E6-201 Power Electronics Lab

Tutorial on LTSpice

A. Download link—Click here

B. Online manuals from parent site --

Getting started with LTSpice - Ref 1
Getting started with LTSpice - Ref 2
Getting started with LTspice - Ref 3
Shortcuts used in LTSpice

C. Online manual from third-party websites--

Getting started with LTSpice- Ref 4
Getting started with LTSpice - Ref 5
Getting started with LTSpice - Ref 6

D. Demo circuits from parent site- Click here

E. Setting up a simulation--- Eg. 555 timer circuit

1) Open LTSpice window and click on New Schematic on top left corner in the toolbar.
OR Click on File -> New Schematic

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2) Include the components in the schematic by browsing the Components in toolbar OR press F2. (The components
whose symbols are present in the default LTSpice directory can be included directly from here).
For example: browse NE555.

3) Include other components likewise from the components list.

OR Use shortcuts present on the toolbar.
4) Label the significant nodes in the circuit using Label Net. For example: Vcc has been labelled and used for
further connections.

5) Complete the circuit using the Wire option (Pencil icon) from the toolbar.
6) At least one ground GND should be present in the circuit. All the node voltages are measured w.r.t GND.
7) Deleting, copying and moving wires/components can be done using the symbols shown below.

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8) Choose the component values and names by right clicking on the components.

9) The final circuit should look like the figure shown below.

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F. Basic simulation settings:
1) Click on run to open the Edit Simulation Command window.

2) In the Transient analysis window, set the Stop time, Maximum time step appropriately.
3) Recommended Maximum time step should be 100 times lesser than the minimum time period of operation
obtained in the circuit. For example: here the time step has been set to 1u for 1µs time step.
4) Check the Skip initial operating point solution.
5) The final window should look as shown below.

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G. Run the simulation: By clicking OK (This window will open only for first time run. For editing the commands in
subsequent runs, right click on the simulation command shown in schematic)

H. Waveforms and plot settings for viewing the results.

1. Right click on the plot window and add plot panes to view waveforms in different scopes.

Left click on the desired pane to add a plot into it.

2. Left click on the schematic window.
To see voltages of nodes w.r.t ground, hover the cursor over the desired nodes. Click on the nodes when pen
prompt shows up.
To see currents through elements, hover the cursor over the desired elements. Click on the element when a
prompt showing an arrow through a circle shows up.
3. To modify the waveforms algebraically, right click on the waveform label on the top of the plot pane.

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4. To measure the values at different points on the plot, select the attached cursor option as shown above.
OR double click on the label and use the cursors.

5. To modify other plot settings, click on control panel (hammer icon) and choose waveforms.