I made a web page on building triode models /w CurveCaptor

[aletheian]

I have not seen a definitive guide to using Andrei's Curve Captor program, and I am getting weary of explaining it on various boards over and over again, so I made a site with some screenshots and step-by-step instructions.

Maybe someone will find it useful.... it is probably not the best way, but it is how I do it. It is slanted toward Circuitmaker, but the process is the same regardless.

If there are heinous technical errors... let me know before I misinform anyone else.


Here is the link.

Maybe Andrei can give it a once-over and make sure I am not buggering anything up.

Oh... and my bandwidth s u c k s, so if you ger a page not available warning... check back later.

[dave slagle]

nicely done.

The one quirk i needed to overcome was to make sure that curvecaptor was running full screen on my laptops small screen or the buttons on the bottom would be hidden.

I'd also suggest that the capture points be saved regularly to avoid re-entry if you place a rouge marker. Andrei, if you are lurking awesome program, an undo button would make it killer.

I noticed you entered an insane amount of points on the curves. I played a bit with this and found that fewer points often gave me a better "fit error" and i almost always ended up with the koren 8 model as the best fit and have never had issues with LT spice.

if you want your tutorial hosted somewhere with more bandwidth let me know i have plenty.

Good work!

dave

[smoking-amp]

Nice work!

Do any of these curve generators work for pentode type curves?

(and if so, one might be able to set up multiple models for the same pentode at different screen voltages, and then interpolate between them for a screen voltage input variable, but no screen current calc. )

Don

[aletheian]

Originally posted by smoking-amp
Nice work!

Do any of these curve generators work for pentode type curves?

(and if so, one might be able to set up multiple models for the same pentode at different screen voltages, and then interpolate between them for a screen voltage input variable, but no screen current calc. )

Don

Thanx guys!
I am still working on a SIMPLE way to do pentodes. Right now it is a pain in the butt and I use the 'trial and error' method... which sucks. There are a few spreadsheets out there and some java applets, but they don't run well on my system, so I do it the hard way. Basically, the screen equation dominates the current, and then a little variable is tacked on to add the plate voltage's contribution and the supressor grid is considered to be tied to the cathode, so it is not modelled but its effects are figured into the other equations.

I am also still working out the equations to model pentodes with a seperate connection for the surpressor grid. I can do a dual-control-grid pentode fairly well (which is pretty much useless to me), but I don't have enough charts to even figure out where to start with a tube like an EF86, 6AU6 or EL34.

Originally posted by dave slagle

nicely done.

The one quirk i needed to overcome was to make sure that curvecaptor was running full screen on my laptops small screen or the buttons on the bottom would be hidden.

I'd also suggest that the capture points be saved regularly to avoid re-entry if you place a rouge marker. Andrei, if you are lurking awesome program, an undo button would make it killer.

I noticed you entered an insane amount of points on the curves. I played a bit with this and found that fewer points often gave me a better "fit error" and i almost always ended up with the koren 8 model as the best fit and have never had issues with LT spice.

if you want your tutorial hosted somewhere with more bandwidth let me know i have plenty.

Good work!

dave

Definately. I ran CurveCaptor in a small window for a while and was super frustrated the I could not find the buttons... LOL! And an undo would be nice for those random clicks off the curve. You can drag the active marker around, but if you had already put on after it, you are sunk.

I'll definately try tracing a model with fewer markers on the curves. I went a little overboard for the demonstration... I am usually much lazier.

I may take you up on hosting the page after I get some feedback... I just want to make sure that everything is cool.