Reply by Tom Gardner August 3, 20202020-08-03
On 03/08/20 01:00, Phil Hobbs wrote:
> On 2020-08-02 17:58, John Larkin wrote: >> Well, you must be one of those fancy-schmantyz people who learned how >> to type. >> > > I was a 10-fingered hunt-and-peck typist as a grad student, and decided to force > myself to learn touch typing by writing my thesis without looking at the keyboard.
Difficult to touch type on an ASR33; two-fingered hunt-and-peck was all I could manage. A semblance of touch typing only happened after the cursor and insert/delete keys became available. But then my first professional program was entered on the hex keypad of Acorn's first product. Fortunately I only had to demonstrate the product principle, because it had to be re-entered every time it was used. Nonetheless it shortened the development time from 6 months to 3 weeks :)
Reply by Phil Hobbs August 2, 20202020-08-02
On 2020-08-02 17:58, John Larkin wrote:
> On Sun, 2 Aug 2020 16:21:00 -0400, Phil Hobbs > <pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote: > >> On 2020-08-01 00:56, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote: >>> On Fri, 31 Jul 2020 20:06:35 -0400, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote: >>> >>>> On 7/31/2020 2:56 PM, Ricketty C wrote: >>>>> On Friday, July 31, 2020 at 1:03:29 PM UTC-4, bitrex wrote: >>>>>> On 7/31/2020 10:20 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>>> On Fri, 31 Jul 2020 12:40:08 +0100, Terry Pinnell >>>>>>> <me@somewhere.invalid> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Clive Arthur <cliveta@nowaytoday.co.uk> wrote: >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> On 31/07/2020 09:58, Terry Pinnell wrote: >>>>>>>>>> I've recently started using LT Spice. A great free >>>>>>>>>> tool, with the overriding advantage of widespread use. >>>>>>>>>> (Unlike CircuitMaker 2000 Pro, of which I seem to be >>>>>>>>>> the only current user on the planet.) >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>> But LT's UI is not so good. Have there been any hacked >>>>>>>>>> versions that attempt improvements? For example, using >>>>>>>>>> the more modern rectangular resistors rather than >>>>>>>>>> zigzags? And I was surprised to find the wires of my >>>>>>>>>> first schematic printout seemed about a single pixel in >>>>>>>>>> width, barely readable. >>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> You'll find a rectangular 'European Resistor' in Misc. I >>>>>>>>> only use them when I want to indicate a load, or >>>>>>>>> significant dissipation. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> 'Pen thickness' under control panel/drafting options can >>>>>>>>> make the lines thicker, and 'Hot Keys' can configure the >>>>>>>>> keyboard option. I use R for rotate, W for wire ctrl-C >>>>>>>>> for copy, M for move D for drag etc. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> But yes, the UI isn't its strong point. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Great, thanks Clive. I had scanned the settings but clearly >>>>>>>> not thoroughly enough! >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Terry >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The HELP isn't very good. Some important things aren't >>>>>>> mentioned at all. Google often provides better help, and >>>>>>> there are some good tutorial/manuals online. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> I use it sometimes just to create graphs for manuals, not >>>>>>> necessarily actual electronics, but you have to play with >>>>>>> settings to get a good image. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> That is to say they could have kept the engine closed source >>>>>> and used an off-the-shelf UI system like Qt to make it >>>>>> intrinsically cross-platform and a nicer interface but didn't >>>>>> do that for whatever reason. >>>>>> >>>>>> It runs OK on linux under Wine but some things don't work quite >>>>>> right e.g. copy and pasting across schematics is borked under >>>>>> Wine on every Linux variant I've tried it on. >>>>> >>>>> Copy and paste is borked under Windows. You have to do the copy, >>>>> then you can only switch schematics one way or the command is >>>>> ended. I think it's with the TAB key. Click the mouse on the >>>>> tab and the command is ended. Lots of goofy little things like >>>>> this to learn. >>>>> >>>>> What really bugs me though is the arcane details of modifying >>>>> symbols and adding new models. I recently had a lengthy >>>>> discussion about one way to do this where I was pointed to the >>>>> help file only to find the help file had rather misleading data. >>>>> Then people were other than polite discussing it as if the >>>>> confusion is the user's fault. After saying "here's a way that >>>>> works" and being shown it doesn't work the response was that the >>>>> behavior of the generated .net file command syntax is exactly as >>>>> documented even though .net file syntax was not part of the >>>>> original discussion. But that was the level of support in the >>>>> help file. >>>>> >>>>> So be prepared to learn how the piston rings work if you want to >>>>> drive anywhere other than the corner market. >>>>> >>>> >>>> It annoys me when software developers don't follow the standard >>>> conventions of the platform they're developing for like in most >>>> Windows software undo is cntl + Z and cntl + Y. in Spice it's F9 >>>> and Shift + F9 problem is a lot of newer PCs have functions like >>>> the backlight control bound to those keys and you have to press a >>>> "Fn" button to activate the functions. >>> >>> But LT Spice has an UNDO icon right in the toolbar. You don't have >>> to take your hand off the mouse. >> >> I use only Trackpoint keyboards. There's no switching back and forth at >> all. (Plus the Trackpoint was invented by a friend of mine.) >> >>> >>> At least under Windows, copying a part or a chunk of circuit between >>> schematics is easy. No hotkeys, just the copy symbol on the toolbar. >> >> I'd go nuts if I had to use the mouse for everything. I've been using >> hotkeys since DOS 1.0, nearly 40 years ago, and IIRC I customized my >> 3270 terminal's key map a couple of years before that. (I was >> timesharing on UBC's Amdahl 470 V/6 and V/8 running the Michigan >> Terminal System [MTS]. Pretty cool for the day.) >> >>> >>> I think the only hotkey I use in LT is g for ground. >> >> I still do most of my drawing in Freelance 4.0+ for DOS. Hotkeys >> galore. Just about all the figures in my book are from Freelance. >> (Still true in the third edition, coming out some time early next year, >> God willing.) >> >> Cheers >> >> Phil Hobbs > > Well, you must be one of those fancy-schmantyz people who learned how > to type. >
I was a 10-fingered hunt-and-peck typist as a grad student, and decided to force myself to learn touch typing by writing my thesis without looking at the keyboard. Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 http://electrooptical.net http://hobbs-eo.com
Reply by Ricketty C August 2, 20202020-08-02
On Sunday, August 2, 2020 at 6:03:27 PM UTC-4, John Larkin wrote:
> On Sun, 2 Aug 2020 16:25:21 -0400, Phil Hobbs > <pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote: > > >On 2020-08-01 01:37, Pimpom wrote: > >> On 8/1/2020 12:08 AM, Ricketty C wrote: > >>> > >>> Many of the initial issues are not a big deal once you get used to > >>> them.&nbsp; My complain with LTspice is the difficulty with managing new > >>> device models.&nbsp; While there is info available on adding components to > >>> a given design, they nearly all talk about either adding the component > >>> to the master library or adding them to the local design library > >>> rather than a personal common library not part of any design. > >>> > >> That's what I like about CircuitMaker 2000. Creating a "common personal > >> library not part of any design" is straightforward, especially for the > >> PCB section. I've been using my own footprints exclusively for a decade > >> and a half. Macros for the schematic portion is somewhat more convoluted > >> but not too bad. > > > >It's trivial for LTspice as well. I have a biggish one that I just > >append models to using a text editor (or even the Linux output > >redirects). Every nontrivial schematic that's just for my use > >references it. > > > ><Ctl>s [up comes a text box] > >.lib \electronics\designs\PHParts.lib<enter> > > > >Run simulation. No muss, fuss, or bother. > > > >> > >> Designs don't have to be part of a project. One can draw a schematic or > >> PCB layout and save it as a standalone file. > >> > >>> Then there is the fact that while there are multiple ways to do many > >>> tasks, none of them are simple and/or obvious. The tool is highly > >>> cranky about tiny details with little rhyme or reason. > >> > >> That's what I think of as the Windoze approach. > >> > >>> There is a support group that has a handful of "experts" who often > >>> start off with telling you to read the help file even though the help > >>> file is very hard to search, hard to read and in some cases contains > >>> incorrect or misleading info. > >>> > >> The old helicopter joke. > >> > >>> > >>> On the upside, once you get over the various "humps" it can be a very > >>> useful tool for free.&nbsp; Just learn to love the humps. > >>> > >> No argument there. I still have a lot to learn about LTSpice though. > > > >The "undocumented LTspice" website is useful. > > > >Cheers > > > >Phil Hobbs > > I've discovered (is it new?) that if you, for example, change the name > of a mosfet to JLFET or something, and JLFET.mod is in the same folder > as the .asc file, it finds JLFET and uses it. That's handy.
