I don't think I'm alone when I say: I love SPICE. Circuit simulation is no substitute for building and testing actual circuits, but simulation can be a very powerful tool to complement your observations and measurements at the bench. I'm especially thankful that when I "blow up" a device in a simulation, I can easily tweak my values and try again.
I particularly enjoy the historical SPICE tidbits. For instance, did you know that early netlists were loaded via punch cards? Each line in the netlist was encoded on a card, and the entire netlist was called a SPICE deck—a term you may still hear today.
I learned how to build SPICE netlists and run simulations in my college circuits class. My professor believed that using graphical schematic drafting tools to generate SPICE netlists was for the lazy; we were required to type up our netlists from scratch. We were graded on netlist clarity, organization, and naming of components and nodes.
Netlist fluency is a valuable skill for what I do today, but I do not miss the exercise of manually entering text-based netlists. Despite this nice little walk down memory lane, I much prefer preparing simulations using LTspice, and its graphical schematic capture capability.
Learning More About LTspice
If you are here, I’m guessing you are already familiar with LTspice. If not, no problem! I would suggest checking out my new LTspice Basics videos.
Everything LTspice, including installation files, articles, videos, and more, is available here. LTspice support is available here.
Keeping LTspice Up-to-Date
First, check which version of LTspice you have installed. You can view the version by selecting Help → About LTspice in the top menu. To ensure your version of LTspice is an actively supported version and includes new and updated models, install LTspice 24.1. Refer to Getting Started With LTspice for more information on how to keep LTspice up to date.
Where's the Running Man?
Are you just now making the switch from LTspice XVII? Or maybe even LTspice IV? Perhaps you've installed LTspice, you like the new features, improved performance, and modernized library management, but you are a bit overwhelmed by the changes in the look and feel.
Do not despair—you can revert to the legacy toolbar! From the menu, select Tools → Settings → Operation Tab → Toolbar Style → Legacy.
Figure 1: Reverting to Legacy Toolbar Style in Settings Panel
I Miss the Old Keyboard Shortcuts!
One of the things I like about the updated version of LTspice is the new keyboard shortcuts, but I occasionally hear from our most dedicated users that they miss the old keyboard shortcut mapping. Again, we have you covered! From the menu, select Tools → Settings → Schematic Tab → Keyboard Shortcuts. Here, you can load the legacy settings, revert to default settings, or even set your own custom shortcuts.
And if you're still trying to learn the new keyboard shortcuts, you might find this cheat sheet handy.
Figure 2: Creating a Simple Schematic Using Intuitive Keyboard Shortcuts – with Key(s) Pressed Displayed on Bottom Right
More to Come...
Whether you prefer the updated look and feel of the latest LTspice, or you prefer to keep walking down memory lane with the running man, I highly encourage you to get the most out of LTspice to keeping it (and the model library) current. The LTspice team is continually adding features and devices to make it easier to create and simulate complex circuit simulations.
And stay tuned... I look forward to dishing out more SPICE in the coming months.
Read all the blogs in A Pinch of LTspice series.