1.0.LTspice Basic Tutorial
1.0.LTspice Basic Tutorial
❖ Go to http://www.analog.com/LTspice
❖ Left-Click on Download LTspice for Windows 7, 8 and 10
❖ Follow the instructions to install
❖ LTspice is a standalone application that runs on your computer
Move [F7]
Drag [F8]
Undo [F9]
Delete [Del] Redo [Shift+F9]
Duplicate [Ctrl+C] Rotate [Ctrl+R]
Paste b/t Schematics [Ctrl+V] Mirror [Ctrl+E]
Find [Ctrl+F] Place Comment/text [T]
Place SPICE directive [S]
5 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
How to Wire up a Simple RC Circuit
2. Type
“Voltage”
3. Click “OK”
1. Select
“Wire” button
Left-Click ground “Pull” wire through the resistor “Pull” wire down through the capacitor
“Pull” wire up through the source Left-Click here to anchor Left-Click here to anchor & finish
Left-Click here to anchor
Hint: Press the ESC key at any time to clean up the schematic
1. Select “Label
Net”
2. Enter net
name
3. Place on wire
Right-click on
symbol
Or Right-click on
value
Hints
Use MEG (or meg) to specify 106, not M
Enter 1 for 1 Farad, not 1F
► You can also edit the visible attribute and label by pointing at the text with the mouse and
then right-clicking
► Mouse cursor will turn into a text caret
► Resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, Bipolar transistors, MOSFET transistors, JFET transistors,
Independent voltage and current sources
► You can access a database of known devices
Click
“Advanced”
Right-click source
► With the RC circuit in the active window, click on the RUN button on the toolbar
C:\NewPresentation\ShortCut2.bmp
► The Edit Simulation Command window will appear. Set the Stop Time to 60m and click OK.
► Using the mouse, click on the IN node and OUT node to display the input and output voltage
waveforms.
Run
Click here for
output
waveform
RCFilterTimeDomain.asc
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Running the RC Circuit Simulation – Transient Analysis
► To add a measurement cursor to the waveform window, left+click the mouse on the waveform name.
RCFilterTimeDomain.asc
RCFilterTimeDomain.asc
21 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Running the RC Circuit Simulation – Transient Analysis
► Split the plot pane by selecting “Add Plot Pane” under the Plot Settings pull-down menu.
► Drag and drop the I(R1) waveform title into the new plot pane
-3dB point:
1/(2*pi*R*C) = 159Hz
AC amplitude of 1 sets
magnitude to 0dB
Right-click on .tran
command and select
“AC Analysis”
C:\NewPresentation\ShortCut2.bmp
ActiveFilterACSweep.asc
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Defining a Component Value as a Variable
(a taste of intermediate & advanced topics)
Add the
.param SPICE
directive (press
S on the keyboard)
RCFilterACAnalysis_Param.asc
► The simulation results are the same as when the component value was defined as 10K.
C:\NewPresentation\ShortCut2.bmp
RCFilterACAnalysis_Param.asc
32 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Defining a Component Value as a Variable (Stepping Parameters)
► The .STEP command can be used to vary a component variable over a range of values to plot a
family of curves.
► This is very powerful and can be used for sensitivity and Monte Carlo Analysis.
Right+click to
change SPICE
directive to the
.step command
RCFilterACAnalysis_Step Command.asc
► For this AC analysis example, the simulation result includes three Bode plots, one each for R = 10K,
20K, and 30K C:\NewPresentation\ShortCut2.bmp
RCFilterACAnalysis_StepCommand.asc
34 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Running a DC/DC Converter Simulation
and Analyzing Circuit Performance
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
37 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Viewing Current Waveforms
► Plot the current through any component by Left-Clicking on the body of the component
▪ Current flowing into a node is defined as being positive
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
38 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Zooming In and Out on a Waveform
► In the waveform window, use the mouse to zoom in and out. Click and drag a box about the region
you wish to see drawn larger
► Using the toolbar, click on “Zoom full extents”, to zoom back out
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
1. 2. 3.
Result
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
40 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Measuring V, I and Time in the Waveform
(Measurement Using Zoom Window)
► Drag a box about the region you wish to measure
▪ Left-Click, drag, and hold
► View the lower left corner of the window for the status bar. The dx and dy measurement data is
displayed here.
► Use Undo from the File menu or press “F9”
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
41 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Viewing Differential Voltage Waveforms
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
42 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Viewing Differential Voltage Waveforms
► To create a measurement reference node, Right-Click on the desired node and select “Mark
Reference”
▪ A black voltage probe is anchored to the selected node
► All measurements in the circuit are now referenced to the node with the black probe
► Hit the ESC key to remove the reference mark
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
Example:
Measure average and RMS
current for inductor in
LTC3412A circuit. Zoom in
as shown for this
waveform.
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
45 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Instantaneous & Average Power Dissipation
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
Click,
click
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
49 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Net Labeling
► Replaces the default SPICE node names with node names and waveform titles that are easy to
understand and remember
► Allows LTspice circuit nodes to match those on your production schematic, i.e. “TP15”
Without With
Alt-Left-
Click
Net
Highlighted
LTC3412A_DC_Load.asc
52 ©2019 Analog Devices, Inc. All rights reserved.
Importing Third Party SPICE Models
Hands-on Exercise:
1.) Navigate to the LTspice Training Files folder
C:\NewPresentation\ShortCut2.bmp
Solution:
1.) Zener name changed to 1N5244B1
to match device name in the SPICE
model file. Right+Click on the diode
name text to change.
2.) .include SPICE directive added to link
to the SPICE model file. Use the Edit
pulldown menu ---> SPICE Directive to
add this SPICE directive to your
simulation.
3.) Result after clicking on the Running
Person symbol on the toolbar and
probing the IN and OUT nodes.
Steps:
1.) Download the AD8237 SPICE model from the ADI website
2.) Open up the AD8237 SPICE model using LTspice
3.) Use LTspice to autogenerate the schematic symbol (right-click on the .SUBCKT statement)
Final Implementation:
► LTspice forum: Use simulation circuits posted on LTspice Yahoo! User’s Group
▪ Go to https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/LTspice/info
▪ Also contains many very helpful discussion threads
► Educational Files: Check out LTspice capabilities using the education examples
▪ Available on C:\Program Files\LTC\LTspiceXVII\examples\Educational
► Wurth LTspice Book – available at Amazon, or, contact your local Wurth field sales engineer