What does that mean to "change the name"??? The symbols in LTspice have attributes. One is called "value" and is the one typically displayed on the schematic, however any or all attributes can be changed. To point the symbol to a new file requires entering the file name either in the SpiceModel attribute or the ModelFile attribute which can only be accessed from the symbol editor, not the schematic editor. Then there are crazy things like, if you use the SpiceModel attribute to define the file name and include a description, the attributes can not be edited on the schematic at all. Or some combination like that. I wanted to use one model file for the TLV333 family of parts (TLV333 single, TLV2333 dual, TLV4333 quad) and just change the displayed name on the symbol. Never found a way to do that. The help file "clearly" explains something that is far to arcane for me to recall right now that means you can't use the attributes in this way. When using the ModelFile attribute to point to the model file the SpiceModel attribute is then used to point to the model within the file. The Value attribute is then used as the displayed value on the schematic... or so you would think. The reality is that both the SpiceModel attribute and the Value attribute are entered on the command line in the .net file. Insanely enough the Value attribute is listed first and the SpiceModel attribute is listed last, both preceded by the parameters. The result is if the Value model does not match the SpiceModel the SpiceModel is taken as the model name and the Value is treated as a net name causing an error. The help file is little use in matters like this. Instead of telling you what time it is, the help tells you about the metallurgy required to make the gears in a variety of timing mechanisms which can potentially be used to keep time. The support group at groups.io is often helpful, but often not. They seem unwilling to acknowledge any of the limitations of LTspice and the documentation and so are not willing to help in meaningful ways, but are surely well intentioned by starting out with a cry of "read the help file" without even an indication of which of the hundreds of sections. One day when I have nothing else to do I might try some experiments to learn first, what are all the variables that must be controlled. Once that is done, perhaps I have a chance of analyzing the FSM that exists to define the interface. Once someone pointed out that a computer is a FSM consisting of potentially 2^N states where N is the number of bits in the CPU and memory. Debugging a program could be defined as determining which of those state bits start in the wrong state. An LTspice design has a lot of state bits and a very poorly defined state machine. Do the math. -- Rick C. ++ Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging ++ Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209
Reply by John Larkin August 2, 20202020-08-02
On Sun, 2 Aug 2020 16:25:21 -0400, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:

>On 2020-08-01 01:37, Pimpom wrote: >> On 8/1/2020 12:08 AM, Ricketty C wrote: >>> >>> Many of the initial issues are not a big deal once you get used to >>> them.&#4294967295; My complain with LTspice is the difficulty with managing new >>> device models.&#4294967295; While there is info available on adding components to >>> a given design, they nearly all talk about either adding the component >>> to the master library or adding them to the local design library >>> rather than a personal common library not part of any design. >>> >> That's what I like about CircuitMaker 2000. Creating a "common personal >> library not part of any design" is straightforward, especially for the >> PCB section. I've been using my own footprints exclusively for a decade >> and a half. Macros for the schematic portion is somewhat more convoluted >> but not too bad. > >It's trivial for LTspice as well. I have a biggish one that I just >append models to using a text editor (or even the Linux output >redirects). Every nontrivial schematic that's just for my use >references it. > ><Ctl>s [up comes a text box] >.lib \electronics\designs\PHParts.lib<enter> > >Run simulation. No muss, fuss, or bother. > >> >> Designs don't have to be part of a project. One can draw a schematic or >> PCB layout and save it as a standalone file. >> >>> Then there is the fact that while there are multiple ways to do many >>> tasks, none of them are simple and/or obvious. The tool is highly >>> cranky about tiny details with little rhyme or reason. >> >> That's what I think of as the Windoze approach. >> >>> There is a support group that has a handful of "experts" who often >>> start off with telling you to read the help file even though the help >>> file is very hard to search, hard to read and in some cases contains >>> incorrect or misleading info. >>> >> The old helicopter joke. >> >>> >>> On the upside, once you get over the various "humps" it can be a very >>> useful tool for free.&#4294967295; Just learn to love the humps. >>> >> No argument there. I still have a lot to learn about LTSpice though. > >The "undocumented LTspice" website is useful. > >Cheers > >Phil Hobbs
I've discovered (is it new?) that if you, for example, change the name of a mosfet to JLFET or something, and JLFET.mod is in the same folder as the .asc file, it finds JLFET and uses it. That's handy.
