attributes like reference designators
("InstName") and component values and other wonderful bits of
information. Is there a way to GLOBALLY turn on and off these items
without clicking on each component?
MikeE "Who is thrilled by how nice this program is after having wrestled
far longer than he wants to admit with far stubborner circuit simulation
programs in the past without any better results."
Mike Engelhardt
Yes, your netlist is correct. Thank you very
much for the valuable report. The problem is
fixed inversion 2.00j, available now.
--Mike
"Allan Herriman" <allan_herrim...@agilent.com> wrote in message
news:hni23vciipqcc89gi...@4ax.com...
Mike Engelhardt
> This is a very cool release.
Thanks!
> With regard to the Control-Right-Click function
> that opens up the Component Attribute Editor,
> might I make a suggestion that one should be
> able to get to this dialog box through the
> simple right-click? It already brings up a
> different attribute box, why not put a button
> on that box to get to the Component Attribute
> Editor as an alternate method for those of us
> who tend to forget all the control-shift-left
>-click-while-holding-our-tongues-just-so things.
Well, when you right-click on the body of a symbol,
the program will see what type of component it is
and bring up an editor that will allow you edit that
type of component and access the appropriate database
of capacitors, inductors, transistors, etc. The
control-right click editor allows you to see exactly
how this default editor stores this information
in the instance of the symbol. Anyway, most people
who edit; say, a voltage source; want something that
helps them fill out the syntax for, e.g., a PULSE or
SIN function and don't care for the time being how
that information is stored. It's a bit awkward to
invite everyone under the hood to component/symbol
attribute software database implementation. Making
it accessible and documenting how to get there in
the help is the compromise I've sort of settled on.
> A question: the Component Attribute Editor allows
> one to turn off and on the display of various
> attributes like reference designators ("InstName")
> and component values and other wonderful bits of
> information. Is there a way to GLOBALLY turn on
> and off these items without clicking on each
> component?
Not really. But you could define symbols that don't
show various information by default and draft with
them. Strictly speaking, you can do exactly what you
want by re-defining the symbols you've used to now
show/not show the information. The instance of the
symbol as components on the schematic will inherit
the new symbol properties as you reopen the schematic
if the visibility/attribute location hasn't been
edited as part of the schematic. I'm just explaining
the program's operation -- not recommending do this.
> MikeE "Who is thrilled by how nice this program is
> after having wrestled[...]
Thank-you!
--Mike
Terry Pinnell
>
>"Terry Pinnell" <terr...@dial.pipex.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
>news:ei323vcte8s0qboov...@4ax.com...
>> "Helmut Sennewald" <HelmutS...@t-online.de> wrote:
>>
>> >Hello Terry,
>> >a change of this symbol is permanent. You can make a backup copy before
>> >you change it.
>> >
>> >After you have opened the symbol with "Open symbol":
>> >
>> >Click in the menu bar on "Drag". It's one of the symbols looking like a
>> >hand.
>>
>> OK (no tool icon here, but Edit>Drag or F8 gets to it).
>>
>
>Hello Terry,
>what screen(graphic) resolution do you have?
>With 1024*768 or higher, the full tool bar should be visible.
Ah, now I see it, thank you. And a few more, like Text, which I would
soon have needed <g>. My version came up at about half screen size,
(I'm using 1024x768), and I had assumed all tools were visible.
OK, thanks - of course, seems obvious now!
>> If I repeat the above steps, they snap across most of the
>> width, i.e I cannot get fine adjustment. Is there some setting I
>> haven't yet found to turn off the Snap, or make the grid finer?
>>
>
>I would like to have a higher magnification possible, too.
>You need a quiet hand.
>
>> BTW, where in Help did you find that vital step about pressing Ctrl
>> while r-clicking please?
>>
>
>Help->Schematics->Editing Components Overview : 3th paragraph
Ordinals are one aspect of English that are probably even more
confusing than German! (And, for someone just starting a 'Beginning
German' course, that *is* saying something <g>.)
1 1st first
1 2nd second
3 3rd third **
4 4th fourth
5 5th fifth
6 6th sixth
7 7th seventh
8 8th eighth
9 9th ninth
etc
>I regret my answer that the symbol will survive forever.
>My last sync release has overwritten my changed symbol.
