| Zen Mod |
just joking,off course ;)
you look for something simple-for drawing schmtcs,or CAD ?
if simple-just find symbols for paint
if CAD-then Broskie's Tube CAD |
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| sorenj07 |
| by designer do you mean a simulator? for "designing," i just put pen to paper and scan and then clean up in PS.. :smash: |
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| ray_moth |
I have been using the free LT Spice/switcherCAD III software for over a year and found its schematic drawing tool very handy, especially since it can also simulate whatever scematic is entered. This software is intended for SS but there are Spice models that represent vacuum tubes at several sites on the Internet and most of them work with LT Spice.
It doesn't have the functionality to include controls like potentiometers and switches, though, because those devices have no meaning to a simulator. Its worst feature is its HELP file, which is poorly constructed and leaves many questions unanswered. |
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| Shoog |
I use "Eagle" to draw circuits, very easy and adaptable with good valve files. Makes a very neat circuit drawing. I haven't even tried to use the circuit board designing features because I build point to point.
There is a version of Eagle for Linux (probably Mac as well).
Shoog |
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| LowRedMoon |
Shoog -
I downloaded Eagle. It looks like a fine program - lots of tubes in the available libraries - but I don't see any power transformers in the libraries that have 3 secondary windings (HT,filament,filament). Are there any available that you know of? Thanks! |
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| plovati |
| Somebody knows what EDA SW tool use the Japanese MJ magazine to make their wonderful schematics? |
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| Shoog |
| quote: | Shoog -
I downloaded Eagle. It looks like a fine program - lots of tubes in the available libraries - but I don't see any power transformers in the libraries that have 3 secondary windings (HT,filament,filament). Are there any available that you know of? Thanks! |
Haven't had a need for this so don't know really.
Shoog |
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| nickds1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by LowRedMoon
I don't see any power transformers in the libraries that have 3 secondary windings (HT,filament,filament). Are there any available that you know of? |
The cute thing about Eagle is that it's dead easy to create your own library parts. There are numerous tutorials available, and once you get used to it you can create any part pretty much (except something really horrid like a large FPGA etc.) in 10 minutes or less. I have wriiten a tube footprint generator for Eagle here
There are excellent peer-to-peer support newsgroups on Cadsoft's own servers at news://news.cadsoft.de - yo will want the eagle.userchat.eng & eagle.support.eng groups (there are *.ger groups in German too, if you want). |
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| Robert McLean |
this may be veering slightly away from the original question, but with regard to LTSpice, and other spices as well,
| quote: | | It doesn't have the functionality to include controls like potentiometers and switches, though, because those devices have no meaning to a simulator. Its worst feature is its HELP file, which is poorly constructed and leaves many questions unanswered. |
Actually there is a Pot device, found in the misc symbols section. You can also make your own sort of DIY variable resistors using parameters like this {Rvalue} etc.
Also there are the standard spice switches SW for voltage controlled switch, and CSW for current controlled switch. These can be put together to form relays, and anything else you can imagine.
I do agree that the LTSpice help file is not great. I think LTSpice help file was written for people who already know spice, which is OK for me, but may not suit everyone.
| quote: | | I downloaded Eagle. It looks like a fine program - lots of tubes in the available libraries - but I don't see any power transformers in the libraries that have 3 secondary windings (HT,filament,filament). |
When it comes to transformers I think it is every man for himself, you pretty well have to make your own models. |
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| nickds1 |
| quote: | Originally posted by ray_moth
I have been using the free LT Spice/switcherCAD III software for over a year and found its schematic drawing tool very handy, especially since it can also simulate whatever scematic is entered. This software is intended for SS but there are Spice models that represent vacuum tubes at several sites on the Internet and most of them work with LT Spice.
It doesn't have the functionality to include controls like potentiometers and switches, though, because those devices have no meaning to a simulator. Its worst feature is its HELP file, which is poorly constructed and leaves many questions unanswered. |
As stated elsewhere, it does support switches & pots, and pretty much everything that Pspice does & more.
It's also not fair to say that it's intended for SS - it's a spice engine - it'll take any model you throw at it...
As far as help goes, the Yahoo!!! LTspice groups is very active and full of knowledgable engineers, including the author of LTspice...
LTspice is fast, highly reliable, and FREE! |
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| Gold_xyz |
for me it is this
:D |
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| matthew2456 |
cant find the tube libraries in eagle, can anyone point me in the right direction???
thanks |
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| Wavebourn |
| quote: | Originally posted by Zen Mod
me;
who else? |
:whazzat:
Me! :D
How do you like my triode load?
It is like a very clean choke with very big inductance!!!
Very high DR on AF, very low DR on DC, so voltage on plate is stable and lower B+ voltage is needed!
Can you design something better? :D |
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| frank754 |
I'm thinking of trying an app called xcircuit, it's free and runs on both Linux & windows. If any of you try this, or have tried this, let me know what you think. I'll have to wait for a few days off to try it.
You may have to get external libraries (see the libraries section), for example the one called valves.
http://opencircuitdesign.com/xcircuit/ |
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| radtech |
I have yet to find a schematic cad program that will draw a really good quality schematic, most of them are too busy trying to be all things to all people... generating netlists and spice files and board layouts.. I just want a simple cad program that will draw a nice looking schematic, nothing else.
So far the best thing I've found is using Joel Tunnah's symbol libraries in a generic graphics program. What they lack in ease of use they make up for in style.
