Electronic & Hardware Related Theory for Exercise 2.8.

155 -158
Electronic Mechanic - Electronic Circuit Simulator
Electronic Simulation Software
Objectives : At the end of this lesson you shalll be able to
• define electronic simulation software
• build a circuit with simulation software
• virtual instrumentation testing.
Electronic Simulation Software
Free and open source circuit simulation software:
Introduction :
• The list of well - structured free circuit simulation
• Electronic Circuit simulation is a preparatory software’s window based simulator are given below:
software tool designed to create, test and analyse
various analog and digital circuits. − NgSpice

• Simulation software allows for modelling of simple − MultiSim

to complex circuit operation and is an invaluable − QUCS
analysis tool.
− MacSpice
• Electronics simulation software engages the user
by integrating them into the learning experience. − Xspice

• A great collection of most of the electronic − LTSpice

components such as passive to active devices are − PECS
used for circuit drawing, circuit design and analysis.
− TINA-TI
• There are several free version of electronic circuit
− Circuit Logix ,etc.
simulation softwares available in internet. Also
tutorial video guides the user to make use of the • In the following paragraphs how one of the free
application of these simulation softwares. version of electronic circuit simulation software can

Fig 1

The schematic editor window

be installed into the computer system after
downloaded from the internet and made use of this
application software tool for creating, testing virtually
using electronic testing & measuring instruments
are explained in a step by step manner.
troubleshooting a broad variety of basic and advanced
electronic circuits.
• The tool is ideal for helping designers and engineers
to develop and test circuit ideas.

• TINA - TI is a powerful circuit design and simulation • It is a software program developed by both Texas
tool. IT is ideal for designing,testing,and Instruments and DesignSoft,Inc.

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Requirement of PC Configuration:
• The minimum hardware and software requirements
for the currently released TINA-TI version are :
i IBM PC - compatible computer running Microsoft
windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP
ii Pentium or equivalent processor
iii 64MB of RAM
iv Hard disk drive with at least 100MB free space
v Mouse
vi VGA adapter card and monitor
• Once the free version of software is downloded to
the system, we can select the program through the
windows start menu or by clicking the simulation
software Icon on the desktop that was created
during the installation.
• The first screen appears as shown in figure 1 is the
schematic editor layout.
• The empty workspace on the sheet is the design
window where the test circuit is to be created.
• Below the schematic Editor title bar is an operational
menu row with selections such as file operations,
analytical operations, test and measurement
equipment selection, etc.
• Located just below the menu row is a row of icons
associated with different file and TINA tasks.
• The final row of icons allows selecting a specific
Fig 2
Building a circuit with Op-Amp IC
Adding passive and Active Components:
• Component selection is easily accomplished by
clicking on a component group from the lower row
of tabs: Basic, switches,Meters,etc.
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component group. These component groups contain
basic passive components, semiconductors, and
even sophisticated device macro models.These
groups are accessed to build the circuit schematic.
Building a circuit using the electronic circuit simulator:
• For building a circuit using simulator,select the
required active and passive components and arrange
the components and wire the components as per
the circuit diagram.
• A search throug a circuit application handbook
provides a number of op- amp based designs.A
texas instruments ‘OPA743 12V CMOS Op- amp is
selected for the circuit application.
• This amplifier is well - suited for this design,and
provides very good DC and AC performance.
• It operates with supplies of 3.5V to 12V;our example
requires 5V (10V).
• The step- by- step procedure is as follows:
• Select the spice macros tab and then the op-amp
symbol to access the OPA743 macro model.When
the Op-amp model list appears,scroll down and
click on the OPA743
• Then click OK. The op-amp symbol appears in teh
circuit workspace. With the mouse clicked drag the
symbol into position on the workspace as shown in
Fig 2.
• It is locked into position on the circuit workspace by
clicking the left mouse button.
• These tabs provide a wide variety of passive
components, sources,meters, relays,
semiconductors,and the previously-mentioned
circuit macros.
• Click on the scematic symbol for a particular
component and drag it into position in the circuit
workspace.A left mouse button click lock it into
place.
• In our example ,select a resistor from the basic
group, and then position it next to the Op-amp
symbol.
• The resistor value and other component
Fig 3
Active and passive component selection
Arranging and wiring components:
• Once all components are selected and properly
positioned,they can be wired together.Each
component has nodes where circuit connections
are needed.
• These nodes with a small red x.(The x looks more
like two small lines at the wiring node than the alpha
character.)
Fig 4
Wiring components together
E&H : Electronic Mechanic (NSQF Level-5) Related Theroy for Exercise 2.8.155 -158
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characteristics may be altered by selecting the
individual parameter boxes and changing the
respective values.Select the component parameter
box and highlight the value you wish to change.Use
the key board,enter a new value by typing over the
value that is shown in Fig 3.
• Similar parametric tables are available for passive
devices, sources,semiconductors,and other
component tyes.
• Wiring components to each other is easilydone as
shown in Fig 4 by placing the mouse pointer over a
node connection and holding the left mouse button
down.
• A wire is drawn as the mouse is moved along the
circuit space grid.Release the mouse button when
the wire reaches the intended end connection point.
• The wiring function also may be accessed from the
insert menu,or the icon that looks like a small
pencil.
Analysis Capabilities:
• When the circuit schematic entry is complete, the
circuit is nearly ready for simulation.The analysis
process begins by selecting the Analysis menu.
• A list of different types of analysis-such as AC,DC,
Transient, or Noise-appears.
• The first option uder the Analysis menu is an Error
Rules Check (ERC).Selecting this feature runs this
check on the circuit ; a pop -up window then lists
any circuit errors.
• If an error is lited in the window,clicking on that
error line highlights the error point in the
schematic.The error window also lists types of
circuit errors that are found during the analysis.
• Even if the ERC is not selected, the software
automatically performs a check at the start of a
simulation.
• Upon selecting one type of analysis to perform,
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 another window appears that displays different − Click on the Analysis menu.
setting selections that are associated with that
− Select DC Analysis.
particular analysis.
− Click on Table of DC Results.The Voltages/Currents
• Nominal settings are initally provided; these
table appears.
parameters may be set as needed for the desired
output. − Use the mouse pointer as a probe to test the circuit
nodes.
DC Analysis:
• The probed node and measured value are displayed
• Follow these steps -(illustrated in Figure - 5) to
in red in the Voltages/Currents table, as shown in
perform a DC analysis.
Figure -5.