Not sure I yet understand the term 'last sync release', but I will
study later.
>So we have to give it another name, e.g. "europeanresistor1.asy".
>
>And now comes the trick of the day.
>
>Make a copy of the symbol res.asy to be able to go back.
>copy your new "europeanresistor1.asy" to res.asy .
>Restart SwitchwerCAD.
>Now you will get with every schematic the new European symbol
>"europeanresistor1.asy", even with all your old schematics or the
>"Educationial" schematics of SwitctherCAD.
OK, I will probably do that. For the moment, I've made myself one 2 px
narrower than yours. See illustration EuropeanR.gif in
alt.binaries.schematics.electronic under subject 'LTspice/SwitcherCAD
III resistors'
>
>Terry, I will send you the modified symbol directly.
Received, thank you. See my very minor preference.
Helmut Sennewald
> "Helmut Sennewald" <HelmutS...@t-online.de> wrote:
>
> >
> >"Terry Pinnell" <terr...@dial.pipex.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> >news:ei323vcte8s0qboov...@4ax.com...
> >> "Helmut Sennewald" <HelmutS...@t-online.de> wrote:
> >>
> >
> >Help->Schematics->Editing Components Overview : 3th paragraph
>
> Ordinals are one aspect of English that are probably even more
> confusing than German! (And, for someone just starting a 'Beginning
> German' course, that *is* saying something <g>.)
> 1 1st first
> 1 2nd second
> 3 3rd third **
> 4 4th fourth
> 5 5th fifth
> 6 6th sixth
> 7 7th seventh
> 8 8th eighth
> 9 9th ninth
> etc
Hello Terry,
thank you for the correction. I was indeed in doubt when I wrote "3th",
but I was too lazy to look in an English book.
> >I regret my answer that the symbol will survive forever.
> >My last sync release has overwritten my changed symbol.
>
> Not sure I yet understand the term 'last sync release', but I will
> study later.
>
It is ín the menue bar:
Tools->Sync Release
It connects to the website of Linear Technology and updates to the
latest version. This update is normally smaller then a full down load.
I encounterd that the changed symbol "res.asy" has been overwritten
even if there was no new version of SwitcherCAD downloaded.
At the time of this writing version 2.0j is the newest version.
The previous versions 2.0[a..i] have problems with (T)ransmission lines
and (P)iece (W)ise (L)inear sources. I strongly recommend to update
if you have an older version.
>
> OK, I will probably do that. For the moment, I've made myself one 2 px
> narrower than yours. See illustration EuropeanR.gif in
I agree with your choice and will try that size. I had the feeling
that my previously choosen size still looked a little bit too thick.
> alt.binaries.schematics.electronic under subject 'LTspice/SwitcherCAD
> III resistors'
What a pity, my provider T-online doesn't support this binary group.
I asked them about half a year ago and they told me that they will not
to do that in the near future.
Best Regards
Helmut
Terry Pinnell
it. Did it reach the NG please?
We have serious network problems here. There are reports of a possible
global worm causing internet congestion and breakdown. This news
article refers
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&ncid=514&e=2&u=/ap/internet
_attack
(Note long URL, i.e watch for word wrap.)
Terry Pinnell
Hobbyist, West Sussex, UK
=================================
Helmut Sennewald
> Helmut: I replied to this much earlier today, but can see no sign of
> it. Did it reach the NG please?
>
Hello Terry,
your answers and questions from this afternoon are all here in the news
group.
I answered only one hour later and can see all yours and my messages.
I have now sent my posting directly to you too.
Best Regards
Helmut
Snark
<HelmutS...@t-online.de> wrote:
Try news.astraweb.com. Sign up at www.astraweb.com , it's free for 50
MB daily, plenty for schematics and naughty pictures.
- Snark.
--
How can you be a "victim" if you're white, male, and heterosexual?
Helmut Sennewald
"Snark" <snarkS...@myself.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:8fh73vodj0ecsl9oe...@4ax.com...> > .....
> >What a pity, my provider T-online doesn't support this binary group.
> >I asked them about half a year ago and they told me that they will not
> >to do that in the near future.
> >
>
> Try news.astraweb.com. Sign up at www.astraweb.com , it's free for 50
> MB daily, plenty for schematics and naughty pictures.
