Exclude from Simulation Annotation Objection

Schematic Simulation (Ngspice)
1

This isn’t version specific at least with the last couple of versions. And it is also more about using KiCAD and the simulator for technical illustration or technical lab notes.

Sometimes I want to compare two slightly different circuit configurations or different values in the same circuit. So, I copy and paste special so the component designators do not change since they are intended to match a schematic under discussion or my own review.

Then, I ‘exclude from simulation’ one of the two almost identical circuits that I want to compare. The simulator objects and wants to re-annotate one of my circuits, but since this is more for technical illustration, or my own notes, I want to keep the same designators references.

Would it be a good idea to have ‘exclude from simulation’ to also ignore the duplicate designators ? Or does that cause some other problems also.

I hope I’ve explained that so it is understandable. Thanks.

An edit: I work around this now by selecting all of one of the two circuits, deleting the one I don’t want to simulate, do the simulation, then return to the schematic and perform the UNDO to get the deleted one back. :slight_smile: Works.

2

The Exclude from simulation probably works, but KiCad has always been nitpicking about the RefDes, and two parts with the same RefDes is a No-No in KiCad.

Another approach is to simply use Save As and save the project under another name. A more formal approach is to put your project into git and create multiple branches. With these methods you can have as much variants as you want without them interfering with each other.

Yet another workaround is to use Copy and then Paste Special in a different schematic file that is not part of the project. I always have some projects which are a collection of schematic blocks, such as a voltage regulator with it’s caps and power symbols already attached.