Atlc - Arbitrary Transmission Line Calculator (for transmission lines and directional couplers)

Software
1

This question is not about KiCad but about atlc, an old software that can calculate arbitrary geometries for transmission lines. I am aware of the calculator that is shipped with KiCad, however it has too few geometries and many times I don’t find the ones I need (e.g. a coupled microstrip coplanar without ground plane). I found atlc just now, which looks promising as you simply draw the geometry and get the results. However, I cannot compile it. I know this question is not about KiCad, but if atlc works it would be interesting to try to incorporate it in the impedance calculator of KiCad. Also, I don’t know where else to ask for help about atlc. So, if anyone is willing to give it a try, let me know.

What I did is this:

  1. Downloaded the source code.
  2. Extracted files from the compressed file.
  3. Run ./configure.
  4. Run make.

I get the error /usr/bin/ld: atlc-swap_conductor_voltages.o:/home/me/Downloads/atlc-4.6.1/src/swap_conductor_voltages.c:39: multiple definition of oddity’; atlc-atlc.o:/home/me/Downloads/atlc-4.6.1/src/atlc.c:71: first defined here`. I am in Fedora 41.

2

Not sure why you expect anyone here to know . . . have you tried contacting the author ?

https://atlc.sourceforge.net/contact.html

3

You would be better using mdtlc, similarly out of the arc but works very well and has binaries available

4

If you had looked closer at the Sourceforge site, you would have seen two things:

  1. The source was last updated 10 years ago, so even if you get it to work, don’t expect support.

  2. There is a ticket number 2 which reports exactly the same problem you encountered, and provides the solution. But also see 1.

5

Thanks for pointing that out. This solved the problem. Now atlc is working. In case someone is interested, I created this Git repo with the bug fixed.

3 Likes
6

Easy and free simulation of arbitrary transmission lines

I made a Python module that allows to run simulations with atlc directly from Inkscape, as detailed here, which I think is very convenient given its popularity, flexibility and ease of use. This, together with a working version of atlc and installation instructions (for Linux) is available in this repo. Feel free to give it a try.

Example

1 Like
7

Dr Kirkby seems to have moved on and left his university position.

Building ten plus year old code on a modern compiler is always going to find errors.