>
Hello Snark,
this is a great tip and it is free too.
I immediately registered a few minutes ago and have now access to
alt.binaries.schematics.electronic.
Thank you very much.
Best Regards
Helmut
analog
Mike Engelhardt, Mike Elliott wrote:
>> This is a very cool release.
>
> Thanks!
I have been a long time Pspice user and am very content with its
robustness and extended functionality (parameters, expressions, and
the like). The various mathematically display functions available in
the output probing module are also a big plus. Unfortunately, over
the last decade its asking price has risen faster than the stock
market, so I have been making do with the student version while
looking for a less cramped, but still satisfying and affordable
alternative.
Imagine my surprise when I found the answer to my needs had been
right here on this newsgroup in front of me all the time. LTspice
is a very cool release, indeed! (And all the while I had just assumed
it was another automated electronic cookbook dedicated to getting
clueless bit flippers to be able to use and buy Linear Tech's analog
power products.)
All my favorite Pspice syntax works. I love it. And the price is
definitely right. What a great marketing coup for Linear Technology.
I hope this is the wave of the future. Was LTspice your baby, and
do they pay you for looking after it and playing with it? <green
grin>
One peeve: why does the reaction of the editor to mouse clicks not
follow the Windows standard for things like cut and paste, and
clicking and grabbing wires and components, etc.?
>> With regard to the Control-Right-Click function that opens up the
>> Component Attribute Editor, might I make a suggestion that one
>> should be able to get to this dialog box through the simple right-
>> click? It already brings up a different attribute box, why not
>> put a button on that box to get to the Component Attribute Editor
>> as an alternate method for those of us who tend to forget all the
>> control-shift-left-click-while-holding-our-tongues-just-so things.
This is a good suggestion. I was stymied for some time trying to
figure out how to add "IC=100V" to a capacitor.
> Well, when you right-click on the body of a symbol, the program
> will see what type of component it is and bring up an editor that
> will allow you edit that type of component and access the
> appropriate database of capacitors, inductors, transistors, etc.
> The control-right click editor allows you to see exactly how this
> default editor stores this information in the instance of the symbol.
> Anyway, most people who edit; say, a voltage source; want something
> that helps them fill out the syntax for, e.g., a PULSE or SIN
> function and don't care for the time being how that information is
> stored. It's a bit awkward to invite everyone under the hood to
> component/symbol attribute software database implementation. Making
> it accessible and documenting how to get there in the help is the
> compromise I've sort of settled on.
...
How about adding a "Label Net" item to the menu that drops down when
right clicking on wires? And if simply clicking and dragging stuff
is out of the question, how about making a shortcut out of " ^D "?
And while you're at it make " ^W " work for adding wires. As a
general goal might I suggest that the bulk of the most commonly used
commands be made available on the first three rows of keys for the
left hand so that one could "drive" the schematic entry with that hand
fixed to the keyboard, the right hand fixed to the mouse, and the eyes
fixed to the screen. Vrrrrooom.
analog
Mike Engelhardt
> [...] Imagine my surprise when I found the answer to my
> needs had been right here on this newsgroup in front of
> me all the time. LTspice is a very cool release, indeed!
Thank-you very much for all the kind words.
> [...] All my favorite Pspice syntax works. I love it.
> And the price is definitely right. What a great
> marketing coup for Linear Technology. I hope this is
> the wave of the future. Was LTspice your baby, and do
> they pay you for looking after it and playing with it?
Yes, LTspice is my baby but Linear Technology's their
property. It's full time job for me and others. I don't
believe there's any other SPICE as vigorously developed as
LTspice.
> One peeve: why does the reaction of the editor to mouse
> clicks not follow the Windows standard for things like
> cut and paste, and clicking and grabbing wires and
> components, etc.?
There's basically three reasons. First, from the help,
"Unlike many schematic capture programs, this one
was written explicitly for running SPICE simulations.
This means that if you click on an object, the
default behavior is to plot the voltage on that wire
or current through that component, not select the
object for editing or some other editing behavior
which would then invalidate the simulation just
performed." Second, LTspice is used as a replacement
for certain in-house CAD tools and the mouse syntax was
made to be easy for people using this other convention.
