Reply by Jeroen Belleman●December 23, 20232023-12-23
On 12/23/23 21:42, Uwe Bonnes wrote:
> Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> wrote:
>> On 2023-12-21, Dan Purgert wrote:
>>> I've never used ltspice / circuit simulators before; though based on
>>> seeing posts to the group from various people seems it's something I
>>> might find useful (noting, of course, this is a hobby rather than
>>> something I get paid for).
>>>
>>> Looked it up, and seems ltspice is a windows/mac application, whereas
>>> the native equivalent on linux would be ngspice. To avoid starting with
>>> one and switching because it's "bad" later on; has anyone used
>>> ngspice and found it a decent alternative to ltspice?
>>
>> Just following-up to myself to tie up the loose ends a bit -- thanks to
>> everyone giving their input; sounds like the general consensus is
>> LTSpice-on-WINE, so that's the route I'm gonna attempt to take
>> post-Christmas.
>>
>>
>
> While I use Ltspice with wine, input windows, e.g. to change the value
> of some device, often loose focus. Simple clicking the input
> windows does not bring back focus. To get back focus, I must click
> some window unrelated to Wine/Ltspice and then click the iput
> windows. This happens on several system.
>
> Anybody else has this problem?
I get that sometimes, but it doesn't seem to be related to LTspice
or wine. I think it's a window manager bug. I use xfce. On an older
machine, running older versions of everything, this never happened.
It's irritating, but not enough to invest the time needed to find
and fix it. Still, damn 'upgrades'.
Jeroen Belleman
> Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> wrote:
>> On 2023-12-21, Dan Purgert wrote:
>>> I've never used ltspice / circuit simulators before; though based on
>>> seeing posts to the group from various people seems it's something I
>>> might find useful (noting, of course, this is a hobby rather than
>>> something I get paid for).
>>>
>>> Looked it up, and seems ltspice is a windows/mac application, whereas
>>> the native equivalent on linux would be ngspice. To avoid starting with
>>> one and switching because it's "bad" later on; has anyone used
>>> ngspice and found it a decent alternative to ltspice?
>>
>> Just following-up to myself to tie up the loose ends a bit -- thanks to
>> everyone giving their input; sounds like the general consensus is
>> LTSpice-on-WINE, so that's the route I'm gonna attempt to take
>> post-Christmas.
>>
>>
>
> While I use Ltspice with wine, input windows, e.g. to change the value
> of some device, often loose focus. Simple clicking the input
> windows does not bring back focus. To get back focus, I must click
> some window unrelated to Wine/Ltspice and then click the iput
> windows. This happens on several system.
>
> Anybody else has this problem?
The only thing I notice is that you have to go ctl-enter to get a newline
in a dialogue box, rather than ctl-m.
Cheers
Phil Hobbs
--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC /
Hobbs ElectroOptics Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Reply by Uwe Bonnes●December 23, 20232023-12-23
Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> wrote:
> On 2023-12-21, Dan Purgert wrote:
>> I've never used ltspice / circuit simulators before; though based on
>> seeing posts to the group from various people seems it's something I
>> might find useful (noting, of course, this is a hobby rather than
>> something I get paid for).
>>
>> Looked it up, and seems ltspice is a windows/mac application, whereas
>> the native equivalent on linux would be ngspice. To avoid starting with
>> one and switching because it's "bad" later on; has anyone used
>> ngspice and found it a decent alternative to ltspice?
>
> Just following-up to myself to tie up the loose ends a bit -- thanks to
> everyone giving their input; sounds like the general consensus is
> LTSpice-on-WINE, so that's the route I'm gonna attempt to take
> post-Christmas.
>
>
While I use Ltspice with wine, input windows, e.g. to change the value
of some device, often loose focus. Simple clicking the input
windows does not bring back focus. To get back focus, I must click
some window unrelated to Wine/Ltspice and then click the iput
windows. This happens on several system.
Anybody else has this problem?
