Which would you say is more resourceful for me to take the time to learn?

TINA offers a free version, but I don't know it's capabilities.

Thanks.

 

Personally, I like LT Spice. Free, pretty easy, intuitive, yet powerful. Lots of help from various forums (here, and a Yahoo Usergroup...plus info found via google etc).

 

LTSpice is also free to use. I use it, it's good, and easy to use.
I installed TINA a few days ago, i have to check it to see how they compare.

 

Both interfaces have their quirks.

Tina-TI doesn't seem to like it much if you try to run a simulation without an IC.

I'm not real crazy about how LTSpice draws wires (my screen seems to flicker a lot) but once you get the hang of it, you can do quite a few things.

The Yahoo! LTSpice group has a bunch of models ready to download and install.

But, there's not really any support for IBIS models, so you have limited functionality with digital stuff.

 

I'll go in the same direction here. Since LTSpice is a front-end for the Spice engine, you can find lots of models on the internet for your simulation. Your database is expendable. It works really well with Wine under Linux.

 

Yep! Same here. LT-SPICE seems a lot more flexible and without limitatons on the number of nodes (as far as I can tell). Fast learning curve.

 

I have the same issue with screen flickering occasionally Sgt, it's because they keep a lot of the windows API code very rudimentary for WINE compatability.

Once you're comfortable with LTSpice you should be able to hand implement the IBIS models if you have an IBIS viewer. You just have to create a small subcircuit. I've seen IBIS to SPICE converters before but I've never gotten one to work.

 

I dont think the sarge uses linux.

Sarge, Are you getting the flicker on a Windows platform?

 

TINA is snappy quick to get up and running so for basic simulations it is a breeze. If I want to see the frequency response of an active filter, I plop down an op-amp, batteries, R's and C's and select "AC Transfer Characteristic" under AC Analysis.

I recall that LT Spice has a similar user interface like that of PSpice. It is powerful, but I always have problems finding the right source to use depending on the type of analysis I want. For example, VSIN for frequency response and VAC for transient response. I am sure after time I will become familiar with these quirks.

At a high level I think TINA is easier and more intuitive to get started. The learning curve for basic sims I think are steeper for LT Spice and for that matter Cadence PSpice.

However, LT Spice has an established and very active user's group on Yahoo.

 

retched, you misread my post. I said the windows API calls used are kept simple for WINE. Not that HE was using wine. My assumptions of flicker are that he is using a windows platform. I use Vista and get flicker for some simulations.

 

I see, and yes I did misread it.

But it makes no sense to me.

Why would LT do that? It would make more sense to 'do it right' and let WINE sharpen their graphics handlers.

 

I don't recall seeing flicker on XP.

 

I use the educational version of Tina, not TINA-TI, which allows a few more functions.

I like the fact I can use non-linear inputs and outputs to allow the gates and chips to perform more real to life. I also typically add the internal resistance to batteries to ensure something stupid doesn't happen, like reseting the 555 timers because of too heavy of a load. That came in handy a few years ago when the rocket club in CA came here for help designing the parachute deployment circuit.

I haven't used the PIC modeling yet. You choose the PIC, load the hex.lst file, and work your circuit.

I started with Electronics Workbench back at the version, version 5 I believe, before the multisim release. I didn't like multisim.

Adding parts to TINA is pretty easy.

I don't think TINA-TI has any restrictions. I'm going to put TINA-TI on my step grandson's computer if he's interested in doing something with electronics. He's nine so we have plenty of time to work on projects to spark an interest.

I'm sure every program has it's quirks. I'm about to upgrade to TINA version 8. The problems I've had were resolved in a reasonable time.

The learning curve is what drives people to the various programs. pSpice is like LTSpice (with LTSpice being the superior program) so those with roots in pSpice probably favor LTSpice more.

I have pSpice, LTSpice, and Tina on my machine. I only play with the others when it's addressing a specific problem here. Otherwise, they are idle.

 

I get flicker on XP, Vista, and even under WINE, but it doesn't occur all the time.

 

Not had any flicker with LTspice, but if I had the problem I would try the following:

(1) Try using a windows compatibility mode via a shortcut. Try the Windows 2000 era.
(2) Update to your latest graphics drivers.

Shooting in the dark will occasionally hit.

 

In LT-spice, I only get a flicker, on the cross-hairs, when drawing wires. I have not seen any other types of flickering.

 

The only flickering I get is when doing detailed simulations with the traveling wave mode turned on, it doesn't always occur, and if I close and re-open the whole thing it goes away. It's a minor issue in my mind.

 

I also have the flickering screen with LTSpice under wine when on wire tracing mode.