Check my Maggie thread for an example if you haven't seen it yet (the pic there is about 1/2 original size). |
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| tubelab.com |
| quote: | | cant find the tube libraries in eagle, can anyone point me in the right direction??? |
I got them from their web site.
http://www.cadsoft.de/cgi-bin/downl...files/libraries
Scroll down to tubes.lbr The octal part has two package variations. Be sure to use the one that matches your sockets if you intend to to PC board design.
I have created my own library (starting from the one above) that I have used for all Tubelab PC boards. The PC board pads have been enlarged for easy soldering. There are only a few specific tubes, but I have included it here.
I have also used LT spice to create tube schematics, but these were used for simulations, so I didn't bother to make them look good. I have the SimpleSE amp simulation running (ideal OPT) in order to develop some cool new circuits. |
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| frank754 |
There's another one called DIA, it's quite simple and does come with some circuit symbols in the toolbox, plus it will let you import small pictures as objects, and it's quite versatile. I've used this before, but not for schematics, more for floor plans,etc.
http://www.gnome.org/projects/dia/ |
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| Sheldon |
| quote: | Originally posted by Wavebourn
:whazzat:
Me! :D
How do you like my triode load?
It is like a very clean choke with very big inductance!!!
Very high DR on AF, very low DR on DC, so voltage on plate is stable and lower B+ voltage is needed!
Can you design something better? :D |
That looks interesting, but it's buried OT here. Should have a separate thread or in a thread discussing CCS's.
Sheldon |
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| Wavebourn |
| quote: | Originally posted by Sheldon
That looks interesting, but it's buried OT here. Should have a separate thread or in a thread discussing CCS's.
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Thank you.
I was joking in response to double meaning... Sorry for OT...
:cool: Second meaning of the message was the entire picture drawn in LTSpice.
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| jarthel |
not free but when I tried visio, it seems to do the job nicely.
of course no simulations. :) |
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| tubelab.com |
Look at this page:
http://www.tubelab.com/SimpleSE_schematic.htm
The schematic at the top was done with Visio Pro, the bottom schematic was done with Eagle (PC board schematic only).
Visio makes a prettier schematic, but you have to give Microsoft a bunch of money for a drawing program. It can also be used for basic mechanical drawings. I use it for planning out the layout for all of the large components on an amplifier chassis.
Eagle makes an acceptable schematic, and you can use the schematic to lay out a PC board. There is a freeware fersion that will do single page schematics and small PC boards. The full version that does multi tube designs is not cheap either. I have seen a budget designer do several small PC board designs with the freeware version and then paste them together with a cad program to make a large board.
LT spice will make acceptable schematics (previously shown CCS - triode schematic), but some symbols do not exist. I use it for simulations only, but it is free.
For my PC boards and web pages I have to use the full version of both programs. |
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| frank754 |
I use Linux a lot, and they do have a bunch of free stuff, that's where I got to using dia a while back.
I'd hate to pay for something like Visio, too.
Anyway, for any Linux users out there, there's a free app similar to Visio called Kivio.
For Windows users, if you get the free Open Office suite (a free alternative to Microsoft Office), it includes the "Draw" program.
Now in anticipation of using dia in Windows:
I can take any one of your pro schematics, even ones made with visio or any random pic I find on the web, in jpg or gif format, etc., copy a small section of it, like a one tube section, and create my own library of these sub pictures, using an app like Irfan View where you can crop, save and rename a portion of a big pic as "save as", like "triode.gif" for example.
Then I can use dia and insert any of these on my palette, stretch or shrink them, and then insert the lines I need. Like I said it does have some basic stuff like resisitors, capacitors, coils, ground, diode, transistor, speaker symbol, etc., already built in.
I'll have to do something with this soon and post a demo. |
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| radtech |
| I hadn't thought to try Open Office (great program btw, makes PDFs too). I think I'm gonna try it this weekend, see how well it works for schematics. |
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| planet10 |
| quote: | Originally posted by radtech
I have yet to find a schematic cad program that will draw a really good quality schematic, most of them are too busy trying to be all things to all people... generating netlists and spice files and board layouts.. I just want a simple cad program that will draw a nice looking schematic, nothing else. |
I use VectorWorks. Simple on the surface, with a huge amount of depth. Not real cheap thou -- unless you can get the student price. I have developed my own library of tube symbols over the last 10 years, slowly evolving them into my own style.
dave |
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| planet10 |
Another example
dave |
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| radtech |
| quote: | Originally posted by planet10
I use VectorWorks. Simple on the surface, with a huge amount of depth. Not real cheap thou -- unless you can get the student price. |
Yeah, a little more than I'd be willing to spend.
I did a bit of testing with Open Office, here are my first impressions:
One really nice feature is the Gallery. Create a new theme, select a folder full of images, click 'add all' and you've got your images in a gallery above your drawing, all ready to drag-n-drop.
The biggest problem I've found is drawing lines. I'm having a tough time getting them to line up with the component images. Sometimes it looks like they're lined up when I'm zoomed in, but when I zoom out to normal size they're not. This could be it's downfall if I can't find a solution.
I'll mess around with it over the weekend and if I get it working good I'll post an example image. |
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| frank754 |
I haven't had too much time to play with Dia yet, but one good feature it has along thse lines, is a "snap to grid" function which can be set as default. The background of the drawing has a grid, and it helps a lot, and keeps things neat. By snapping to grid, the lines you draw always stay right in place. Hopefully this weekend I will mess with it some more.
It installs fine in XP or Linux, but I had a problem in Windows 98 (I have 5 desktop computers here with several operating systems).
It wouldn't install in 98 (wizard problem), but I made a CD of the stuff in program files/dia from my XP box, and copied that to my 98 computer, and it worked. |
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