--
Uwe Bonnes bon@elektron.ikp.physik.tu-darmstadt.de
Institut fuer Kernphysik Schlossgartenstrasse 9 64289 Darmstadt
--------- Tel. 06151 1623569 ------- Fax. 06151 1623305 ---------
Reply by Dan Purgert●December 23, 20232023-12-23
On 2023-12-21, Dan Purgert wrote:
> I've never used ltspice / circuit simulators before; though based on
> seeing posts to the group from various people seems it's something I
> might find useful (noting, of course, this is a hobby rather than
> something I get paid for).
>
> Looked it up, and seems ltspice is a windows/mac application, whereas
> the native equivalent on linux would be ngspice. To avoid starting with
> one and switching because it's "bad" later on; has anyone used
> ngspice and found it a decent alternative to ltspice?
Just following-up to myself to tie up the loose ends a bit -- thanks to
everyone giving their input; sounds like the general consensus is
LTSpice-on-WINE, so that's the route I'm gonna attempt to take
post-Christmas.
--
|_|O|_|
|_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert
|O|O|O| PGP: DDAB 23FB 19FA 7D85 1CC1 E067 6D65 70E5 4CE7 2860
Reply by Don●December 23, 20232023-12-23
Dan Purgert wrote:
> Jeroen Belleman wrote:
>> Wanderer wrote:
>>> The difficulty with the LTspice interface is that it uses "verb" mode
>>> instead of "noun" mode. In other words, you need to select the action
>>> and then the object, instead of the object and then the action. This
>>> differs from how a lot of other programs work. Also LTspice doesn't
>>> do schematics for PCB Layout, so you are concurrently using another
>>> schematic layout program which is a pain. I had changed LTspice's
>>> hotkeys to match Altium's to avoid hitting the wrong keys.
>>
>> Schematics for PCB layout have requirements so different from
>> schematics for simulations that I don't even *want* to use the
>> same tool for both.
>>
>> I have KiCad for one and LTspice for the other, both on a Linux
>> machine. I never simulate complete designs; only sections that
>> need closer attention.
>>
>> It appears KiCads's eeschema can be used as a schematic entry
>> front-end for ngspice. I never yet bothered.
>
> I ran across that myself yesterday evening, but not going to touch it
> until I have a better handle on what rabbit hole I'm falling into here
> (although it does seem that one "must" use ngspice to work with KiCAD,
> if I'm read and understood the brief overview properly).
eeschema allows users to export netlists. ngspice is not a necessary
adjunct as anything able to input a netlist will work. eeschema's
export even enables enthusiastic LTSPice proselytes to remain on
familiar turf in their own rabbit hole:
<http://www.ecircuitcenter.com/RunSPICE.htm>
Regardless, you seem to be a SPICE newbie. So LTSpice is probably your
best bet. Because it offers the shallowest rabbit hole to master.
Danke,
--
Don, KB7RPU, https://www.qsl.net/kb7rpu
There was a young lady named Bright Whose speed was far faster than light;
She set out one day In a relative way And returned on the previous night.
Reply by Jan Panteltje●December 23, 20232023-12-23
On a sunny day (Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:31:19 -0000 (UTC)) it happened Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote in
<um4h57$1lcns$1@dont-email.me>:
>John Larkin <jl@997PotHill.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 06:44:26 GMT, Jan Panteltje <alien@comet.invalid>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On a sunny day (Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:24:34 -0000 (UTC)) it happened Dan Purgert
>>> <dan@djph.net> wrote in <slrnuo8m8s.clb.dan@djph.net>:
>>>
>>>> I've never used ltspice / circuit simulators before; though based on
>>>> seeing posts to the group from various people seems it's something I
>>>> might find useful (noting, of course, this is a hobby rather than
>>>> something I get paid for).
>>>>
>>>> Looked it up, and seems ltspice is a windows/mac application, whereas
>>>> the native equivalent on linux would be ngspice. To avoid starting with
>>>> one and switching because it's "bad" later on; has anyone used
>>>> ngspice and found it a decent alternative to ltspice?
>>>
>>> I have LTsice running in Linux in 'wine' windows simulator on some old PC.
>>> Not that I use it much..
