9504	2013-12-04 08:10:12	ford@highmarks.co...	Simulation
Message	Date	From	Subject
At the risk of opening Pandora’s box, I want to pose a question to this group about simulation. I am an amateur radio operator turned electrical engineer wannabee. I remember well how I got to this point. It started 50 years ago as a hobby and when I turned into a job, it was depressing to find my passion for the hobby turn into a “job.” So I became a bean counter instead, and still have my hobby. I do antenna modeling all the time using www.Nec2Go.com software and find it most satisfying even though I’m restricted to an awesome implementation of NEC2 and not NEC4. I use the www.AADE.com filter software, and Elsie, all the time and find those tools to be incredibly satisfying. These tools are virtually free or nearly free and well within my “hobby” budget. I don’t use Eagle for circuit building because of the serious limits on the use and re-use of things designed using the tool and imposed by the license agreement. Instead I use KiCAD for circuit schematics and board design to make them myself on my X-Y-Z router in my shop. The Router runs under Linux and KiCAD supports both Linux and Windows. I’ve tried simulation, but the tools are well beyond what I could justify and still remain married. My question is, what software tools are out there for linear circuit modeling? Digital logic modelling would be awesome for some projects, but the linear model is of more interest to me. I look forward to the ideas. Ford-N0FP
9505	2013-12-04 08:22:52	Ken Frazer	Re: Simulation
Try LTSpice from Linear Technology. Ken KE5JCB
9506	2013-12-04 08:25:52	Lasse Moell	Re: Simulation
If you are looking for linear RF simulation, RFsim99 is hard to beat... http://www.electroschematics.com/835/rfsim99-download/ Free and capable. Still easy to use! /Lasse SM5GLC 4 december 2013, ford@highmarks.com skrev: At the risk of opening Pandora’s box, I want to pose a question to this group about simulation. I am an amateur radio operator turned electrical engineer wannabee. I remember well how I got to this point. It started 50 years ago as a hobby and when I turned into a job, it was depressing to find my passion for the hobby turn into a “job.” So I became a bean counter instead, and still have my hobby. I do antenna modeling all the time using www.Nec2Go.com software and find it most satisfying even though I’m restricted to an awesome implementation of NEC2 and not NEC4. I use the www.AADE.com filter software, and Elsie, all the time and find those tools to be incredibly satisfying. These tools are virtually free or nearly free and well within my “hobby” budget. I don’t use Eagle for circuit building because of the serious limits on the use and re-use of things designed using the tool and imposed by the license agreement. Instead I use KiCAD for circuit schematics and board design to make them myself on my X-Y-Z router in my shop. The Router runs under Linux and KiCAD supports both Linux and Windows. I’ve tried simulation, but the tools are well beyond what I could justify and still remain married. My question is, what software tools are out there for linear circuit modeling? Digital logic modelling would be awesome for some projects, but the linear model is of more interest to me. I look forward to the ideas. Ford-N0FP
9507	2013-12-04 08:27:24	John Levreault	Re: Simulation

9508	2013-12-04 08:46:00	Thomas S. Knutsen	Re: Simulation
I would reccomend QUCS. Its an open source, linear, analog and digital simulator that have an excelent harmonic balance simulator, coupled with DC and S-parameter simulation that makes it an excelent all around simulator. http://qucs.sourceforge.net/ To get started with QUCS can be a bit diffiicult, there are an large manual, that in my opinnion is a bit difficult to read. I like several others started with the videos from Jeff WA7MLH that are avaible on youtube. I find that simulations I do corresponds quite well (within 1dB) to the measurments I get, when I account for all the device parameters, and do S-parameter and DC parameter measurments of the transistor I use before doing the simulations and building an amplifier. 73 de Thomas LA3PNA. 2013/12/4 ford@highmarks.com <ford@highmarks.com> At the risk of opening Pandora’s box, I want to pose a question to this group about simulation. I am an amateur radio operator turned electrical engineer wannabee. I remember well how I got to this point. It started 50 years ago as a hobby and when I turned into a job, it was depressing to find my passion for the hobby turn into a “job.” So I became a bean counter instead, and still have my hobby. I do antenna modeling all the time using www.Nec2Go.com software and find it most satisfying even though I’m restricted to an awesome implementation of NEC2 and not NEC4. I use the www.AADE.com filter software, and Elsie, all the time and find those tools to be incredibly satisfying. These tools are virtually free or nearly free and well within my “hobby” budget. I don’t use Eagle for circuit building because of the serious limits on the use and re-use of things designed using the tool and imposed by the license agreement. Instead I use KiCAD for circuit schematics and board design to make them myself on my X-Y-Z router in my shop. The Router runs under Linux and KiCAD supports both Linux and Windows. I’ve tried simulation, but the tools are well beyond what I could justify and still remain married. My question is, what software tools are out there for linear circuit modeling? Digital logic modelling would be awesome for some projects, but the linear model is of more interest to me. I look forward to the ideas. Ford-N0FP -- Please avoid sending me Word or PowerPoint attachments. See <http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/no-word-attachments.html> PDF is an better alternative and there are always LaTeX!
9509	2013-12-04 12:04:47	EricJ	Re: Simulation
I like LTSpice. There is a manageable learning curve, but easily within the capabilities of a hobbyist. I started using it with EMRFD to get up to speed about 8 years ago. The combination is like a "EE in a Box". I would play with an example in the book, usually just a stage or two at a time. You can quickly see what components are critical and which ones are likely to take some fiddling when you build it. It doesn't ever replace actual building, but provides insights into a circuit which make your time at the bench more interesting and productive. I use EZNEC the same way. I fool around with a design in EZNEC first. When I go to build it, I've already given some thought to the practical side as I play with the sim and my time in the field (my backyard) are more productive. In both cases, the sim is used to play with the concept. The real work is on the bench or in the field. Eric KE6US
9510	2013-12-04 12:36:12	Dana Myers	Re: Simulation