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Getting started in LTspice.

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  • #1

    Getting started in LTspice.

    Hi, this is my first post. I don't know what took me so long to find this place. Someone over at AX84 had mentioned a that there was a new book which was written on guitar amp overdrive. He said it started out as a conversation on some forum and there was even a mention of a "MEF" in the introduction. I though, "What the hell is MEF?". Needless to say, many of you all have been at this for some time and I'm showing up a little late to the party.
    A few years ago I had the ridiculous notion that I would save money if I decided to learn to build amps and effects, rather than buy them. I had NO formal education in engineering or electronics, but I had hubris. Back then, what happened between the input of my guitar and the speaker was voodoo as far as I was concerned. But I ended up falling down this rabbit hole, with every discovery leading to more questions and new things to learn. Now I love audio electronics as much as music. I love the science of electronics and the art of circuit design.
    I want to learn how to use LTspice in order to run simulations on circuit designs. Linear finally developed a version for os x( I knew I wasn't the only Mac user). I've never used any of this kind of software before and I'm looking for some advice on where to begin.
    Any guidance, advice, and info you guys can give me is really appreciated. Thanks.
    If I have a 50% chance of guessing the right answer, I guess wrong 80% of the time.
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  • #2
    The most simple method to learn LTSpice is to sign in to LTSpice yahoo group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo and check examples they have (and there are thousands of very good examples). Then you can make simulation of the circuits you are interested in. There are also many vary good tutorials (search them in google).

    Mark
    Last edited by MarkusBass; 02-10-2016, 11:20 AM.

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    • #3
      Unfortunately they took the mac port as an opportunity to completely change how the user interface has always worked in ltspice. They seem to think it's superior, but I'm not so convinced, and more importantly it means all the tutorial info you find online will be pretty alien to what you're seeing in the mac version. Personally I just run a windows vm and use the original version. Virtualbox is free and works great for that kind of stuff.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by carlg View Post
        Unfortunately they took the mac port as an opportunity to completely change how the user interface has always worked in ltspice. They seem to think it's superior, but I'm not so convinced, and more importantly it means all the tutorial info you find online will be pretty alien to what you're seeing in the mac version. Personally I just run a windows vm and use the original version. Virtualbox is free and works great for that kind of stuff.
        Completely agree with both recommendations here.

        First, for LTSpice, the Windows interface is MUCH more friendly and has MUCH better documentation.

        And as for what emulator to use - at the moment (I guess I like to spend money!) I'm running Windows 7 via Parallels, but several years ago I used VirtualBox to run a Windows XP install and liked it. I had to do a hack of some kind (don't remember what) to get it to run the way I wanted, but it was a small hack and the recipe was available via a VirtualBox forum. So it was easy to cobble together & after that it was pretty much trouble-free.

        Just to mention it - there are other simulators & layout programs out there & I have tried a few. On Mac, there is something simple but with a really sweet interface called iCircuit. It works well for very simple stuff, e.g. figuring out a simple linear PSU, but its library for SS components is much too sparse, and as for tube components, forget about it. Then there is Fritzing, which is free & looks to be Java-based & so can run on Mac or Windows; it is fun but not a simulator, just a layout and PCB tool (electronic design automation). Even so it might be useful for small SS projects such as a pedal.

        Also there is CircuitMaker, which used to be great but now, well, pretty much stinks. The current incarnation is cloud-based & runs on Mac or windows - BUT it is incredibly slow, incredibly clunky, and does not have a proper symbol library - when designing a circuit (not a PCB or layout) you are forced to drop in actual components (e.g. from a manufacturer library), which slows down the process horribly as the browse/search/select tool can't possibly cope with the over-abundance of choices. If you Google hard & long you may still be able to find an earlier version such as CircuitMaker 2000, which will run on Windows and has a more friendly interface than LTSpce. That is what I am doing - LTSpice is powerful but CircuitMaker 2000 is easier for someone like me.
        Last edited by Usable Thought; 03-03-2016, 02:16 PM.

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        • #5
          Originally posted by carlg View Post
          Unfortunately they took the mac port as an opportunity to completely change how the user interface has always worked in ltspice. They seem to think it's superior, but I'm not so convinced, and more importantly it means all the tutorial info you find online will be pretty alien to what you're seeing in the mac version. Personally I just run a windows vm and use the original version. Virtualbox is free and works great for that kind of stuff.
          A also started to use LTSpice with the Mac port and was using the older tutorials. Yes, i agree that the user interface leaves room for optimisation - but i found the tutorials for the slightly older and windows port still close enough in order to get things done.

          BTW: in the Mac version You are lost without having a 2 button mouse at hand... even on laptops.

