Micro-Cap v7.1.6 / RM

Micro-Cap 7.0

Electronic Circuit Analysis Program

Reference Manual

Copyright 1982-2001 by Spectrum Software 1021 South Wolfe Road Sunnyvale, CA 94086

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Seventh Edition

First Printing

September 2001

Copyright

© Spectrum Software. 1982-2001. This manual and the software described in it are copyrighted, with all rights reserved. No part of this publication, or the software, may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form without the written permission of Spectrum Software.

Software license notice

Your license agreement with Spectrum Software, which is included with the product, describes the uses of the software which are permitted and the uses which are prohibited. Any unauthorized duplication of Micro-Cap 7, in whole or in part, in print, or in any other retrieval or storage system is expressly forbidden.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Windows Basics
• What’s in this chapter ...................................................	1
•Introduction ..................................................................	2
• Parts of a window ........................................................	2
• Basic mouse and keyboard techniques .........................	5
• Menus...........................................................................	6
•Dialog boxes .................................................................	7
Chapter 2 - The Circuit Editor
• What’s in this chapter ................................................	13
• Circuit structure .........................................................	14
• Schematic objects ......................................................	16
• Schematic modes .......................................................	17
• Circuit Editor ..............................................................	21
• Selecting and deselecting objects ...............................	23
• Creating a new circuit ................................................	25
• Adding and editing components .................................	26
• The Attribute dialog box ............................................	28
• Adding wires to a schematic ......................................	32
• Adding and editing grid text .......................................	34
• Formula text ...............................................................	36
• Adding and editing graphics objects ...........................	37
• Adding and editing flags .............................................	38
• Moving schematic objects ..........................................	38
• Rotating schematic objects ........................................	38
• Stepping schematic objects ........................................	39
• Mirroring schematic objects .......................................	40
• Deleting schematic objects ........................................	41
• The Undo and Redo commands ................................	41
• Node number assignment ..........................................	42
• The clipboard .............................................................	43
• Drag copying ..............................................................	44
• The Info command.....................................................	45
• The Help command ...................................................	45
• The digital path commands ........................................	46
•Navigating schematics.................................................	48
•Global Settings ............................................................	49
• The File menu ............................................................	52
• The Edit menu ............................................................	54

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• The Component menu ................................................	58
• The Windows menu ...................................................	60
• The Options menu ......................................................	62
• The Analysis menu .....................................................	72
• The Design menu .......................................................	74
• The Model Editor .......................................................	75
• The Help system ........................................................	77
Chapter 3 - The Shape Editor
• What’s in this chapter .................................................	79
• The Shape editor layout..............................................	80
• The Object editor .......................................................	85
• The Shape library .......................................................	87
Chapter 4 - The Component Editor
• What's in this chapter .................................................	89
• The Component editor layout .....................................	90
• Adding components to the library ...............................	95
• Adding subcircuits to the library .................................	96
• Using the Add Part wizard..........................................	99
• Using the Import wizard ...........................................	101
• Using Copy, Paste, and Replace ...............................	103
•Making circuit files portable......................................	104
Chapter 5 - The Package Editor
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	105
• The Package editor layout ........................................	106
• Adding basic packages to the library .........................	109
• Adding complex packages to the library....................	110
Chapter 6 - Transient Analysis
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	111
• What happens in transient analysis ...........................	112
• The Transient Analysis Limits dialog box .................	114
• The Transient menu .................................................	119
•Initialization ..............................................................	120
• Using the P key ........................................................	121
• The State Variables editor ........................................	122
• Numeric output .........................................................	124
Chapter 7 - AC Analysis
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	125

