Is it better to use OrCAD PSPICE schematic or writing PSPICE statements?

[MahmoudHassan]

Hello

I want to learn PSPICE and downloaded some tutorials
but i found a problem some of these tutorials using PSPICE schematic capture without writing any statements and others using text editor

so which better to start learning PSPICE ?
and can you suggest me good tutorials or book titles to start with ?

Thanks a lot

 

[keith1200rs]

Use schematics. While you need to understand the netlist there is no point using it for creating your circuit.

Look for Paul W Tuinenga's book on Pspice.

Keith

 

[MahmoudHassan]

Thanks a lot but if iam using OrCAD PSPICE and i want to write a circuit afile and doing analysis using circuit file
where i can do using OrCAD PsPICE

Thanks a lot in advance
really appreciated

 

[LvW]

Thanks a lot but if iam using OrCAD PSPICE and i want to write a circuit afile and doing analysis using circuit file
where i can do using OrCAD PsPICE
Thanks a lot in advance
really appreciated

As far as I know you can either call a "schematic entry program" or you can directly call "PSpice". In the latter case, you are required to write a circuit netlist.
After this has been done, you can call "probe" for displaying the results. Is this what you want to do?

 

[MahmoudHassan]

Thanks a lot LvW for your interest

iam using OrCAD 16.3 and when i use PSPICE i find schematics to do the circuit
but where is the text editor which i can use to write circuit statements instead ? what steps i can do to write statements instead of using schematics ?

is there any tutorials ?

=========================================
i tried to write my statements to text file and then changed the extension to .cir
then opened it using pspice
the program showed my statements but when i run the file it gives me error

The Statements

* Text File
Vin 0 1 0V
R1 1 0 1ohm
•DC Vin 0 12 .1
•PROBE



The Error



Vin 0 1 0V
R1 1 0 1ohm
DC Vin 0 12 .1
PROBE
$
ERROR -- Invalid device


 

[LvW]

I suppose, the program cannot identify "Vin".You are required to use the specified names like Vdc, Vac or Vsin.
In your case, try Vdc.

 

[MahmoudHassan]

I discovered the error there was a forgotten dot before DC
the new problem i found that it doesn't draw the output
the statements
* Text File
Vin 0 1 0V
R1 1 0 1ohm
.DC Vin 0 12 .1
.PROBE

the output is empty



so i would be grateful if you can help me about this problem

 

[LvW]

No surprise.
How could the program know what you like to see?
Write ".probe V(1)" in case you like to see the voltage at the node (1).

 

[MahmoudHassan]

mmm i tried your suggestion but also i got the same result no output
i tried
.probe v(1)
and in another one
i tried .probe V(3)
and also no output

 

[keith1200rs]

Try selecting "trace" from the menu after you run it then "add trace". Select i(r1).

Keith

- - - Updated - - -

Or add a plot:

Vin 0 1 12
R1 1 0 1
.DC Vin 0 12 .1
.probe
.Plot dc i(r1)

Keith

 

[MahmoudHassan]

Thanks a lot MR.Keith it worked
even without using plot statement

but i think know not all statements needed from PSPICE
such as plot statement because even i usedit , it didn't provide anything new as i had also to use Trace menu
Is this correct that there are statements that didn't needed now >?

 

[keith1200rs]

It is a long time since I used Pspice. The Orcad help isn't much use but my old Paul W Tuinenga book says that the .PROBE is for saving the values, not plotting them. So, if you say .PROBE V(1) then you will only be able to plot V(1) - nothing else. .PROBE with no arguments will save all node voltages/currents so you can plot anything, but that is the default anyway (it is for the DOS version of Pspice anyway!).

Keith

 

[LvW]

Mahmoud, you can forget the "plot" statement. It still exists because of historical reasons only.
Before the PROBE feature was developped it was only possible to "plot" a curve - point by point - on a printer.
But - as Keith has mentioned: The program computes all the voltages and currents within the circuit - and afterwords you can select within PROBE what you like to see.
However, it is also possible to preselect one ot more signals by writing V(X) or I(R1) after the probe statement.

But a general question: What is the background of your approach? Why do you prefer netlists? It is much more comfortable to use schematic entry programs.

 

[MahmoudHassan]

Actually i don't prefer netlists ...as i said i want to learn PSpice and HSpice
and i checked a lot of books about PSpice and all of them were using netlists and i don't know why ?
of course it is easier to use schematics
but why books didn't prefer to discuss the tools using schematics rather than discussing netlists ?

 

[LvW]

.......but why books didn't prefer to discuss the tools using schematics rather than discussing netlists ?

I suppose, those books were written before schematic entry tols have been introduced.
Now - having the possibility to use schematic entry it is not necessary anymore to use and explain netlists. Most features are self-explainig.

 

[keith1200rs]

The advantage of netlists is that they are almost universal - while there are some differences an Hspice netlist looks pretty much the same as a Pspice netlist which is much the same as an LTspice netlist. However, if you want to write a tutorial based on schematics then they are all different (but end up generating the same netlist from the same schematic).

When you get a problem, you often end up having to look at netlists so understanding them is useful.

Keith

 

[MahmoudHassan]

LvM and Keith
really thanks for this helpful conversation that helped me a lot
really appreciate your time and your interest
hope from God the best for you both

Thanks a lot

by the way i found this book and i think it is very helpful to learn schematics
https://www.amazon.com/Analog-Desig...&ie=UTF8&qid=1383921986&sr=1-2&keywords=orcad