SPICE simulation errors?

Schematic Simulation (Ngspice)
1

I assume I need some help from KiCAD community. I implemented a SPICE project in KiCAD and I had to deal with a few bugs around. Not sure if those are ngSPICE or KiCAD, I suspect the latest. I would not post my question in the ngSPICE section since it is mostly related to KiCAD schematic input/processing. I would appreciate if a good Samaritan would provide some useful feedback. Thanks.

Here is an example with a Current-Mode Control implementation of a Buck stage, using an average model in a transient simulation. It is functional and can be used to validate the bugs I discovered while building the circuit. You have to download the KiCAD project, unzip it and test the circuit.
http://www.daddyzaur.com/

image
image1827×1380 542 KB

image
image2559×1600 117 KB

2

Hi,

Thanks for finding these issues ;-). Would you be willing to register the on the KiCad bug tracker (https://bugs.launchpad.net/kicad)? This is the only way they won’t be forgotten by the devs.

Welcome to the forum,
Tom

3

Thanks, did that. Now let’s see if KiCAD will become a complete design/analysis/production industry standard. I have high hopes, I really like it.

4

I tried to read your project in 5.1.5 on Windows 10. Some information on the symbol libraries seems to be missing, I only get a lot of question marks instead of the symbols.

5

Sorry Holger, I suppose you just bump on a bug. It is not a KiCAD project supposed to be fully contained, with no need for external libraries? A project archive should be all you need to open and run a KiCAD project?
If I am wrong, please tell me what I should do, maybe I missed something?

Application: KiCad
Version: 5.1.4, release build
Libraries:
wxWidgets 3.0.4
libcurl/7.67.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1d zlib/1.2.11 libidn2/2.2.0 libpsl/0.21.0 (+libidn2/2.2.0) libssh2/1.9.0 nghttp2/1.39.2
Platform: Linux 5.3.11-1-MANJARO x86_64, 64 bit, Little endian, wxGTK
Build Info:
wxWidgets: 3.0.4 (wchar_t,wx containers,compatible with 2.8) GTK+ 3.24
Boost: 1.71.0
OpenCASCADE Technology: 7.4.0
Curl: 7.66.0
Compiler: GCC 9.2.0 with C++ ABI 1013

Build settings:
USE_WX_GRAPHICS_CONTEXT=OFF
USE_WX_OVERLAY=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_MODULES=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_PYTHON3=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_WXPYTHON_PHOENIX=ON
KICAD_SCRIPTING_ACTION_MENU=ON
BUILD_GITHUB_PLUGIN=ON
KICAD_USE_OCE=OFF
KICAD_USE_OCC=ON
KICAD_SPICE=ON

6

It seems to me that you are using a library named 001_default_SPICE. I guess I do not have that one.

7

I remember reading about the KiCAD project being self-contained, with no need for additional resources to be included. It was kind of a bragging point, claiming anything used to work on a project is automatically included in the archive. I guess it is just not the case.
I added the library in the archive. Yyou will have to copy that one in some KiCAD folder. Let me know if this time is a complete project example you can use. 000004_Buck_CM_ADJ.tar.gz (71.9 KB)

8

You must remember wrong, it’s a well known regrettable fact that KiCad projects aren’t self-contained. Making them completely self-contained is difficult even with plugin scripts.

9

KiCad now has automagically created some Buck_CM_ADJ-rescue.dcm, Buck_CM_ADJ-rescue.lib and a local sym-lib-table, and everything seem to be up and running.

10

@holger
Could you please let me know if is up and running after placing that lone library file somewhere (from the old project archive), or you had to put the library file in KiCAD’s path (from the new archive)?

11

I have put this into an arbitrary directory and opened the *.pro file with KiCad (5.1.5 on Windows 10).

12

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.