          LTSpice has the advantage of a (sufficiently) large user community developing and improvin tube models.

          Apropos tube models: does anyone know of a model for the ECF802 ?

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          • #6
            Originally posted by bea View Post
            A also started to use LTSpice with the Mac port and was using the older tutorials. Yes, i agree that the user interface leaves room for optimisation - but i found the tutorials for the slightly older and windows port still close enough in order to get things done.

            BTW: in the Mac version You are lost without having a 2 button mouse at hand... even on laptops.

            LTSpice has the advantage of a (sufficiently) large user community developing and improvin tube models.

            Apropos tube models: does anyone know of a model for the ECF802 ?
            Well no, but do I have the ability to generate a SPICE model of any triode, pentode or beam tetrode and you can too
            Experience is something you get, just after you really needed it.

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            • #7
              I don't own a uTracer. Is there any possiblilty to work with plots from the tube manual?

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              • #8
                Originally posted by bea View Post
                I don't own a uTracer. Is there any possiblilty to work with plots from the tube manual?
                There are two approaches.

                You can get the original Koren Matlab scripts and plug the data points into that. I do have those same scripts (somewhere) converted into Python which has the advantage of free - problem is they are in the achieves somewhere and it might take me a while to find them.

                Or, send me your samples with return postage and I'll put them in mine and send you the models.
                Experience is something you get, just after you really needed it.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by MarkusBass View Post
                  The most simple method to learn LTSpice is to sign in to LTSpice yahoo group: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo and check examples they have (and there are thousands of very good examples). Then you can make simulation of the circuits you are interested in. There are also many vary good tutorials (search them in google).

                  Mark
                  Mark, I've been meaning to thank you for the suggestions. I did join the yahoo LTspice group and it is a great resource to get examples, links, etc.
                  I'm glad a few others have chimed in as well. I'm still trying to get more familiar with the software. But, I did discover that if you want to learn this software, as an absolute beginner, forget about using the native mac version. There is next to no informed instruction or tutorial on how this software integrates with Macs os file structure or directories. Plus, I think the interface interface design is suffering from neglect.
                  I used Winebottler to install the Windows version so at least I can begin make sense of the info available out there. Whoever the developers of Wine are, they deserve a standing ovation. What an awesome piece of software.
                  If I have a 50% chance of guessing the right answer, I guess wrong 80% of the time.

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                  • #10
                    Also on YouTube there are many step-by-step tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=LTSpice

                    Mark

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by nickb View Post
                      Or, send me your samples with return postage and I'll put them in mine and send you the models.
                      That's the data sheet: http://www.mif.pg.gda.pl/homepages/f...7/e/ECF802.pdf
                      Sufficient?

                      If not i might indeed try to send You one of my tubes - Germany-UK and back should be feasible.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Originally posted by bea View Post
                        That's the data sheet: http://www.mif.pg.gda.pl/homepages/f...7/e/ECF802.pdf
                        Sufficient?

                        If not i might indeed try to send You one of my tubes - Germany-UK and back should be feasible.
                        The model generator needs a lot more data that the data sheet gives. I plug the tube into tracer, run a set of curve sweeps and it spits out a model. The downside is it gives you a model for that one tube as opposed to a typical one.

                        On the other hand, the Koren model generator was designed to use the data sheet info as that is all there was for him to use.

                        Here the are my Python 2.7 version of his scripts. I have to admit I haven't looked at them for quite some time and can't remember what state I left them in.
                        Attached Files
                        Experience is something you get, just after you really needed it.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Originally posted by nickb View Post
                          Well no, but do I have the ability to generate a SPICE model of any triode, pentode or beam tetrode and you can too
                          Nick, is this you ----> Interactive Valve Data Sheets
                          Dude, this is a really good work here and its well designed. More importantly, its such a useful tool; making quick work of drawing up and comparing load lines. I almost set this as my homepage when I found it (it was like hearing a really cleverly written song and wishing I had thought of that). So, let me ask you, how feasible would it be to build an small application using your dygraphs for offline use?
                          If I have a 50% chance of guessing the right answer, I guess wrong 80% of the time.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Originally posted by SoulFetish View Post
                            Nick, is this you ----> Interactive Valve Data Sheets
                            Dude, this is a really good work here and its well designed. More importantly, its such a useful tool; making quick work of drawing up and comparing load lines. I almost set this as my homepage when I found it (it was like hearing a really cleverly written song and wishing I had thought of that). So, let me ask you, how feasible would it be to build an small application using your dygraphs for offline use?
                            Guilty, as charged.

                            Thanks for the kind words . It is an approximation but nevertheless useful.

                            It does work offline but I really didn't wan't to go that route for support reasons.
                            Experience is something you get, just after you really needed it.

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