Reply by John Larkin August 2, 20202020-08-02
On Sun, 2 Aug 2020 16:21:00 -0400, Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:

>On 2020-08-01 00:56, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote: >> On Fri, 31 Jul 2020 20:06:35 -0400, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote: >> >>> On 7/31/2020 2:56 PM, Ricketty C wrote: >>>> On Friday, July 31, 2020 at 1:03:29 PM UTC-4, bitrex wrote: >>>>> On 7/31/2020 10:20 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com >>>>> wrote: >>>>>> On Fri, 31 Jul 2020 12:40:08 +0100, Terry Pinnell >>>>>> <me@somewhere.invalid> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Clive Arthur <cliveta@nowaytoday.co.uk> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> On 31/07/2020 09:58, Terry Pinnell wrote: >>>>>>>>> I've recently started using LT Spice. A great free >>>>>>>>> tool, with the overriding advantage of widespread use. >>>>>>>>> (Unlike CircuitMaker 2000 Pro, of which I seem to be >>>>>>>>> the only current user on the planet.) >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> But LT's UI is not so good. Have there been any hacked >>>>>>>>> versions that attempt improvements? For example, using >>>>>>>>> the more modern rectangular resistors rather than >>>>>>>>> zigzags? And I was surprised to find the wires of my >>>>>>>>> first schematic printout seemed about a single pixel in >>>>>>>>> width, barely readable. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> You'll find a rectangular 'European Resistor' in Misc. I >>>>>>>> only use them when I want to indicate a load, or >>>>>>>> significant dissipation. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> 'Pen thickness' under control panel/drafting options can >>>>>>>> make the lines thicker, and 'Hot Keys' can configure the >>>>>>>> keyboard option. I use R for rotate, W for wire ctrl-C >>>>>>>> for copy, M for move D for drag etc. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> But yes, the UI isn't its strong point. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Great, thanks Clive. I had scanned the settings but clearly >>>>>>> not thoroughly enough! >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Terry >>>>>> >>>>>> The HELP isn't very good. Some important things aren't >>>>>> mentioned at all. Google often provides better help, and >>>>>> there are some good tutorial/manuals online. >>>>>> >>>>>> I use it sometimes just to create graphs for manuals, not >>>>>> necessarily actual electronics, but you have to play with >>>>>> settings to get a good image. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> That is to say they could have kept the engine closed source >>>>> and used an off-the-shelf UI system like Qt to make it >>>>> intrinsically cross-platform and a nicer interface but didn't >>>>> do that for whatever reason. >>>>> >>>>> It runs OK on linux under Wine but some things don't work quite >>>>> right e.g. copy and pasting across schematics is borked under >>>>> Wine on every Linux variant I've tried it on. >>>> >>>> Copy and paste is borked under Windows. You have to do the copy, >>>> then you can only switch schematics one way or the command is >>>> ended. I think it's with the TAB key. Click the mouse on the >>>> tab and the command is ended. Lots of goofy little things like >>>> this to learn. >>>> >>>> What really bugs me though is the arcane details of modifying >>>> symbols and adding new models. I recently had a lengthy >>>> discussion about one way to do this where I was pointed to the >>>> help file only to find the help file had rather misleading data. >>>> Then people were other than polite discussing it as if the >>>> confusion is the user's fault. After saying "here's a way that >>>> works" and being shown it doesn't work the response was that the >>>> behavior of the generated .net file