>>> I have used it to draw filter curves, that is useful,
>>> avoids lots of maaz or what was it matzs? anyways....
>>>
>>
>> Yesterday I designed a 3rd order LC filter by just guessing and
>> tweaking in LT Spice. It's actual funtion is to generate a clean
>> CMOS-logic 1 ns time delay, for a guy who wants a ns of timing margin.
>>
>> I can guess and tweak higher order filters. 5th order is my record,
>> but that's tough. You can diverge, get lost in space.
>>
>>
>
>It’s much easier if you parameterize each section in terms of f_0 and Q,
>rather than L and C directly. That’s what makes dip meters so useful for
>hacking together filter protos.
Yes B = f0 / Q is one of those quick things I use a lot.
Reply by John Larkin●December 22, 20232023-12-22
On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 17:31:19 -0000 (UTC), Phil Hobbs
<pcdhSpamMeSenseless@electrooptical.net> wrote:
>John Larkin <jl@997PotHill.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 06:44:26 GMT, Jan Panteltje <alien@comet.invalid>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On a sunny day (Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:24:34 -0000 (UTC)) it happened Dan Purgert
>>> <dan@djph.net> wrote in <slrnuo8m8s.clb.dan@djph.net>:
>>>
>>>> I've never used ltspice / circuit simulators before; though based on
>>>> seeing posts to the group from various people seems it's something I
>>>> might find useful (noting, of course, this is a hobby rather than
>>>> something I get paid for).
>>>>
>>>> Looked it up, and seems ltspice is a windows/mac application, whereas
>>>> the native equivalent on linux would be ngspice. To avoid starting with
>>>> one and switching because it's "bad" later on; has anyone used
>>>> ngspice and found it a decent alternative to ltspice?
>>>
>>> I have LTsice running in Linux in 'wine' windows simulator on some old PC.
>>> Not that I use it much..
>>> I have used it to draw filter curves, that is useful,
>>> avoids lots of maaz or what was it matzs? anyways....
>>>
>>
>> Yesterday I designed a 3rd order LC filter by just guessing and
>> tweaking in LT Spice. It's actual funtion is to generate a clean
>> CMOS-logic 1 ns time delay, for a guy who wants a ns of timing margin.
>>
>> I can guess and tweak higher order filters. 5th order is my record,
>> but that's tough. You can diverge, get lost in space.
>>
>>
>
>It�s much easier if you parameterize each section in terms of f_0 and Q,
>rather than L and C directly. That�s what makes dip meters so useful for
>hacking together filter protos.
>
>Cheers
>
>Phil Hobbs
For active filters, the sections don't interact. LCs are different.
I have to use standard part values, ideally ones that we have in
stock. And I don't have to conform to anyone's mathematical ideal,
Butterworth or Cauer or anything, I just want it to work in my box.
Reply by Dan Purgert●December 22, 20232023-12-22
On 2023-12-22, John Larkin wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:07:48 -0000 (UTC), Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net>
> wrote:
>
>>On 2023-12-22, John Larkin wrote:
>>> On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 11:10:08 -0000 (UTC), Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>>On 2023-12-21, JM wrote:
>>>>> [..]
>>>>> Use Spectrum Software's Micro-Cap (latest version is 12.2.05) instead
>>>>> of either of the above. Although popular, unless you want to simulate
>>>>> Linear Technology's controller IC's, I cannot see any reason why
>>>>> anyone with any sense would use it.
>>>>
>>>>Seems this one's abandoned now? Which I guess isn't necessarily a
>>>>problem, unless the "download" links at archive.org don't work...
>>>>
>>>>Thanks for the alternative suggestion too!
>>>
>>> Certainly LT Spice has killed a lot of other simulation software, and
>>> companies.
>>
>>I mean, "Micro-Cap" was only killed off in the last year or two from
>>what Wikipedia says (otherwise having lasted 40 years). It almost seems
>>that the company was rather small and the owner(s) just closed up shop.
>>
>>>
>>> I wonder if Raspberry Pi is doing something similar.
