GNU Spice GUI.



Table of Contents.

1.   Introduction.

2.   Menu Bar.

    2.1   File Menu.
    2.2   Simulate Menu.
    2.3   Options Menu.
    2.3   Help Menu.

3.   Main Window.

    3.1   Nodes List.
    3.2   Components.
    3.3   Quiescent Analysis Tab.
    3.4   DC Analysis Tab.
    3.5   AC Analysis Tab.
    3.6   Transient Analysis Tab.
    3.7   Fourier Analysis Tab.
    3.8   Create Button.
    3.9   Run Button.
    3.10   Stop Button.
    3.11   View Button.
    3.12   Circuit Tab.
    3.13   Simulation Tab.
    3.14   Results Tab.
    3.15   Status Bar.

4.   Files.

5.   Software.


1.       Introduction.

GNU Spice GUI (gSpiceUI) is intended to provide a GUI for freely available Spice electronic cicuit simulation engines ie. GnuCAP and NG-Spice. It uses gNetList to convert schematic files to net list files and gWave to display simulation results. gSchem is the preferred schematic capture tool.

Here are two some screen shots of gSpiceUI in action; the first with GNU-Cap as the simulation engine, the second with Ng-Spice as the simulation engine. The gSpiceUI GUI is designed to be as consistant as possible between analysis types and simulation engine types. The intention is to abstract the technical particulars from the user so that the focus may be on the simulation rather than the simulation engine or even analusis type.


Return to top

2.       Menu Bar.

2.1     File Menu.

This menu contains options mainly associated with files.

2.1.1   Open Option.

Open a net list (circuit description) file containing SPICE compatible component definitions.

2.1.2   Import Option.

Import one or more schematic files. GNetList is used to convert the schematic file/s to a single net list file. The net list file name is automatically derived from the first schematic file name in the list with the file extension changed to .ckt. Eg. if schem1.sch, schem2.sch, schem3.sch were specified as the schematic file names to be impoted the net list file name would be schem1.ckt.

2.1.3   Reload Option.

Repeat the last Open or Import operation.

2.1.4   Close Option.

Close the currently open net list file.

2.1.5   Exit Option.

Close all files and exit the application.

2.2     Simulate Menu.

This menu contains options associated with circuit simualtion and data display operations.

2.2.1   Create Option.

Create a simulation based on the values entered in the currently displayed analysis panel. The results of this operation are written to file and displayed in the Simulation text control. If a problem is encountered a message box will be display giving a brief explaination as to why the simualtion could not be created.

2.2.2   Run Option.

Run a simulation. If the simulation has already been created it is run immediately. If the analysis panel values have been modified since the last create operation new create simulation operation is executed prior to running the simulation. The simulation text control can be edited by the user, if this is the case the contents of the simulation control are written to file and run as is, ignoring any changes that may have been made to the analysis panel.

2.2.3   Stop Option.

Stop a running simulation immediately.

2.2.4   Plot Option.

Plot the simulation results displayed in the results text control using GWave.

2.3     Options Menu.

This menu contains application configuration options.

2.3.1   Simulation Engine.

Radio buttons allowing the selection of the electronic circuit simulation engine to be used. The selected simulation engine name is displayed in the status line.

2.3.2   Path Configuration.

The paths to the various utilities used by GSpiceUI may be manually set via this menu selection.

2.3.3   Tool Tips.

A check box allowing the tool tips to be enabled or disabled.

2.4     Help Menu.

The menu contains a link to the help contents, links to the electronic circuit simulation engine user manuals and a link to the application about dialogue.


Return to top

3.       Main Window.

3.1     Nodes List.

Display the list of node labels extracted from the net list file. One or more nodes may be selected (or deselected) by clicking on the label in the list with the mouse. The selected nodes will be included for display in the simulation results.

3.2     Components.

Display the list of components extracted from the net list file. One or more components may be selected (or deselected) by clicking on the component in the list with the mouse. The selected components will be included for display in the simulation results. At present only two terminal components are included in this list.