command syntax is exactly as >>>> documented even though .net file syntax was not part of the >>>> original discussion. But that was the level of support in the >>>> help file. >>>> >>>> So be prepared to learn how the piston rings work if you want to >>>> drive anywhere other than the corner market. >>>> >>> >>> It annoys me when software developers don't follow the standard >>> conventions of the platform they're developing for like in most >>> Windows software undo is cntl + Z and cntl + Y. in Spice it's F9 >>> and Shift + F9 problem is a lot of newer PCs have functions like >>> the backlight control bound to those keys and you have to press a >>> "Fn" button to activate the functions. >> >> But LT Spice has an UNDO icon right in the toolbar. You don't have >> to take your hand off the mouse. > >I use only Trackpoint keyboards. There's no switching back and forth at >all. (Plus the Trackpoint was invented by a friend of mine.) > >> >> At least under Windows, copying a part or a chunk of circuit between >> schematics is easy. No hotkeys, just the copy symbol on the toolbar. > >I'd go nuts if I had to use the mouse for everything. I've been using >hotkeys since DOS 1.0, nearly 40 years ago, and IIRC I customized my >3270 terminal's key map a couple of years before that. (I was >timesharing on UBC's Amdahl 470 V/6 and V/8 running the Michigan >Terminal System [MTS]. Pretty cool for the day.) > >> >> I think the only hotkey I use in LT is g for ground. > >I still do most of my drawing in Freelance 4.0+ for DOS. Hotkeys >galore. Just about all the figures in my book are from Freelance. >(Still true in the third edition, coming out some time early next year, >God willing.) > >Cheers > >Phil Hobbs
Well, you must be one of those fancy-schmantyz people who learned how to type.
Reply by Phil Hobbs August 2, 20202020-08-02
On 2020-08-01 01:37, Pimpom wrote:
> On 8/1/2020 12:08 AM, Ricketty C wrote: >> >> Many of the initial issues are not a big deal once you get used to >> them.&nbsp; My complain with LTspice is the difficulty with managing new >> device models.&nbsp; While there is info available on adding components to >> a given design, they nearly all talk about either adding the component >> to the master library or adding them to the local design library >> rather than a personal common library not part of any design. >> > That's what I like about CircuitMaker 2000. Creating a "common personal > library not part of any design" is straightforward, especially for the > PCB section. I've been using my own footprints exclusively for a decade > and a half. Macros for the schematic portion is somewhat more convoluted > but not too bad.
It's trivial for LTspice as well. I have a biggish one that I just append models to using a text editor (or even the Linux output redirects). Every nontrivial schematic that's just for my use references it. <Ctl>s [up comes a text box] .lib \electronics\designs\PHParts.lib<enter> Run simulation. No muss, fuss, or bother.
> > Designs don't have to be part of a project. One can draw a schematic or > PCB layout and save it as a standalone file. > >> Then there is the fact that while there are multiple ways to do many >> tasks, none of them are simple and/or obvious. The tool is highly >> cranky about tiny details with little rhyme or reason. > > That's what I think of as the Windoze approach. > >> There is a support group that has a handful of "experts" who often >> start off with telling you to read the help file even though the help >> file is very hard to search, hard to read and in some cases contains >> incorrect or misleading info. >> > The old helicopter joke. > >> >> On the upside, once you get over the various "humps" it can be a very >> useful tool for free.&nbsp; Just learn to love the humps. >> > No argument there. I still have a lot to learn about LTSpice though.
