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WHY
SIMULATE?
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Test design ideas
Before you
break out the soldering iron, SPICE helps you explore circuit alternatives
and play
"what if" games. The sky is the limit with electronic devices and
topologies. You can start with some high-level functional blocks. As
the design takes shape, fill in the details with components
until Presto! - your creative synthesis has given birth to a circuit ready
for actual prototype and further verification.
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Save Time
One benefit is
the time saved up front by avoiding theoretical oversights
early in the game. You don't have to spend a week in the lab discovering the
topology selected draws way too much power. Simulation gives
you a quicker answer.
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Predict Circuit
Performance
SPICE helps predict your circuit's performance
when conditions and component values vary. You know, once the circuit goes out
into the real world, the changing temperature or power supply level will effect your circuit. The
question is - how much? Even before the circuits leave the shipping
room, how will the 100 low-pass filters perform - given the resistor and capacitor tolerances - compared with the prototype you've tweaked
over the last week in the lab? Simulation helps test the robustness of
your design.
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Make Difficult
/ Dangerous Measurements
Measuring some circuit
voltages and currents can appear like a mission impossible. Here are some
difficulties simulation can avoid. Some measuring equipment may load your circuit
producing misleading results. Other measurements may require special test
equipment you don't have or can't afford. Still others may be dangerous (
high voltage or current measurements) or may inadvertently destroy the real
circuit.
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Hands-On Learning
SPICE is a great way to learn a lot
in a short time. Also, busy lives and limited budgets can make experimenting
with real parts and expensive equipment nearly impossible. What may take you
an hour to wire up in the lab - to get a minor concept - could be covered in
a few minutes with SPICE. For
example, how does an amplifier's gain vary with bandwidth? Before the
circuit parts were even collected,
you can get hands-on experience with the gain-bandwidth tradeoff. While text and equations tell you the
story, a simulation can clarify the concept and drive it home.
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It's Fun
Two words I've heard
associated with SPICE are "fun" and "addicting." Its true - getting a
circuit to work as you envisioned can be fun and satisfying. Trying one more RC
combination can be addicting as you optimize a circuit. Simulation gives you
an open-ended sense of play, a set of circuit blocks ready to be combined in
some interesting or useful way. There's a challenge in creating a SPICE
model for an electrical or non-electrical component in your system. Its easy
to get lost in a circuit adventure. What better way to learn the art and
develop a passion for circuit design?
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