Noise analysis in Kicad 5.0 MacOS

Danny_Lee · July 25, 2018, 3:58am

In my circuit, I am using V1 as my source for the circuit. However, I could not get the simulation to run at all. DC-sweep works fine.

However in the simulation log, I noticed something off. My source V1 was shown as vv1.

Warning: Noise input source vv1 not in circuit

It this how it supposed to work? or it is a bug?

Cheers,
danny

holger · July 28, 2018, 6:46am

This has been an issue during the development some weeks ago but should have been settled for the release version.

Are you shure to use the release version? Please give the version info (Eeschema->Help->About KiCad->Show version info).

If it is the release version, please give an input file that produces the error.

Danny_Lee · July 28, 2018, 7:03am

Application: kicad
Version: (5.0.0-rc2-55-gc5cde53), release build
Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.0.4
libcurl/7.54.0 LibreSSL/2.0.20 zlib/1.2.11 nghttp2/1.24.0
Platform: Mac OS X (Darwin 17.7.0 x86_64), 64 bit, Little endian, wxMac
Build Info:
wxWidgets: 3.0.4 (UTF-8,STL containers,compatible with 2.8)
Boost: 1.61.0
OpenCASCADE Community Edition: 6.8.0
Curl: 7.43.0
Compiler: Clang 7.3.0 with C++ ABI 1002

Build settings:
USE_WX_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT=ON
USE_WX_OVERLAY=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_ACTION_MENU=ON
BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON
KICAD_USE_OCE=ON
KICAD_USE_OCC=OFF
KICAD_SPICE=ON

The error using the rectifier simulation demo.

Circuit: KiCad schematic
Error on line 5 : d1 net-d1-pad2 /rect_out 1n4148
Unable to find definition of model 1n4148 - default assumed
Doing analysis at TEMP = 27.000000 and TNOM = 27.000000
Warning: v1: no DC value, transient time 0 value used
Warning: Noise input source vv1 not in circuit
doAnalyses: not found
run simulation(s) aborted
Background thread stopped with timeout = 0
Error: no such vector 3
Error: no such vector 1
Error: no such vector 2

holger · July 28, 2018, 8:36am

This is an old rc2 development build.

Please uninstall and install current KiCad release from https://kicad.org/download/

bobc · July 28, 2018, 8:48am

“actual” -> “current”

Danny_Lee · July 29, 2018, 6:47am

Application: kicad
Version: (5.0.0-3-g5ebb6b6), release build
Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.0.4
libcurl/7.54.0 LibreSSL/2.0.20 zlib/1.2.11 nghttp2/1.24.0
Platform: Mac OS X (Darwin 17.7.0 x86_64), 64 bit, Little endian, wxMac
Build Info:
wxWidgets: 3.0.4 (UTF-8,STL containers,compatible with 2.8)
Boost: 1.67.0
OpenCASCADE Community Edition: 6.9.1
Curl: 7.51.0
Compiler: Clang 8.0.0 with C++ ABI 1002

Build settings:
USE_WX_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT=ON
USE_WX_OVERLAY=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_ACTION_MENU=OFF
BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON
KICAD_USE_OCE=ON
KICAD_USE_OCC=OFF
KICAD_SPICE=ON

Well, I tested with the latest version downloaded from the kicad website, but same problem still persist. Going to try again with the nightly build.

holger · July 29, 2018, 2:57pm

I can reproduce the error with the current KiCad 5.0.0 .

This is a bug in KiCad.

You should provide a bug report to https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad/

Before that you might have a look at how to report a bug at

bobc · July 29, 2018, 5:26pm

I’m confused, there were several issues mentioned so far. Which is “the bug”?

“Unable to find definition of model 1n4148 - default assumed” is not a bug, it means you have to supply a model.

holger · July 29, 2018, 6:43pm

Use the demo file rectifier.sch
Change the input line for V1 to ‘DC 0 AC 1’
Add a ‘*’ to the line ‘.tran …’ in the text box
Add the parameters for noise simulation (see picture attached)
Run the simulator
Error message: Noise input source vv1 not in circuit
Simulation->Show spice netlist shows the line
.noise v(3, 0) vV1 dec 10 100k 100Meg

vV1 is definitely wrong and seems to be a remnant of the idea to add a suitable letter to the symbol name (that led to replication e.g. in case of voltage sources V1->vV1). This was abandoned (at least partially) later on.

bobc · July 29, 2018, 6:56pm

Ok, I’m with you now Seems to be error at

github.com

KiCad/kicad-source-mirror/blob/master/eeschema/dialogs/dialog_sim_settings.cpp#L206


            return false;
        }

    }

    m_simCommand = simCmd;
}


// Noise analysis
else if( page == m_pgNoise )
{
    const NETLIST_EXPORTER_PSPICE::NET_INDEX_MAP& netMap = m_exporter->GetNetIndexMap();

    if( empty( m_noiseMeas ) || empty( m_noiseSrc ) || empty( m_noisePointsNumber )
            || empty( m_noiseFreqStart ) || empty( m_noiseFreqStop ) )
        return false;

    wxString ref = empty( m_noiseRef )
        ? wxString() : wxString::Format( ", %d", netMap.at( m_noiseRef->GetValue() ) );

Danny_Lee · July 30, 2018, 12:22am

Thanks for confirming it. Though I wish to report the bug, it seem that I am having issues in creating an account to do so(for some odd reasons I could not verify email).

Would appreciate anyone in this thread could report this in my stead.

Cheers,
Danny

holger · July 30, 2018, 6:08am

I will send a bug report to https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad.

holger · August 2, 2018, 5:53pm

A fix has been submitted to the KiCad master branch.