There are quite a lot sources and resources for getting started with ngSpice in KiCad, so I thought to make a list with links instead of repeating the information again and again and again and…
Text Tutorials
First, of course the ngSpice website itself. The link below is to how to use ngSpice with KiCad, but there is lots of other info over there, from the official ngSpice manual (ngSpice is a separate project then KiCad), to (links to) downloadable libraries with models.
Video’s
If you prefer video’s, Holger (the main developer / maintainer of the ngSpice project) has also made a youtube channel with some tutorials:
Examples
On this user forum there are several threads dedicated to ngSpice examples. For the most recent overview, you can do a direct search:
https://forum.kicad.info/search?q=simulation%20examples
And some direct links to the threads with examples:
Some pitfalls to watch out for
- You need to have a GND symbol or a “zero” node in the simulation.
- The models have to work, and be compatible with ngSpice.
- The pin mapping has to correspond with the symbols (Spice pin mapping is often different from real IC’s).
- You can not have open nodes (unconnected resistors or capacitors).
- You have to add what type of simulation you want to run.
- The timing parameters of the simulation have to fit with the timescale in which your circuit operates.