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• What happens in AC analysis ...................................	126
• The AC Analysis Limits dialog box...........................	128
• The AC menu ...........................................................	133
• Numeric output .........................................................	134
• Noise ........................................................................	135
• AC analysis tips ........................................................	136
• Using the P key ........................................................	137
Chapter 8 - DC Analysis
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	139
• The DC Analysis Limits dialog box ..........................	140
• The DC menu...........................................................	145
• Numeric output .........................................................	146
• Using the P key ........................................................	147
•Troubleshooting tips .................................................	147
Chapter 9 - Dynamic DC Analysis
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	149
• What happens in Dynamic DC .................................	150
• A sample of Dynamic DC analysis ...........................	152
Chapter 10 - Transfer Function Analysis
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	155
• What happens in Transfer Function analysis ............	156
• The Transfer Function Analysis Limits dialog box ...	157
• A sample of transfer function analysis ......................	158
Chapter 11 Sensitivity Analysis
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	159
• What happens in sensitivity analysis .........................	160
•The Sensitivity Analysis Limits dialog box ................	161
Chapter 12 The Filter Designer
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	165
• How the active filter designer works.........................	166
• The Active Filter dialog box ......................................	167
• Component lists ........................................................	177
• Filter support files .....................................................	179
• Filter specification: mode 1 .......................................	180
• Filter specification: mode 2 .......................................	186
• How the passive filter designer works ......................	188
• The Passive Filter dialog box ....................................	189

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Chapter 13 - Scope
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	195
• Analysis plot modes ..................................................	196
• Panning the analysis plot ..........................................	197
• Scaling the analysis plot ............................................	198
• Tagging the analysis plot ...........................................	199
• Adding graphics to the analysis plot ..........................	200
• The Scope menu ......................................................	201
• The Plot Properties dialog box .................................	205
Chapter 14 - Probe
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	211
• How Probe works ....................................................	212
• Probe menu ..............................................................	213
•Transient analysis variables ......................................	214
•AC analysis variables ................................................	216
• DC analysis variables................................................	217
• Probe analog variables ..............................................	218
• Probe regions............................................................	219
• Probing a SPICE file ................................................	220
Chapter 15 - Stepping
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	221
• How stepping works .................................................	222
• What can be stepped ................................................	222
• The Stepping dialog box ...........................................	223
• Public vs. private libraries .........................................	226
• Stepping summary ....................................................	227
Chapter 16 - Monte Carlo Analysis
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	229
• How Monte Carlo works ..........................................	230
•Tolerancing symbolic parameters .............................	234
• Tolerances and public vs. private libraries ................	235
•Distributions .............................................................	236
• Performance functions..............................................	237
• Options .....................................................................	238
Chapter 17 - The MODEL Program
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	239
• How to start MODEL...............................................	240
• The MODEL window ..............................................	240

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• The File menu ..........................................................	242
• The Edit menu ..........................................................	243
• The Windows menu .................................................	244
• The Options menu ....................................................	245
• The View menu ........................................................	247
• The Run menu .........................................................	249
• A bipolar transistor example .....................................	250
• Diode graphs.............................................................	256
• Bipolar transistor graphs ...........................................	257
• JFET graphs .............................................................	259
• MOSFET graphs ......................................................	260
• OPAMP graphs ........................................................	262
• Core graph ................................................................	263
Chapter 18 - Convergence
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	265
• Convergence defined ................................................	266
• What causes convergence problems .........................	267
•Convergence checklist ..............................................	268
Chapter 19 - Expressions
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	273
• What are expressions? ..............................................	274
• Numbers ...................................................................	275
• Constants and analysis variables ...............................	276
•Variables ...................................................................	277
• Component variables ................................................	279
• Subcircuit and macro variables .................................	280
• Model parameter variables ........................................	281
•Sample variables .......................................................	282
• Mathematical operators and functions ......................	283
•Sample expressions ...................................................	289
• Rules for using operators and variables ....................	290
Chapter 20 - The Command Statements
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	295
• .AC ...........................................................................	296
• .DC ...........................................................................	297
• .DEFINE ..................................................................	298
• .END ........................................................................	300
• .ENDS ......................................................................	301
• .FUNC ......................................................................	302