The "undocumented LTspice" website is useful. Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 http://electrooptical.net http://hobbs-eo.com
Reply by Phil Hobbs August 2, 20202020-08-02
On 2020-08-01 00:56, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
> On Fri, 31 Jul 2020 20:06:35 -0400, bitrex <user@example.net> wrote: > >> On 7/31/2020 2:56 PM, Ricketty C wrote: >>> On Friday, July 31, 2020 at 1:03:29 PM UTC-4, bitrex wrote: >>>> On 7/31/2020 10:20 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com >>>> wrote: >>>>> On Fri, 31 Jul 2020 12:40:08 +0100, Terry Pinnell >>>>> <me@somewhere.invalid> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> Clive Arthur <cliveta@nowaytoday.co.uk> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> On 31/07/2020 09:58, Terry Pinnell wrote: >>>>>>>> I've recently started using LT Spice. A great free >>>>>>>> tool, with the overriding advantage of widespread use. >>>>>>>> (Unlike CircuitMaker 2000 Pro, of which I seem to be >>>>>>>> the only current user on the planet.) >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> But LT's UI is not so good. Have there been any hacked >>>>>>>> versions that attempt improvements? For example, using >>>>>>>> the more modern rectangular resistors rather than >>>>>>>> zigzags? And I was surprised to find the wires of my >>>>>>>> first schematic printout seemed about a single pixel in >>>>>>>> width, barely readable. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> You'll find a rectangular 'European Resistor' in Misc. I >>>>>>> only use them when I want to indicate a load, or >>>>>>> significant dissipation. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> 'Pen thickness' under control panel/drafting options can >>>>>>> make the lines thicker, and 'Hot Keys' can configure the >>>>>>> keyboard option. I use R for rotate, W for wire ctrl-C >>>>>>> for copy, M for move D for drag etc. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> But yes, the UI isn't its strong point. >>>>>> >>>>>> Great, thanks Clive. I had scanned the settings but clearly >>>>>> not thoroughly enough! >>>>>> >>>>>> Terry >>>>> >>>>> The HELP isn't very good. Some important things aren't >>>>> mentioned at all. Google often provides better help, and >>>>> there are some good tutorial/manuals online. >>>>> >>>>> I use it sometimes just to create graphs for manuals, not >>>>> necessarily actual electronics, but you have to play with >>>>> settings to get a good image. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> That is to say they could have kept the engine closed source >>>> and used an off-the-shelf UI system like Qt to make it >>>> intrinsically cross-platform and a nicer interface but didn't >>>> do that for whatever reason. >>>> >>>> It runs OK on linux under Wine but some things don't work quite >>>> right e.g. copy and pasting across schematics is borked under >>>> Wine on every Linux variant I've tried it on. >>> >>> Copy and paste is borked under Windows. You have to do the copy, >>> then you can only switch schematics one way or the command is >>> ended. I think it's with the TAB key. Click the mouse on the >>> tab and the command is ended. Lots of goofy little things like >>> this to learn. >>> >>> What really bugs me though is the arcane details of modifying >>> symbols and adding new models. I recently had a lengthy >>> discussion about one way to do this where I was pointed to the >>> help file only to find the help file had rather misleading data. >>> Then people were other than polite discussing it as if the >>> confusion is the user's fault. After saying "here's a way that >>> works" and being shown it doesn't work the response was that the >>> behavior of the generated .net file command syntax is exactly as >>> documented even though .net file syntax was not part of the >>> original discussion. But that was the level of support in the >>> help file. >>> >>> So be prepared to learn how the piston rings work if you want to >>> drive anywhere other than the corner market. >>> >> >> It annoys me when software developers don't follow the standard >> conventions of the platform they're developing for like in most >> Windows software undo is cntl + Z and cntl + Y. in Spice it's F9 >> and Shift + F9 problem is a lot of newer PCs have functions like >> the backlight control bound to those keys and you have to press a >> "Fn" button to activate the functions. > > But LT Spice has an UNDO icon right in the toolbar. You don't have > to take your hand off the mouse.
