{"id":1807,"date":"2017-10-20T08:00:59","date_gmt":"2017-10-20T15:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/eagle\/blog\/?p=1807"},"modified":"2023-08-27T21:35:06","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T04:35:06","slug":"spice-simulation-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autodesk.com\/products\/fusion-360\/blog\/spice-simulation-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"SPICE Simulation Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

SPICE Simulation Part 1: The Basics of SPICE and How It\u2019s Integrated into Autodesk EAGLE<\/h1>\n\n\n

SPICE simulation is here! Autodesk EAGLE 8.4<\/a> brings SPICE in-house, allowing you to design and simulate in the same tool. Whether you\u2019re a student or professional, SPICE will allow you to predict the behavior of your electronic circuits accurately. In this blog, we\u2019ll be looking at what SPICE simulation is for the beginner and how to run your first EAGLE integrated simulation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

SPICE 101<\/h2>\n\n\n

SPICE is a computer simulation developed at the University of California, Berkeley. It\u2019s one of the most widely used simulation programs that allows engineers to simulate the behavior of circuits. Why bother with simulating though? By testing how a circuit will perform in action, you can catch errors early in the design process before they manifest in your prototypes.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SPICE simulation makes this happen through the use of SPICE models and a netlist. The netlist defines how pins are connected on your schematic. Models contain text descriptions of a component\u2019s values, which can then be used by the SPICE engine to simulate behavior mathematically.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A SPICE model for a varactor diode and all of its values. (Image source<\/a>)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Models for simple components can be simple one-line descriptions. Complex multi-part components will often have models with hundreds of lines of information. Unless you plan to use a library in EAGLE that already has spice compatible parts, then you\u2019ll need to download SPICE models yourself. Thankfully there are plenty of component manufacturer who provides SPICE models to download on their website. Some of the most popular sources to check out for SPICE models includes:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

Vendor<\/b><\/td> Description<\/b><\/td><\/tr>
Analog Devices<\/span><\/a><\/td>Amplifiers and Comparators, Analog to Digital Converters, Digital to Analog Converters, Embedded Processing & DSP, MEMS and Sensors, RF\/IF Components, Switches\/Multiplexers, Analog Microcontrollers, Interface, Power and Thermal Management<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Coilcraft<\/span><\/a><\/td>Power Magnetics, RF Inductors, EMI \/ RFI Filters, Broadband Magnetics<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Directed Energy<\/span><\/a><\/td>Diodes, Switch-mode MOSFETs, HF \/ VHF Linear MOSFETs, MOSFET Driver ICs<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Infineon Technologies<\/span><\/a><\/td>Fiber Optics, Microcontrollers, Power Semiconductors, Small Signal Discretes<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Kemet<\/span><\/a><\/td>Surface-mount capacitors in aluminum, ceramic and tantalum and leaded capacitors in ceramic and tantalum<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Linear Technology<\/span><\/a><\/td>Signal Conditioning, Data Conversion, Power Management, Interfacing, High Frequency & Optical<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Maxim<\/span><\/a><\/td>Amplifiers and Comparators, Analog Switches and Multiplexers, Clocks, Counters, Delay Lines, Oscillators, RTCs, Data Converters, Sample-and-Holds, Digital Potentiometers, Fiber and Communications, Filters (Analog), High-Frequency ASICs, Hot-Swap and Power Switching, Interface and Interconnect, Memories: Volatile, NV, Multi-Function, Thermal Management, Sensors, Sensor Conditioners, Voltage References, Wireless, RF, and Cable<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
ON Semiconductor<\/span><\/a><\/td>Power Management, Amplifiers, Comparators, Analog Switches, Thyristors, Diodes, Rectifiers, Bipolar Transistors, FETs, Standard Logic, Differential Logic,<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
STMicroelectronics<\/span><\/a><\/td>Amplifiers & Linear, Analog & Mixed Signal ICs, Diodes, EMI Filtering & Conditioning, Logic, Signal Switch, Memories, Microcontrollers, Power Management, Protection Devices, Sensors, Smartcard ICs, Thyristors & AC Switches, Transistors<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Texas Instruments<\/span><\/a><\/td>Buffers, Drivers and Transceivers, Flip-Flops, Latches and Registers, Gates, Counters, Decoders\/Encoders\/Multiplexers, Digital Comparators<\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Vishay<\/span><\/a><\/td>Manufacturer of analog switches, capacitors, diodes, inductors, integrated modules, power ICs, LEDs, power MOSFETs, resistors, and thermistors.<\/span><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Remember when searching for SPICE models that there\u2019s a difference between PSpice and SPICE. PSpice is a proprietary simulator owned by Cadence, and many PSpice models are not compatible with standard SPICE simulators. To avoid any confusion, always stick to downloading SPICE3 (the latest 3f5) or SPICE2 models, as they are all versions of the good old Berkeley SPICE.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

SPICE Simulation in EAGLE<\/h2>\n\n\n

The SPICE simulator in EAGLE uses Ngspice, an open source successor of SPICE 3f5. If you\u2019re familiar with other SPICE tools, then the concepts and handlings of the simulator in EAGLE will be very familiar.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

SPICE is fully integrated into Autodesk EAGLE 8.4, and there\u2019s no need to install any additional software. We\u2019ve also shipped a bunch of ready-to-use SPICE models and example projects for you to tinker with. During our time in this SPICE series, we\u2019ll be working with the four available simulation types in EAGLE, which include:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n