Fig 5

DC Analysis with Voltages/current table

Transient Analysis: • Follow these steps (marked in Figure 6) to perform

a transient analysis.
• The transient analysis performed on the example
Wien-bridge oscillator circuit is shown in Fig 6. • Click on the analysis menu.

• It illustrates the Wien-bridge oscillator strat-up and • Select Transient.

steady-state performance.
• The display in the actual window may be edited with
axis labelling, scales, background grid colour, and
ect, all set as desired by the individula user.
Fig 6
• The Transient Analysis dialog box appears.Enter
start and end times, and other parameters as
desired.
• Click OK to run the analysis.

Transient analysis on wein-bridge oscillator

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Test and Measurement: • To access the virtual oscillosocope, select T&M
(step 1 in Figure), and then osilloscope (step
• The Simulation software generates post- simulation
2).Place the cursor at the output of the simulated
result in tables and plots,depending on the type of
circuit, and adjust the controls in the virtual
analysis performed.
oscilloscope dialog box as needed.
• A virtual oscilloscope as shown in Fig 7 is used to
• The T&M selection options also include a virtual
observe the steady - state output of the Wien-
AC/DC multi-meter, function generator, and an X-Y
bridge oscillator circuit. In the same way, a virtual
recorder.
signal analyzer can also be used together with an
amplifier circuit so that the harmonic performance • The function generator may be adjusted in
of a simulation can be observed. combination with a virtual oscilloscope or analyser.

Fig 7

Virtual instrumentation testing

Thus , the electronic simulation software can be effectively
utilized to design,construct,test and analyse various
operational parameters using the required electronic
components from simple resistor to sophisticated
integrated circuits available in the library of resources.After
completion of constructing the circuit,required DC power
supply, signal generators,digital multimeter even the
oscillosope like instruments are simply clicked and
connected virtually to make measurements of voltage,
current or waveform observation with the ease of clicking
the mouse and keyboard.

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