Spectrum Software

 

News:

Spectrum Software has released Micro-Cap 10, the tenth generation of our SPICE circuit simulator.

For users of previous Micro-Cap versions, check out the new features available in the latest version. For those of you who are new to Micro-Cap, take our features tour to see what Micro-Cap has to offer.

 

 

 

Micro-Cap 10.0.6

-) 3D, FFT, Performance and Monte Carlo Windows - These windows now check the currently open windows to determine the window size that they will initially be created with.
-) Distortion Analyses - The analyses now check all possible steps to determine whether to warn the user about the instance where a very large number of cycles will be simulated.
-) W (Current Switch) - The error message for when the voltage source specified in the REF attribute for the W (Current Switch) component has been improved.
-) Localize Models - The Localize Models command has been improved to handle the cases where a subcircuit model has nested subcircuits within it.
-) Step Selection Operator - The Step Selection Operators can now be mixed in an expression that also contains a define variable.

 

 

Micro-Cap 10.0.5

-) Stepping Limit - The total number of steps that can be specified in a stepping operation has been increased to 30,000.
-) Analysis Print Preview - An Individual Pages option has been added to the print preview. This prints all of the selected pages where each page is printed to its own sheet of paper.
-) Enable Regions - An enable region can no longer disable another enable region. This provides the capability to have overlapping enable regions.
-) Model Program - For a user part, if the X variable is T (for a transient analysis) or F (for an AC analysis), the underlying simulation has its range adjusted depending on the data entered in the model data.
-) Model Program - For a user part, the optimizer now ignores data points where the X variable does not have a match in the underlying simulation.
-) User Source AC Analysis Operating Point Value - The User Source now uses the value specified when Time=0 in the USR file as the DC value for the source during an AC analysis operating point calculation.
-) Capacitor - If a capacitor has been specified with an expression such as C(C3), where the C3 capacitor is a constant value, the standard linear capacitor model will be used instead of the nonlinear capacitor.
-) BSIM4 - The Level=54 model has now been mapped into the BSIM4 model.
-) Default Expressions - In the AC Analysis Limits, the default operator is now specified with the case dB instead of db.
-) Default Expressions - When a node name has been specified in the schematic, the default expressions in the analysis limits now use the same case that the user entered.
-) Model Program Data - The tab key now scrolls through all of the data in the list rather than just what appears on screen before advancing to the next object.
-) Model Program - For a user part, if the underlying AC simulation has its frequency step set to Auto, the Model program now automatically converts that to Log for the optimization.
-) Add Part Wizard - When adding a macro in the Add Part Wizard of the Component Editor, the Name field now defaults to the name of the macro file.
-) Analysis Print Preview - When selecting pages for printing from the list, the Ctrl and Shift keys can now be used with the mouse to select multiple windows.
-) Component Editor Wizards - The Add Part Wizard and Import Wizard now ignore the Palette setting of the component that is being used as a template.
-) SPICE .OP Statement - If a .OP statement is specified in a SPICE circuit file, the Model Parameters and Operating Point Values will automatically be enabled for the numeric output.
-) Perform_M Global Setting - The maximum value that the Perform_M global setting can be set to has been increased to 10.

 

 

Micro-Cap 10.0.4

-) New Batch File Image Commands - New commands are now available for use in batch files that perform image captures to aid in quickly creating documentation. Images can be created for any circuit page, analysis page, performance plot window, 3D plot window, FFT window, or histogram window.
-) Model Program - Fixed Parameter - The parameters that are setup for a user defined model now have an option to be fixed. The value entered for the parameter will not be affected by any initialization or optimization. The fixed parameter value will be used during an optimization and when the corresponding model is created.
-) Model Program - Diode Parameters - The BV, EG, and XTI parameters for the diode in the Model program now always maintain the value that has been entered in the field. Any initialization or optimization will have no effect on the value.
-) Model Program - RLC Limits - Any resistor, capacitor, or inductor that is being optimized in the Model program now have their minimums hardcoded at 0 to prevent negative impedances.
-) Model Program - User Part - The memo field is now added right above the model when a library is created.
-) Continuous Phase Calculation - The phase plot calculations now produce a continuous phase plot when a step selection operator is used in the phase expression being plotted.
-) Toolbar Loading - The loading of the toolbars in the program has been optimized to minimize delays. This will mainly aid systems that still use 16 bit color.
-) Diode_Max_IS Global Settings - The Diode_Max_IS global setting was added. This limits the maximum value of IS in a diode when the N diode parameter has been set to a value smaller than .1 in order to help prevent any overflows during the simulation.
-) Normalization Operators - The normalization operators now force a Log frequency step in AC analysis if the frequency step was previously set to Auto.
-) .TR Statement - The .TR statement which sets the maximum time step in transient analysis is now available in SPICE circuit files.
-) .PSS Statement - A .PSS statement has been added for SPICE text files in order to both enable the periodic steady state option and to define its settings.

