Equivalents for PSpice/Probe search commands

It would be great to have the possibility to use PSpice/Probe-like commands such as “search forward level (…)”, “search xvalue ()”… once the cursors are on the simulation traces. Is there already something like this implemented in a recent KiCAD/Ngspice-version, or is there a chance something like this will be implemented in the future? I think the PSpice/Probe approach is superior to the LTspice .measure approach.

kind regards,
Hugo

Check the ngspice interactive mode (run ngspice console, the load your netlist circuit there). Then you can write a load of code to do thing you needed on simulated result stored in bunch of vector in voltage unit. Check this section:
http://ngspice.sourceforge.net/docs/ngspice-28-manual.pdf#page=353

It not going to be straight forward at first… It take some trial and error…

Thanks for the reference. It would be extremely useful to have the following 6 commands in a future KiCAD version available:
search forward level (sfle), probably better renamed as “search forward y value (sfyv)”
search backward y value (sbyv)
search x value (sxv)
max (for finding the absolute maximum)
min (for finding the absolute minimum)
peak (for finding a local max)
trough (for finding a local min)

kind regards,
hugo

@hugocoolens - This request should be record on the dev - List of current spice request and bugs on kicad launchpad

Whereas it may take some time until the eeschema interface will be updated (after a suitable wish-list entry, see above), ngspice itself does offer all these commands.

Please see the ngspice manual, chapts. 15.4 and 17.5.42 on the ‘meas(ure)’ command.

You may invoke the ‘meas’ command (chapt.17.5.42) in a .control section as described in https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/+bug/1788676 right after the simulation. ngspice 30 is a perequisite.

1 Like

Hello,
Thanks for the feedback. I tried to add a request as you suggested but when I click at the link in your message:
List of current spice request and bugs on kicad launchpad

and go to “ask question”, I have to register to “a Ubuntu One thing”…Is this really necessary to post a feature request?

thanks in advance
hugo

KiCads bugtracker is on launchpad. Launchpad is managed by ubuntu.

Thanks for the clarification. I tried it out.

kind regards,
Hugo