Third, coming from a X Window System background,
I've never really liked the MS Windows idea that you
first select, then tell it what command, then do it.
It feels like saying, "THAT! Oh, yeah and THAT! And
also THAT! But not that! What? Oh, I would like to
delete it." It seems like franticly swatting at the
computer with the mouse. The way I think is "I would
like to delete that," so the syntax in LTspice in more
natural to me.
> How about adding a "Label Net" item to the menu that
> drops down when right clicking on wires?
Thank-you. Done in version 2.00k, availible now.
> [...] As a general goal might I suggest that the bulk
> of the most commonly used commands be made available
> on the first three rows of keys for the left hand so
> that one could "drive" the schematic entry with that
> hand fixed to the keyboard, the right hand fixed to
> the mouse, and the eyes fixed to the screen. Vrrrrooom.
I'd thought it was basically set up for this use. That's
how I and others use it anyway. The 'hot' keys are
mentioned on the menu commands, so every time you use a
menu command, you see the hot ket to get there straight
away.
--Mike
Brendl
Thanks for the absolutely excellent simulator. I have been using it for
more than a year. I'm frequently amazed that it has features that I
never guessed would be offered in any reasonable-cost product -- much
less a free one. The FFT plots were quite enexpected. Another thing I
like is the LTC op-amp library. I'm doing a home-brew seismic project
and the LTC low-noise op-amps are ideal. So it's a perfect fit.
Since you are so kind as to be open to suggestions, allow me to make a
few user-interface requests. :^)
1. LTspice is increably EASY to use -- especially after you learn the Fn
key Schematic Editing Commands: F5 - delete, F7 - move, F2 - new
component, etc. The assignment of Fn keys is non-standard and I forget
them a few weeks away.
Request: Please include the Fn key in the tooltips text that appears
when the cursor rests over a toolbar symbol. For example, "Undo" should
display "Undo F9" or such. I believe this is the easiest way to learn
keyboard commands. Also, is there a keyboard command for "Run"?
2. In older versions of LTspice we could *permanently* select "Don't
plot phase of group delay" (right vertical axis). In recent versions
this feature is disabled. I'm looking at a number of AC analysis signals
and the phase delay plots get in the way. So I have to right-click and
select the "Don't plot" box, OK, every time I start a run or change the
analysis command.
Request: Make this selection a global option, or better, save it with
the .asc file.
3. Recent versions of LTspice have a new "Edit Simulation Command"
dialog that understands analysis syntax and parameters. This is very a
welcome and helpful assistance. However, it brings a loss of ease of
use.
In older versions it was simple to manage a plural number of Edit
Simulation commands. In the good old days you could have something like
this on the schmatic
.noise V(OUT1) V5 oct 100 0.1 60 {blue}
.noise V(OUT2) V5 oct 100 0.1 60 {blue}
.tran 0.03
.ac oct 50 .1 100 {blue}
where {blue} means Comment (versus a SPICE directive). In this example,
Run performs the .tran analysis (since it is not a comment). All that
was needed to execute the .ac analysis was to
(1) Rt-click on .tran and convert it to a Comment,
(2) Rt-Click on .ac and convert the Comment to a SPICE
directive,
and Run. To then switch to the .noise V(OUT1) analysis, simply do the
same operations, and so on. (Also, the phase delay setting was
preserved. :)
Now it has become more difficult as you cannot perform step (2). There's
no way to "turn off" a SPICE directive. That is, a SPICE directive
cannot be changed to a Comment {blue} from the Edit Simulation Command
dialog. Nor can you insert the comment character ';' in front, as this
is not part of the simulation syntax.
The only workaround I found is to omit step (2), press Run, and select
the desired analysis. This changes the previous command to a SPICE
directive, with a leading ';' automatically inserted. IOW, it is changed
to a SPICE comment. As a consequence, step (1) then becomes an edit to
replace the ';' with '.'. Two steps bcome three plus and edit. I may
have left out some steps here, but my point is that is no longer simple
to change the analysis type.
In short, the ability to convert a simulation command to a "blue"
comment in no longer available. I would argue that programmers always
need to be able to convert a comment to an executable and an executable
to a comment.
