Post Go back to editing

Help file suggestions and other feature requests

Category: Software
Product Number: 0
Software Version: 24.0.12

Before I get to the main topic, this might be relevant: I've been using LTspice since version XVII starting in 2017. I'm currently writing a book for Focal Press that contains dozens of audio circuit "elements," and Ithe book features LTspice. All of the circuits will be provided as .asc files so readers can try them out immediately and easily add them to their own projects. I've been getting a lot of help in the LTspice forum at groups.io, but I thought this might be a better place for these suggestions:

In the HTML help for Waveform Viewer / Data Trace Selection I believe the second screen shot down is incorrect for the text above that describes probing the current into a component pin.

In  the Help file for the .step directive, you could also include this, from one of my articles in audioXpress magazine: Dave Bell in the LTspice Users Group showed a simple work-around. I wanted to step resistor {X} backward from 21k down to 1k in 5k increments. Dave showed that changing {X} to {22k-X} forces the correct descending order. Note 22k for the formula’s resistor value versus 21k for the starting .step value, because the last step is 1k (22 to 21).

Also in the .step Help, several syntax examples are shown for the command itself, but there are no actual examples. And nowhere does it remind us that the parameter to step must be surrounded with curly braces: {X}

I set my folder for storing temp files, but I see that .fft files still end up in the .asc file’s folder.

There’s no way to assign the net label color at the top of the Waveform Viewer window.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!



Expanded Subject and added keywords
[edited by: MStokowski at 5:15 PM (GMT -4) on 24 Apr 2024]
  • Hi  ,

    Thanks, these are all good suggestions, some of which I've seen on groups.io (e.g., the step-down trick). The help file is in general disrepair; undergoing an overhaul, which should address some, if not all of these requests. 

    > There’s no way to assign the net label color at the top of the Waveform Viewer window.

    We'll look into this feature.

    > I set my folder for storing temp files, but I see that .fft files still end up in the .asc file’s folder.

    Another feature we have been exploring.

    mike

  • Sorry, one more question: I mentioned that I'm writing a book that features LTspice. One of the things I want to explain is UIC. I have several circuits that will not run without checking the “Skip initial operating point solution” box. One of the experts in the groups.io user forum explained why this is needed, but it wasn't really clear enough to me.The LTspice Help says "Uic is not particularly recommended," yet it was needed for my oscillator circuits. I do understand "infinite current is required to charge the capacitor" in the Help, but that doesn't seem to apply to my oscillators which all have resistors in series with any caps. Do you have a way I explain to people who may not be advanced engineers when to use UIC and why? Thanks!