SparkFun Electronics Commentsurn:uuid:214d0e4e-f1b1-d287-ce26-ac5b4c9f82492024-03-28T10:13:39-06:00SparkFun ElectronicsTenacious_Techhunter on Enginursday: I'm Living In A SimulationTenacious_Techhunterurn:uuid:01799423-b302-73c5-a203-dc7afa81ff332014-03-09T16:03:30-06:00<p>On a related note, maybe SparkFun should have a circuit simulation forum, and somewhere on GitHub to host Spice Models (or, at least, links TO Spice Models)? The pesky questions I’ve been asking about models for this and that in the Sparkfun forum are probably in a not-quite-right place, and would likely be better served in a forum specific to that topic.</p>
Tenacious_Techhunter on Enginursday: I'm Living In A SimulationTenacious_Techhunterurn:uuid:327acf20-8e2f-8ca9-9da9-87f26adffc0a2014-03-09T15:59:04-06:00<p>The only thing not so great about Spice is when a component you need doesn’t have a model, or worse, has one, but ENCRYPTS it. That lp2985-33dbvr 3.3V regulator on the Arduino UNO and the Leonardo? It’s Spice model is encrypted by Texas Instruments, to only work with certain varieties of Spice simulator, of which LTSpice is not one. The MIC5205 doesn’t appear to have a simulation either. Being able to simulate the response of your regulator to your various ICs can be very important in debugging wonky behavior on your power rails.<p>While one could argue that Arduino’s priority on being learnable and hackable hardware, or Open Source Hardware’s priority on being open, should extend to simulation models, I think it would be a mistake to choose a component by whether or not it has a widely available simulation. It would solve the problems of more people to just use a better quality part, and request they release a Spice model after the fact. Fortunately, Texas Instruments has a process for this (one of at least a few examples: http://e2e.ti.com/support/development_tools/webench_design_center/f/234/t/300299.aspx), so if we politely make a point, we might be able to get the model for that pesky lp2985-33dbvr regulator.</p><p>Perhaps a certain SparkFun staffer would prefer to make the case for such a request by posting in the TI forum below? :)
http://e2e.ti.com/support/development_tools/webench_design_center/f/234.aspx</p></p>
Andros on Enginursday: I'm Living In A SimulationAndrosurn:uuid:7b48529d-2a0d-998f-ed87-541845f18ba62014-03-06T11:30:24-07:00<p>Excellent article. I love LtSpice!</p>
Byron J. on Enginursday: I'm Living In A SimulationByron J.urn:uuid:ad9375d3-e050-e206-58f1-334c5e05a5752014-03-06T11:03:55-07:00<p>Re-reading this a day after writing it, I'm all too aware that I missed my opportunity to make a Guild Steersman joke.<p>One geek demerit for me.</p></p>
free-bee on Enginursday: I'm Living In A Simulationfree-beeurn:uuid:2d4d1e4f-971a-7dc0-8e5c-c1cded15e0c72014-03-06T10:16:29-07:00<p>Yenka (used to be Crocodile Clips) - free for home use on one PC (with time restriction between 8:30 and 3:30 Mon-Fri), not free for every other use. If memory serves correctly, resistors do fry. The downside to this program is the lack of components. You can simulate PIC and PICAXE with flowcharts. But you won't find any ROM nor RAM. I've used it to figure out why most of my circuit designs didn't work correctly.</p>