 

 

Micro-Cap 10.0.3

-) Diagonal GMIN Stepping - The diagonal GMIN stepping was improved to aid in convergence with DC operating point calculations.
-) Poly Sources - The SPICE poly sources have had their convergence routines improved.
-) Table Function - The table function has been improved to both run faster during a simulation and to converge better.
-) Retrace - The Retrace capability in transient analysis now remembers the time step information from the prior run.
-) FFT Windows - The THD and IHD waveforms now have default unit settings of %. The phase waveform now has a default unit setting of degrees.
-) Impedance Operator Z() - The Z() impedance operator now works with inductors and capacitors that have been defined with a nonlinear equation in AC analysis.
-) Limit Operator - The Limit operator can now handle the case where the maximum and minimum parameters for the operator have been swapped.
-) AC Analysis - The low frequency limit in AC analysis has been set to 1e-30Hz.
-) Coupled Inductors - The convergence of coupled inductors has been improved for situations when the inductors have been defined with an extremely high inductance value.
-) Diode Model - One of the diode current error checks has been modified to better aid convergence.
-) Border and Title Block - An entry called Title Block Border has been added to the objects list in the schematic Properties dialog box. This object controls the color of the border and the title block outline.
-) Rename Components - The Rename Components command will now ignore expressions in the analysis limits that specify components within a subcircuit or macro.
-) Performance Plot Numeric Output - The default file name for a numeric output file created through a performance plot now automatically strips out any characters that would create an illegal file name.
-) Picture Files - Schematic files now look for a picture file in the local directory before searching through the paths specified in the Picture field of the Paths dialog box.
-) Check for Updates - The Check for Updates dialog box now has a horizontal scroll bar in the operations field so that long path and files can be seen.

 

 

Micro-Cap 10.0.2

-) Tranmission Line - The F and S variables can now be used in the transmission line parameters. For example, the R parameter in the lossy transmission line model can have an expression containing the variable F in order to model the skin effect. Note that these frequency variables will only be updated in an AC or Dynamic AC analysis. In any other type of analysis, these variables will be calculated assuming that the frequency is 0.
-) Ideal Transmission Line - The history is now stored for the ideal transmission line so that it can operate with the Retrace and Leave options in the transient analysis.
-) Print Preview - A dotted line is now displayed in the schematic print preview to show the printed area available.
-) Print Preview - Black and White and Gray Scale options are now available in the print preview dialog boxes.
-) Analysis Plots - The Text and Graphics modes are now available to use on plots that do not have any data present.
-) Align Commands - The align commands can now be used with analysis text.
-) PWL - The check to see if there are duplicate X values in the PWL data now ignores data points that contain the same Y value when a repeat is used.
-) Optimizer - The red target dots can now be displayed on multiple waveforms when the optimizer is trying to optimize to more than one waveform.
-) WAV Output - The Sample Rate and Number of Bits selected for the WAV output is now saved in the circuit file.
-) Status Bar - Status bar help has been added for the Dynamic AC and the Dynamic DC dialog boxes.
-) Preferences - Changes made in the International Settings and Auto Save pages is now stored without having to hit Apply when changing between pages in the Preferences dialog box.
-) Distortion Plots - The list available in the What to Plot fields can now expand past the original width of the field.
-) Get Performance Function - The list available in the Expressions field can now expand past the original width of the field.

 

 

Micro-Cap 10.0.1

-) Analysis Progress Bar - The analysis progress bar now takes into account the periodic steady state calculations.
-) Attribute Dialog Box Font - The attribute that is currently selected in the Attribute dialog box will now be the attribute selected in the Font dialog box when the Font button is clicked.
-) Distortion Analyses - The hardcoded waveforms no longer have their ranges error checked when the plot for the waveform is disabled.
-) Distortion Analyses - The hardcoded waveforms may now be manually scaled in the analysis limits.
-) Harmonic Distortion - The THD waveform can now store the waveform style that a user selects from one analysis session to another.
-) Distortion Analyses - The autoscale now checks the FFT page of the Properties dialog box to determine the scaling range for the FFT waveforms.
-) S and W Switches - These switch models were modified to help prevent floating point errrors when the On and Off triggers were set extremely close together.