I'm an up and coming DIY guy. I just built my first amplifier! It sounds great, but I would like to do some more testing to it. I've picked and poked it, as well as swapped numerous components, and now it's ready for some serious testing. Unfortunately, I don't know exactly how to go about this. I've seen several guys using simulators and all sorts of advanced software on here, but I don't know where to begin or where to find a free version that is user friendly. As far as active testing, I've got an oscilloscope, a power supply and a function generator. Can I do Nyquist and Phase stuff accurately with these tools? Can I trust the results?
Far and away the most used software is LTspice, it's free and excellent.
It takes a while to learn, of course, but is hard to beat even by expensive software, let alone free.
A quick search will find the download site.
Correct use of the stability simulation techniques is not obvious.
A search on this forum for "Tian Probe" will find educational examples, naturally I recommend my own😉
Actually - even my own examples aren't perfectly accurate and I have a new version almost ready for release.
Until then Tian method correctly predicts stability/instability and the inaccuracy in exactly how stable is usually very small.
Best wishes
David
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definitely recommend LTspice - with the added caveat that it is a professional tool, doesn't have some of the gui decorations, often see complaints about LTspice rather 'flat', 'unexpected' ui
but the ui really is simple, and the LTspice scales to pro levels of circuit complexity and analysis for free
there really are enough online threads, tutorials, examples now to think even beginners should be able to start with LTspice to avoid later switching
but the ui really is simple, and the LTspice scales to pro levels of circuit complexity and analysis for free
there really are enough online threads, tutorials, examples now to think even beginners should be able to start with LTspice to avoid later switching
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Thanks so much guys. It looks like I'll pick it up easily. Are there any known issues? I plan on importing some basic transistors into it and going from there. Do most folks start here with new designs?
Ok. I imported my amp design. I tried some basic DC simulations and they seem to work OK. Is there a good tutorial anywhere that will get me where I need to be?
LTspice is 99+% PSpice compatible - Some manufacturers do include custom functionality but the basics from Intusoft or others will mostly apply
LTspice has a Yahoo group that you have to join and is for LTspice specific discussion only - not a beginners tutoring site
a couple of big LTspice threads here in the Software Tools subforum
Bob Cordell has better audio transistor models he worked up while writing his book
LTspice has a Yahoo group that you have to join and is for LTspice specific discussion only - not a beginners tutoring site
a couple of big LTspice threads here in the Software Tools subforum
Bob Cordell has better audio transistor models he worked up while writing his book
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