In this tutorial I will explain how to use PSPICE to design a circuit for the first time. I will explain the use of PSPICE schematic including how to create a project how to use basic components that are need to design the very basic electrical circuit, and how to add libraries in the components part. Explanation of using the basic components along with their uses in circuit development is explained. In last tutorial ,we have seen how to download and install PSpice software.
Working with PSPICE schematics
- If we are willing to draw a simple circuit and test it virtually the first step here is to open the schematic. Open the search bar on your system or press the search key on your key board and type Capture as shown in the figure below,
Figure 1: Opening PSPICE
- Click on the option as shown in the figure above, this will open the window for drawing the schematics of the required circuit. We have to create a project first in order to draw the circuit, for that purpose click on the file at the top of the schematic window, a drop down will appear from that dropdown select new and from the sub dropdown menu select project as shown in the figure below,
Figure 2: Creating project
- This will open a window asking you to set the name and the destination folder of the project you are going to create as shown in the figure below,
Figure 3: Naming the project
- Write the name of the project which you want to assign to the project you want to create in the block labeled as Name, as shown in the figure above. Check the type from the list as I have checked the schematic in the above figure.
- In the location labeled block you have to type the address of the folder in which you want to save the project you will built later. For typing the address of the folder a shortcut is available to browse you desired destination folder. Click the browse button it will ask you to select the destination folder.
- Select the folder of your choice and click ok. This will create a folder of your entered name in your selected folder of your selected type. After creating the folder, the PSPICE window will open the schematic as shown in the figure below,
Figure 4: Schematic
- The highlighted portion in the above figure shows the components that we will be using in the later tutorials where we will be working with extensive circuits and checking their response under different circumstances. I will list the use of all these components shortly, lets now start with the first component named place part as shown in the figure below,
Figure 5: Place part
- This option will allow you to place very basic components regarding the circuits design i.e. resistors, capacitors or inductors. The installed version of PSPICE includes only some basic components of electronics, like resistors, power supplies and ground. But if you want to work on an extensive scale, which includes extensive circuitry and some high power diodes you must have to include the required libraries for that purpose.
- But this is not a big issue, in the downloaded files that you get after the extraction of the file in the previous tutorial already contains almost every library that can be included in the place part block. All you have to do is to include them. Let me help you do that first. Click on the place block option and then click on include library, as shown in the figure below,
Figure 6: Add library
- Clicking on add library will ask you from which folder to you want to add the libraries select the folder as shown in the figure below, and click ok.
Figure 7: Adding libraries
- It will include all the libraries in your place part block. You can select almost all the available components from here as we will do in our upcoming tutorials. On the search bar in the place block component write Vac which it the short form of AC voltage source.
- It will allow you to place the Ac source on your schematic as shown in the figure below. Place the AC voltage power supply on the schematic and lets’ proceed with the design further.
Figure 8: Supply placement
- Similarly, if you want to place a resistor, for instance, simply type resistor in the search bar. If you want to place a component on the schematic you just have to know the name of that component nothing else. Simply write the name of the component and select it from the list thus obtained. For the case of selecting resistor, refer to the figure below. Place the resistor on the schematic too along with the supply already placed.
Figure 9: Resistor placement
- You can also place capacitor on inductor by searching it in the place part block and selecting the specified component from the list. Now lets’ move to the second icon at the right of the schematic or PSPICE screen, which is place wire. As the name suggest it is used to place a wire between two components. Refer to the figure below,
Figure 10: Place wire icon:
- Selecting this icon will help you connect the supply and resistor you placed previously as shown in the figure below,
Figure 11: Placing wires
- While talking about the icons at the right of the PSPICE window, lets discuss the most common icons and leave the further details for upcoming tutorials. The basic electrical component while talking about the circuit design are, the supply and the ground. We have already talked about placing the supply on the schematic and now we will discuss about the ground. From the icons at the right, select the ground as shown in the figure below,
Figure 12 : Ground placement
- You can also place text blocks on you schematic for commenting or labeling purpose from the icons present at the write as shown in the figure below,
Figure 13: Place text blocks
- Above the text placing icon, some other icons are also present which are used to place shapes, i.e. lines, eclipse, circle or an arc on your schematic. These shapes and text blocks have nothing to do with the circuitry of your design these are just for labeling and commenting purpose and also for making the circuit more visually representable and effective. Refer to the figure below showing the place shapes icons.
Figure 14: Place shapes
- You can also change the value or style of already placed components, by clicking on the component. For example, in our case, by double clicking on one of the already placed components i.e. the resistor, a box will appear allowing you to edit the details of the component as shown in the figure below,
Figure 15: Edit part block
- You can change the value of the block, resistance in our case, to your desired values lets’ say 200 ohms as shown in the figure below, and click on the change button,
Figure 16: Changing value
- You can also change the color of the part or component in order to increase visual effectiveness of the component by selecting the desired color from the range as shown in the figure below,
Figure 17: Changing color
- Also, you can format the display of the component according to your choice from the list highlighted in the figure below,
Figure 18: Changing displaying format
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