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• .HELP ......................................................................	303
• .IC ............................................................................	304
• .INCLUDE ...............................................................	305
• .LIB ..........................................................................	306
• .LOADOP ................................................................	307
• .MACRO ..................................................................	308
• .MODEL ..................................................................	309
• .NODESET ..............................................................	312
• .NOISE .....................................................................	313
• .OP ...........................................................................	314
• .OPTIONS ...............................................................	315
• .PARAM ..................................................................	316
• .PARAMETERS ......................................................	317
• .PLOT ......................................................................	318
• .PRINT ....................................................................	319
• .SENS.......................................................................	320
• .SUBCKT ................................................................	321
• .TEMP .....................................................................	323
• .TF ...........................................................................	324
• .TIE ..........................................................................	325
• .TR ...........................................................................	326
• .TRAN......................................................................	327
Chapter 21 - Analog Behavioral Modeling
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	329
• Laplace sources ........................................................	330
• Function sources .......................................................	331
• ABS ..........................................................................	332
• AMP .........................................................................	333
• CENTAP ..................................................................	334
• CLIP.........................................................................	335
• DELAY ....................................................................	336
• DIF ...........................................................................	337
• DIV...........................................................................	338
• F ...............................................................................	339
• FSK ..........................................................................	340
• GYRATOR ..............................................................	341
• INT...........................................................................	342
• MUL.........................................................................	343
• NOISE ......................................................................	344
• POT .........................................................................	345
• PSK ..........................................................................	346

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• PUT .........................................................................	347
• RELAY1 ..................................................................	348
• RELAY1 ..................................................................	349
• RESONANT ............................................................	350
• SCHMITT ................................................................	351
• SCR ..........................................................................	352
• SLIP .........................................................................	353
• SPARKGAP .............................................................	354
• SUB ..........................................................................	355
• SUM .........................................................................	356
• SUM3 .......................................................................	357
• TRIAC......................................................................	358
• TRGGER .................................................................	359
• TRIODE ...................................................................	360
• VCO .........................................................................	361
•WIDEBAND ............................................................	362
• XTAL .......................................................................	363
• 555 ...........................................................................	364
Chapter 22 - Analog Devices
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	365
• References ................................................................	366
• Battery ......................................................................	370
•Bipolar transistor ......................................................	371
• Capacitor ..................................................................	377
• Dependent sources (linear) .......................................	381
• Dependent sources (SPICE E, F, G, K devices) ......	382
• Diode ........................................................................	387
• Function sources .......................................................	391
• GaAsFET .................................................................	394
• Independent sources (V and I sources) .....................	399
• Inductor ....................................................................	406
• Isource ......................................................................	410
• JFET.........................................................................	411
• K(Mutual inductance / Nonlinear magnetics model) . 415
• Laplace sources ........................................................	420
• Macro .......................................................................	424
• MOSFET ..................................................................	426
• Opamp ......................................................................	451
• Pulse source .............................................................	458
• Resistor .....................................................................	460
• S_Port( S-Parameter two-port) ................................	464

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•S (Voltage-controlled switch)....................................	466
• Sample and hold source ............................................	468
• Sine source ...............................................................	470
•Subcircuit call ...........................................................	472
• Switch.......................................................................	475
• Transformer .............................................................	477
•Transmission line ......................................................	478
• User file source .........................................................	481
• W (Current-controlled switch) ..................................	483
• Z transform source ...................................................	485
Chapter 23 - Digital Devices
• What's in this chapter ...............................................	487
•The digital simulation engine.....................................	488
•Digital nodes .............................................................	488
•Digital states .............................................................	489
•Timing models ..........................................................	492
•Unspecified propagation delays ................................	493
•Unspecified timing constraints ..................................	494
• Propagation delays....................................................	495
•Digital delay ambiguity..............................................	497
• Timing hazards .........................................................	499
•The analog/digital interface .......................................	501
•General digital primitive format ................................	505
•Primitives..................................................................	508
• Gates ........................................................................	511
• Standard gates ..........................................................	512
• Tri-state gates ...........................................................	516
• Flip-flops and latches ................................................	520
•Edge-triggeredflip-flops............................................	521
• Gated latch ...............................................................	526
• Pullup and pulldown .................................................	531
• Delay line..................................................................	533
•Programmable logic arrays .......................................	535
• Multi-bit A/D converter ............................................	541
• Multi-bit D/A converter ............................................	545
•Behavioral primitives ................................................	548
•Logic expression .......................................................	549
• Pin-to-pin delay ........................................................	554
• Constraint checker ....................................................	563
•Stimulus devices .......................................................	571
•Stimulus generator ....................................................	571

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