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PSpice: Any way to "lock" plot window?

J

Joel Kolstad

Jan 1, 1970
0
Is there a way in PSpice (part of OrCAD 9.2, in my case) to "lock" the
current plot so that a subsequent simulation will plot its probe results on
top of the current plot? (The idea is to be able to change component
values, simulate again, and visually compare how the response.)

Thanks,
---Joel Kolstad
 
C

Charles Edmondson

Jan 1, 1970
0
Joel said:
Is there a way in PSpice (part of OrCAD 9.2, in my case) to "lock" the
current plot so that a subsequent simulation will plot its probe results on
top of the current plot? (The idea is to be able to change component
values, simulate again, and visually compare how the response.)

Thanks,
---Joel Kolstad
Joel,
In 9.2, what you do is two-fold.

First, you set Restore Last Probe Session in your sim profile
(Analysis/Setup in Schematics). This will give you the same look as the
last time.

Next, you need do one of two things. First, you can just create a new
sim profile. This will save the .dat file with a different name, or you
can go in and manually rename the .dat file to a new name. This saves
your prior result to a different file.

Then, when you simulate again, go to File/Append and add your last .dat
file to the one you are looking at. You can then compare them.

OR, you could just use parametric simulation, and just do one simulation
for all the values... :cool:

Charlie
 
J

Jim Thompson

Jan 1, 1970
0
Joel,
In 9.2, what you do is two-fold.

First, you set Restore Last Probe Session in your sim profile
(Analysis/Setup in Schematics). This will give you the same look as the
last time.

Next, you need do one of two things. First, you can just create a new
sim profile. This will save the .dat file with a different name, or you
can go in and manually rename the .dat file to a new name. This saves
your prior result to a different file.

Then, when you simulate again, go to File/Append and add your last .dat
file to the one you are looking at. You can then compare them.

OR, you could just use parametric simulation, and just do one simulation
for all the values... :cool:

Charlie

The other ways I've found are just as klutzy...

Run a simulation and leave Probe window open.

Change name of schematic (but not markers).

Do component changes and run simulation.

The new results will overlay the old.

[Charlie, Looks like a needed feature, particularly for those of us
doing multiple corner simulations.]

I've also resorted to printing the results to a PostScript file, then
concatenating the results when I'm finished.

ALMOST FORGOT (particularly shameful, since I'm the one who bitched to
Support for years before it became incorporated)...

Version 10.3 includes "File/Save as", making "File/Append" a more
palatable approach.

...Jim Thompson
 
J

Joel Kolstad

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thanks for the responses, guys; it's a lot better than nothing.

I was surprised that PSpice still has the "look and feel" of the old DOS
version I used back in college in the late-'80s, but hey, it does get the
job done. I do think it could be improved -- the programmers might want to
take a look at SI-Metrix (which plots subsequent results on the same graph
by default!) to get some ideas; I've found it very easy to use.

---Joel
 
J

Jim Thompson

Jan 1, 1970
0
Thanks for the responses, guys; it's a lot better than nothing.

I was surprised that PSpice still has the "look and feel" of the old DOS
version I used back in college in the late-'80s, but hey, it does get the
job done. I do think it could be improved -- the programmers might want to
take a look at SI-Metrix (which plots subsequent results on the same graph
by default!) to get some ideas; I've found it very easy to use.

---Joel

I suspect Cadence/OrCAD is systematically killing it off... in the
best tradition of M$oft... if you can't compete legitimately, just buy
'em out and let the competing product die :-(

...Jim Thompson
 
K

Kevin Aylward

Jan 1, 1970
0
Jim said:
Joel,
In 9.2, what you do is two-fold.

First, you set Restore Last Probe Session in your sim profile
(Analysis/Setup in Schematics). This will give you the same look as
the last time.

Next, you need do one of two things. First, you can just create a
new sim profile. This will save the .dat file with a different
name, or you can go in and manually rename the .dat file to a new
name. This saves your prior result to a different file.

Then, when you simulate again, go to File/Append and add your last
.dat file to the one you are looking at. You can then compare them.

OR, you could just use parametric simulation, and just do one
simulation for all the values... :cool:

Charlie

The other ways I've found are just as klutzy...

Run a simulation and leave Probe window open.

Change name of schematic (but not markers).

Do component changes and run simulation.

The new results will overlay the old.

[Charlie, Looks like a needed feature, particularly for those of us
doing multiple corner simulations.]

Here we go again, touting my product:)

Of course is SuperSpice, one just uses the open file dialog and multiple
selects any number of standard spice output files to load them all in to
plot them all on the same graph. So, all you have to do rename the
default output file after each run so it isn't overwritten by new data.

The more neat way in SS is just to make a text rerun file and list all
the components with their values for each run. You can even have SS
automatically give every combination of all components listed at all
values. That is, specifying c1 as 10n, 20n and r1 as 1k and 2k, is all
you need to get all four combinations ran.

Kevin Aylward
[email protected]
http://www.anasoft.co.uk
SuperSpice, a very affordable Mixed-Mode
Windows Simulator with Schematic Capture,
Waveform Display, FFT's and Filter Design.
 
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