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? -- |_|O|_| |_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert |O|O|O| PGP: DDAB 23FB 19FA 7D85 1CC1 E067 6D65 70E5 4CE7 2860
Spice Simulators - ngspice v. ltspice ?
Started by ●December 21, 2023
Reply by ●December 21, 20232023-12-21
Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> 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? > >LTspice installs and runs well under wine in linux. (Use winetricks. ) I’ve been using it that way for years and years. Cheers Phil Hobbs -- Dr Philip C D Hobbs Principal Consultant ElectroOptical Innovations LLC / Hobbs ElectroOptics Optics, Electro-optics, Photonics, Analog Electronics
Reply by ●December 21, 20232023-12-21
Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> Wrote in message:r> I've never used ltspice / circuit simulators before; though based onseeing posts to the group from various people seems it's something Imight find useful (noting, of course, this is a hobby rather thansomething I get paid for).Looked it up, and seems ltspice is a windows/mac application, whereasthe native equivalent on linux would be ngspice. To avoid starting withone and switching because it's "bad" later on; has anyone usedngspice and found it a decent alternative to ltspice? -- |_|O|_||_|_|O| Github: https://github.com/dpurgert|O|O|O| PGP: DDAB 23FB 19FA 7D85 1CC1 E067 6D65 70E5 4CE7 2860Ltspice is pretty good, the interface is a little clumsy, but once you get past that it's ok. You can plop down your own text models and connect them to the components with out much trouble. Cheers -- ----Android NewsGroup Reader---- https://piaohong.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/usenet/index.html
Reply by ●December 21, 20232023-12-21
On 2023-12-21 03:14, 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. >I just use hotkeys for everything in LTspice. 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 ●December 21, 20232023-12-21
On 12/21/23 03:14, 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. Jeroen Belleman
Reply by ●December 21, 20232023-12-21
Jeroen Belleman wrote:> Wanderer wrote: >> The difficulty with the LTspice interface is that it uses "verb" mode instead >> "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.Allow me to confirm how KiCad's eeschema can indeed be used as a schematic entry front-end for ngspice. As alluded to above by Wanderer, KiCad keeps me from doing double work. eeschema is also more intuitive, comprehensive, and easier for me to use. YMMV. 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 ●December 21, 20232023-12-21
On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:24:34 -0000 (UTC), Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> 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?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.
Reply by ●December 21, 20232023-12-21
On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 23:01:13 +0000, JM <sunaecoNoSpam@gmail.com> wrote:>On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:24:34 -0000 (UTC), Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> >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? > >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.(Just to be clear I'm referring to LTspice.)
Reply by ●December 21, 20232023-12-21
On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 22:04:16 +0100, Jeroen Belleman <jeroen@nospam.please> wrote:>On 12/21/23 03:14, 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. > >Jeroen BellemanI agree. I only Spice subcircuits and don't use the same parts as will be on the PCB. Spice happens way before the PCB design.
Reply by ●December 21, 20232023-12-21
On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 23:01:13 +0000, JM <sunaecoNoSpam@gmail.com> wrote:>On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 15:24:34 -0000 (UTC), Dan Purgert <dan@djph.net> >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? > >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.I have 1616 LT Spice sim files in my project folders on this PC. I must be really dumb.