Request: This is simply fixed. Add a "Comment" check box to the property
pages of the Edit Simulation Command dialog. This would function the
same way as old versions did. Users would still have the very nice
assistance with analysis syntax, and additionally have the ability to
convert back and forth between an executable and a comment.
Thanks again. LTspice is a marvelous piece of work.
John
Terry Pinnell
>Hi Helmut,
Brendl: Was this intended for Helmut, or for the program's
author/developer, Mike Englehardt?
>Thanks for the absolutely excellent simulator. I have been using it for
>more than a year. I'm frequently amazed that it has features that I
>never guessed would be offered in any reasonable-cost product -- much
>less a free one. The FFT plots were quite enexpected. Another thing I
>like is the LTC op-amp library. I'm doing a home-brew seismic project
>and the LTC low-noise op-amps are ideal. So it's a perfect fit.
>
>Since you are so kind as to be open to suggestions, allow me to make a
>few user-interface requests. :^)
>
>1. LTspice is increably EASY to use -- especially after you learn the Fn
>key Schematic Editing Commands: F5 - delete, F7 - move, F2 - new
>component, etc. The assignment of Fn keys is non-standard and I forget
>them a few weeks away.
>
>Request: Please include the Fn key in the tooltips text that appears
>when the cursor rests over a toolbar symbol. For example, "Undo" should
>display "Undo F9" or such. I believe this is the easiest way to learn
>keyboard commands. Also, is there a keyboard command for "Run"?
Mike: Could I echo those requests, please. I'm just starting to draw
my first schematic with 2.00p and so far *not* finding it easy. I take
heart from Brendl's claim that it will become so, but so far the
non-standard choices you've made are an obstacle. As a matter of
curiosity, why did you not use familiar standards like Del for Delete,
Ctrl+z for Undo, etc?
Another more fundamental aspect that I'm currently negative about is
having to choose a tool *first*, and then select the element on which
you want it to operate. I'm so used to the reverse in virtually all
other programs. An obvious example is that in CircuitMaker to delete a
component I simply left click it and hit delete (or r-click and choose
Delete). In LTSpice I need to first hit F5 to select the delete tool
and then click the resultant scissors over the part. The same applies
to moving a part or a wire.
Presumably if I want to remove an entire selection, I have to delete
each part that way? Or is there some way after all to select a section
first? In CM I just drag a rectangle around it, or Shift-click each
part.
BTW, is there something I can configure to stop this automatic zooming
in that occurs after part placement? I know I can use Ctrl+b to 'zoom
back', but how can I get the window to stay at a fixed size while I
build a circuit?
Am I right that placing two parts so that their pins connect does
*not* actually connect them, i.e. you need to add a wire between them?
I placed two resistors to make a vertical divider and then moved the
upper one higher. I expected to see a wire extend automatically, as in
CM, but not so.
Helmut Sennewald
"Brendl" <d...@dot-at.at> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:MPG.18ade860f...@netnews.attbi.com...
> Hi Helmut,
>
> Thanks for the absolutely excellent simulator.
Hello John,
I am only a user of LTSPice(SwitcherCADIII). SwitcherCADIII has been
written by Mike Engelhardt for Linear Technology. He has done a
great job there. The big luck for us is that Linear Technology
can afford to give it for free to everbody. But again, we wouldn't
have it that universal wihout Mike Engelhardt who always keeps the
LTSpice so compatible to other Spice simulators.
I am only a voluntary strong supporter of LTSpice.
Best Regards
Helmut
PS: I am not an employee of Linear Technology if that matters.
Ned Konz
>
> 1. LTspice is increably EASY to use -- especially after you learn the Fn
> key Schematic Editing Commands: F5 - delete, F7 - move, F2 - new
> component, etc. The assignment of Fn keys is non-standard and I forget
> them a few weeks away.
>
> Request: Please include the Fn key in the tooltips text that appears
> when the cursor rests over a toolbar symbol. For example, "Undo" should
> display "Undo F9" or such. I believe this is the easiest way to learn
> keyboard commands. Also, is there a keyboard command for "Run"?
Another request, Mike:
Some of us don't have function keys (or they're hard to get to). I have to
press a modifier to get a function key.
It'd be wonderful if there were some way to assign the various actions to
specific keyboard (and/or mouse?) events.
So I could set it up for (say) various control or alphabetic keys to do
everything.
Thanks!