CircuitEngine Tutorial
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Using the graphical user interface (GUI)
Creating a ComponentDeleting a Component
Moving a Tie Point
Moving an Individual Component
Changing the Value of a Component
Making Graphs
Making Phase Planes
Zooming Graphs
Adjusting Simulation Speed
Pausing the Simulation
Creating a Component
Select what type of component you want to make with the component drop down menu. To create a component, click any point on the canvas for the component's first endpoint, and then click another point on the canvas for the component's other endpoint. Notice that at every step in this process, the hints at the bottom of the program tell you what a click will do. After you click the first point, a cancel button will appear that can be used if you made a mistake. Note that a click is a quick press and release of the left mouse button at a single location on the screen.
Deleting a Component
To delete a component, first hold the mouse cursor over the component to be deleted so that it is highlighted. Notice that the hints at the bottom of the program tell you that a right click will provide component options. Next, right click the component. A pop-up menu will appear. Select "Delete Component" and the component will be deleted.
Moving a Tie Point
To move a tie point, hold the mouse cursor over the tie point you want to move so that it is highlighted, like in the image above. Notice that the hints at the bottom of the program tell you that dragging will move the tie point. Next, drag the tie point to a new location. The tie point will move, along with all of the components it is connected to. The image below shows the result of dragging a tie point. Note that a drag is a pressing and holding of the left mouse button, followed by a movement of the mouse, followed by a release of the left mouse button.
Moving an Individual Component
To move a component, hold the mouse cursor over the component you want to move so that it is highlighted blue, like in the image above. In addition to placing the mouse cursor so that the component you want to move is highlighted, you also need to place the mouse cursor so that the tie point at the end of the component you want to move is highlighted. Notice that the hints at the bottom of the program tell you that dragging will move the component. Next, drag the component's highlighted tie point to a new location, like in the image below.
Changing the Value of a Component
To change the value of a component, such as the resistance of a resistor or the voltage of a battery, right click that component and select "Change Resistance," or whatever the case may be for that component. Notice that when you hold the mouse cursor over a component, the hints at the bottom of the program tell you that right clicking will provide component options.
Making Graphs
To graph the output of a meter, right click that meter and select "Graph." Notice that when you hold the mouse cursor over a component, the hints at the bottom of the program tell you that right clicking will provide component options. To make the best graphs, pause the simulation after the capacitors and inductors are charged to their initial values. Then select "Reset Time to 0s" in the "Options and About" menu. Then close whatever switches are needed to make the circuit evolve. Unpause the simulation and you will have professional quality graphs.
Making Phase Planes
A phase plane is a special type of graph that compares two variables in a complex system such as a circuit. To make a phase plane in CircuitEngine, right click a meter and select "Make this the X-axis of a phase plane." Then right click another meter and select "Make this the Y-axis of a phase plane."
Zooming Graphs
When the simulation is paused, you can zoom graphs. To zoom in to a graph, drag the mouse down. To zoom out of a graph, drag the mouse up. You can reset the window to fit all of the graph data by selecting "Resize Graph to Fit Data" from the "Graph Options" menu of the graph.
Adjusting Simulation Speed
To make the simulation run faster, select "Numerical Solver Options" from the "Options and About" menu. Increase the error tolerances and click "Okay." Note that the tolerances can be expressed in scientific notation (5.0E-9 means 5 * 10 -9 ). You can always reset the error tolerances by clicking on "Default" and then "Okay." Depending on the circuit you are analyzing, different error tolerances will be desirable to balance simulation speed and accuracy. Simulation speed also depends on the number of components in your circuit and on your computer. CircuitEngine will run faster when you are drawing your circuit if the simulation is paused.
Pausing the Simulation
When you pause the simulation, time freezes and nothing in the circuit will change. All of the meters will hold their present values. If you want to study the values in a changing circuit without the circuit changing (e.g. if you want to know the current through a capacitor immediately after a switch is closed), you have several options. One is making a graph and zooming in on the desired value. The second is deselecting the "Time Passes" checkbox in the "Options and About" menu. This will freeze time and any process that occurs over a period of time, such as discharging a capacitor through a resistor. However, any process that occurs instantaneously, such as discharging a capacitor through a wire, will still occur. Meters will still change too.
© 2009 Kevin Stueve kstueve@uw.edu. Web template by Andreas Viklund.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.