>>>
>>
>>In what sense? I mean, there are a few handfuls of single-board PC
>>makers out there now all chasing the "XYZPi" name since "Raspberry Pi"
>>got big.
>
> A dual-core CPU chip for 60 cents, RP2040, with 20 years of guaranteed
> supply, and a $70 dev+debug system is hard to compete with. A
> generation of kids will design around Pi chips.
Oh, you were talking about "Raspberry Pi" the company, not the
product(s) they offer... makes a lot more sense now :)
--
|_|O|_|
|_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert
|O|O|O| PGP: DDAB 23FB 19FA 7D85 1CC1 E067 6D65 70E5 4CE7 2860
Reply by Phil Hobbs●December 22, 20232023-12-22
John Larkin <jl@997PotHill.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 06:44:26 GMT, Jan Panteltje <alien@comet.invalid>
> wrote:
>
>> On a sunny day (Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:24:34 -0000 (UTC)) it happened Dan Purgert
>> <dan@djph.net> wrote in <slrnuo8m8s.clb.dan@djph.net>:
>>
>>> I've never used ltspice / circuit simulators before; though based on
>>> seeing posts to the group from various people seems it's something I
>>> might find useful (noting, of course, this is a hobby rather than
>>> something I get paid for).
>>>
>>> Looked it up, and seems ltspice is a windows/mac application, whereas
>>> the native equivalent on linux would be ngspice. To avoid starting with
>>> one and switching because it's "bad" later on; has anyone used
>>> ngspice and found it a decent alternative to ltspice?
>>
>> I have LTsice running in Linux in 'wine' windows simulator on some old PC.
>> Not that I use it much..
>> I have used it to draw filter curves, that is useful,
>> avoids lots of maaz or what was it matzs? anyways....
>>
>
> Yesterday I designed a 3rd order LC filter by just guessing and
> tweaking in LT Spice. It's actual funtion is to generate a clean
> CMOS-logic 1 ns time delay, for a guy who wants a ns of timing margin.
>
> I can guess and tweak higher order filters. 5th order is my record,
> but that's tough. You can diverge, get lost in space.
>
>
It’s much easier if you parameterize each section in terms of f_0 and Q,
rather than L and C directly. That’s what makes dip meters so useful for
hacking together filter protos.
Cheers
Phil Hobbs
--
Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC /
Hobbs ElectroOptics Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Reply by Lasse Langwadt Christensen●December 22, 20232023-12-22
fredag den 22. december 2023 kl. 17.05.34 UTC+1 skrev John Larkin:
> On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 15:07:48 -0000 (UTC), Dan Purgert <d...@djph.net>
> wrote:
>
> >On 2023-12-22, John Larkin wrote:
> >> On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 11:10:08 -0000 (UTC), Dan Purgert <d...@djph.net>
> >> wrote:
> >>>On 2023-12-21, JM wrote:
> >>>> [..]
> >>>> Use Spectrum Software's Micro-Cap (latest version is 12.2.05) instead
> >>>> of either of the above. Although popular, unless you want to simulate
> >>>> Linear Technology's controller IC's, I cannot see any reason why
> >>>> anyone with any sense would use it.
> >>>
> >>>Seems this one's abandoned now? Which I guess isn't necessarily a
> >>>problem, unless the "download" links at archive.org don't work...
> >>>
> >>>Thanks for the alternative suggestion too!
> >>
> >> Certainly LT Spice has killed a lot of other simulation software, and
> >> companies.
> >
> >I mean, "Micro-Cap" was only killed off in the last year or two from
> >what Wikipedia says (otherwise having lasted 40 years). It almost seems
> >that the company was rather small and the owner(s) just closed up shop.
> >
> >>
> >> I wonder if Raspberry Pi is doing something similar.
> >>
> >
> >In what sense? I mean, there are a few handfuls of single-board PC
> >makers out there now all chasing the "XYZPi" name since "Raspberry Pi"
> >got big.
> A dual-core CPU chip for 60 cents, RP2040, with 20 years of guaranteed
> supply, and a $70 dev+debug system is hard to compete with. A
> generation of kids will design around Pi chips.