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Introduction To LTspice IV

This is a short presentation about how to use LTspice. Good link about circuit simulator (CAD tool) is http://web02.gonzaga.edu/faculty/talarico/EE303/FF/tools.html

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302 views

Introduction To LTspice IV

This is a short presentation about how to use LTspice. Good link about circuit simulator (CAD tool) is http://web02.gonzaga.edu/faculty/talarico/EE303/FF/tools.html

Uploaded by

29377
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Introduction to LTspice IV

Why called LTspice IV?


• LTspice IV stands for Linear Technology
simulation program with integrated circuit
emphasis version 4.
• It is freeware software implementing a SPICE
simulator of electronic circuits, produced by
semiconductor manufacturer: Linear Technology
Corporation (LTC)[A.1].
• It provides a schematic capture and waveform
viewer with enhancements and models to speed
the simulation[A.2].
Why using LTspice IV?
• LTspice IV can do simulation for advanced
technologies; e.g. 90nm, 65nm, … etc, while
PSpice A/D cadence version 16.0 can not
withstand for new technology process.
Start your LTspice IV file
• After downloading LTspice IV from
http://www.linear.com/designtools/software/
The following website appears. Choose
Download LTspice IV for Windows
Start your LTspice IV file
• double click on LTspice IV icon .
• To start your work:
File→ New Schematic
Or press on New Schematic
This icon appears after
selecting New schematic
Example
• Build voltage divider circuit; which consists of
two resistors, their values 1k and 2k, and 10V
voltage supply.
After you press on Press on component icon
component icon, the to get the elements
following window appears

Write in this box


or search to get
the element
• To get voltage supply, you can write voltage,
battery, or cell. All of them give you voltage
source either DC, AC, Pulse, Sine, PWL, Exp,
or SFFT.
If it is DC voltage source
enter its value here

Right click on the element


to choose its type and to
specify its value.

If not press Advanced


Select
the
type AC
of Value
signal
Enter the value of
resistor
To insert the ground Another way to insert resistor
To connect elements using wire
* Simulate the circuit by choosing
Simulate → run
Select type of analysis
After selecting type of The output
analysis and choosing
the node, the plot
window appears.
How to deal with MOSFET?
• There are two types of MOS for both NMOS and
PMOS in LTspice IV:
1. nmos and pmos: the substrate is connected to
the source.
2. nmos4 and pmos4: the substrate is not
connected to the source. For this type you can
add the model you are working on; e.g. TSMC
or IBM 0.25μm, 90nm, …, etc.
The model of NMOS should be saved in notepad (.txt) where here the name of the model is
CMOSN
How to deal with MOSFET?

nmos nmos4
Choosing nmos4
right click on it the
following window Name of the
appears model

Length of
transistor
To write the model file

Select SPICE
directive

Write
.include name_of_the_txt_model_file.txt
Note: it should be saved in the file that your are w
spice file.
After connecting the circuit
as shown and selecting the
type of analysis which is
.dc VG 0.01 1.2 1m
, the circuit is completed.
Press plot
simulation
after selecting
plot window,
then press
Visible Trance
When you press on Visible
Trance the following window
appears . Then select the
variable you want .
To copy the
plot go to
Tools→ Copy
bitmap to
clipboard, then
paste it in your
document.
To export the
plot to Matlab
go to
File→Export
This window will
appear. Select the
variable that you want.
By default it also
exports the x-axis
variable; in this plot is
Vg. The exported file
will be saved in the
current file you are
working in as notepad
file .txt
The exported
file contains
two columns,
Vg and Id(M1)
This is the m.file that must be saved in the current file you are working in.

% post process an LT-spice simulation with Matlab

clear all;
clc;
close all;

% dlmread: read ASCII-delimited file of numeric data into matrix

data = dlmread('model1_IdvsVgs90.txt','',1,0) %(‘name of txt file’, skip one row (headings))


% '' means let Matlab figure out the delimiter
% 1,0 means read data whose upper left corner is at row 1 and col 0

VGS = data(:,1);
ID = 1000*data(:,2); % to make current in mA

%plot the magnitude frequency response of the RC circuit

plot(VGS,ID)
xlabel('V_G_S(V)');
ylabel('I_D(mA)');
title(' The IV Characteristic of NMOS transistor using 90nm technology')
grid
Matlab plot
The IV Characteristic of NMOS transistor using 90nm technology
0.2

0.18

0.16

0.14

0.12
I (mA)

0.1
D

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4
VGS(V)
Extra about LTspice plot
How to thicken up the lines in your schematic or
simulations?
1. Open the control panel (tools menu bar).
2. To thicken the schematic lines, Select the
Drafting Options tab and check "Draft Thick
Lines“.
3. To thicken simulation lines, Select the
Waveforms tab and check "Plot data with thick
lines“.
Extra about LTspice
Can LTspice deal with netlist?
Yes, the user can start working on LTspice using
netlist.
File→open→select Netlist .cir → type any name
of non-exist file then the netlist window will be
open.
Extra references
• http://denethor.wlu.ca/ltspice/
• http://www2.cose.isu.edu/~chiustev/courses/E
E4429/LTspice_Basics.pdf
• http://eecs.oregonstate.edu/education/docs/tuto
rials/LT%20Spice_VarResistor.pdf
• http://web02.gonzaga.edu/faculty/talarico/2014
-08/ee303/ho.html
• http://web02.gonzaga.edu/faculty/talarico/eeng
304/documents/class-CAD.html
• http://denethor.wlu.ca/ltspice/#otheranalysis
To plot the power dissipation
• http://www.linear.com/solutions/1148
A very good book to start and deal with LTspice
• E. Bruun, CMOS Integrated Circuit Simulation
with LTspice IV a Tutorial Guide, 1st ed., 2015.
Thank you

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