3.3     Operating Point Analysis Tab.

GNU-Cap :

Performs a nonlinear DC steady state analysis. If a temperature range is given, it sweeps the temperature. Refer to the GNU-Cap User Manual, Section 2.31 OP Command, for a detailed description.

NG-Spice :

This analysis type is not directly supported by NG-Spice however similiar functionality is provided via the DC Analysis panel.

3.4     DC Analysis Tab.

GNU-Cap :

Performs a nonlinear DC steady state analysis, and sweeps the signal input, or a component value. Refer to the GNU-Cap User Manual, Section 2.11 DC Command, for a detailed description.

NG-Spice :

Determines the DC transfer curve (with capacitors open and inductors shorted). A source must be selected which may be an independent voltage or current source, a resistor or the circuit temperature. Refer to the NG-Spice User Manual, Analyses and Output Control, Analyses, DC Tranfer Function, for a detailed description.

3.5     AC Analysis Tab.

Not yet written.

3.6     Transient Analysis Tab.

Not yet written.

3.7     Fourier Analysis Tab.

Not yet written.

3.8     Create Button.

Create the simulation file based on the settings in the appropriate analysis tab and the net list file.

3.9     Run Button.

Run the simulation contained in the simulation tab.

3.10     Stop Button.

Stop a running simulation immediately. This button is only active if a simulation is running.

3.11     View Button.

View the simulation results by envoking the results viewer application eg. GWave.

3.12     Circuit Tab.

Display the raw net list file which was opened or imported via the file menu.

3.13     Simulation Tab.

Displays the simulation to be run. It can be manually edited by the user and will be run as is if the Run button is pressed. Note: if the create button is pressed the contents of the tab will be over-written destroying any user input.

3.14     Results Tab.

Display the raw simulator output.

3.15     Status Bar.

Not yet written.


Return to top

4.       Files.

During the execution of gspiceui various files may be generated in the directory occupied by the schematic or net list file. To illustrate consider the situation where the GSchem file test-amp1.sch (found in the schematic directory) is imported and every possible type of simulation is run using both NG-Spice and GNU-Cap. The following is the list of files which would be created:

<path>/sch/test-amp1.sch (The schematic file)
   
1. <path>/sch/test-amp1.gspiceui.ckt (Net list file with simulation commands)
2. <path>/sch/gnetlist.log (Log file generated by gnetlist)
3. <path>/sch/gspiceui.log (Temporary file containing raw process output)
4. <path>/sch/test-amp1.gnucap.op (Results file - operating point analysis)
5. <path>/sch/test-amp1.gnucap.dc (Results file - DC analysis)
6. <path>/sch/test-amp1.gnucap.ac (Results file - AC analysis)
7. <path>/sch/test-amp1.gnucap.tr (Results file - transient response analysis)
8. <path>/sch/test-amp1.gnucap.fo (Results file - fourier analysis)
9. <path>/sch/test-amp1.ngspice.dc (Results file - DC analysis)
10. <path>/sch/test-amp1.ngspice.ac (Results file - AC analysis)
11. <path>/sch/test-amp1.ngspice.di (Results file - distortion analysis)
12. <path>/sch/test-amp1.ngspice.no (Results file - noise analysis)
13. <path>/sch/test-amp1.ngspice.pz (Results file - pole-zero analysis)
14. <path>/sch/test-amp1.ngspice.se (Results file - sensitivity analysis)
15. <path>/sch/test-amp1.ngspice.tr (Results file - transient response analysis)
16. <path>/sch/test-amp1.ngspice.tf (Results file - transfer function analysis)

All file names begin with the prefix test-amp1 taken from the schematic file. File name extensions then depend on the file type. Files containing simulation results include the name of the simulator used to generate the data.


Return to top

5.       Software.

Note: The object models depicted here largely show the actual application architecture. However, the software is under development and is often in a state of flux, it will not always exactly match the information shown in the object models.

The following links are to object models depicting the static architecture of GSpiceUI:


Return to top