I use only Trackpoint keyboards. There's no switching back and forth at all. (Plus the Trackpoint was invented by a friend of mine.)
> > At least under Windows, copying a part or a chunk of circuit between > schematics is easy. No hotkeys, just the copy symbol on the toolbar.
I'd go nuts if I had to use the mouse for everything. I've been using hotkeys since DOS 1.0, nearly 40 years ago, and IIRC I customized my 3270 terminal's key map a couple of years before that. (I was timesharing on UBC's Amdahl 470 V/6 and V/8 running the Michigan Terminal System [MTS]. Pretty cool for the day.)
> > I think the only hotkey I use in LT is g for ground.
I still do most of my drawing in Freelance 4.0+ for DOS. Hotkeys galore. Just about all the figures in my book are from Freelance. (Still true in the third edition, coming out some time early next year, God willing.) Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics Briarcliff Manor NY 10510 http://electrooptical.net http://hobbs-eo.com
Reply by Rich S August 1, 20202020-08-01
On Friday, July 31, 2020 at 8:58:44 AM UTC, Terry Pinnell wrote:
> I've recently started using LT Spice. A great free tool, with the > overriding advantage of widespread use. (Unlike CircuitMaker 2000 Pro, > of which I seem to be the only current user on the planet.) > > But LT's UI is not so good. Have there been any hacked versions that > attempt improvements? For example, using the more modern rectangular > resistors rather than zigzags? And I was surprised to find the wires of > my first schematic printout seemed about a single pixel in width, barely > readable.
I've only used LT Spice a few times, but keep going back to MicroCap. I found MicroCap more intuitive. It is also fully featured. You can edit parts and shapes, e.g., tweak the standard schematic symbol. For example, I did not see a symbol for a voltage comparator (the default looks like an op-amp), so I made my own, using the built-in shape editor tool. cheers, Rich S
Reply by August 1, 20202020-08-01
On Sat, 1 Aug 2020 11:07:47 +0530, Pimpom <nobody@nowhere.com> wrote:

>On 8/1/2020 12:08 AM, Ricketty C wrote: >> >> Many of the initial issues are not a big deal once you get used to them. My complain with LTspice is the difficulty with managing new device models. While there is info available on adding components to a given design, they nearly all talk about either adding the component to the master library or adding them to the local design library rather than a personal common library not part of any design. >> >That's what I like about CircuitMaker 2000. Creating a "common >personal library not part of any design" is straightforward, >especially for the PCB section. I've been using my own footprints >exclusively for a decade and a half. Macros for the schematic >portion is somewhat more convoluted but not too bad.
We use PADS and use none of the standard library parts. We have our own library, LIB3. We fill out a form to create a new part. That identifies the author and checkers, makes and checks the PADS sch and pcb decals, creates an inventory number, identifies the allowed manufacturers and their part numbers, and tells purchasing to buy some initial stock. If we revise a part, it gets a new part creation form and a new name in LIB3, like from THING to THING_A, and we usually delete the old one. Out inventory database names the PADS part for anything in stock and stashes data sheets, links, test data, photos, and notes about any part. Like _BUGGY_OPAMP.txt
> >Designs don't have to be part of a project. One can draw a >schematic or PCB layout and save it as a standalone file.
We have a class of projects called PROTOS, each with a project number like Z372 or something. That's where we stash any casual PCB layouts, breadboard documentation, test rigs, experimental data, whiteboard scribbles, Spice stuff, pictures of Dremeled things, anything not formally released but worth remembering. We have 317 folders in PROTOS so far. Our system works pretty well. Somebody could create a similar system to manage an electronics company, with software, and sell it. Or just write a book. I see all sorts of systems and non-systems being used. -- John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc Science teaches us to doubt. Claude Bernard
Reply by Pimpom August 1, 20202020-08-01
On 8/1/2020 10:26 AM, jlarkin@highlandsniptechnology.com wrote:
> > I think the only hotkey I use in LT is g for ground. >
I use g, l, d, c and r regularly.