dr 🛠️🛰️📡🎧Feb 2, 2023

I built a super simple 4 channel mixer in #circuitjs, then drew it up as a #schematic in #kicad plus the extra bits like power connections and #audio jacks.

What I should do: #Breadboard from the schematic to check it.

What I will probably be unable to not do: Jump right to the #pcb and order it.

#synthdiy #analog #electronics

Show threadodo2063Feb 3, 2023
@davidr Well, you could simulate in #KiCad 🤷
Show threaddr 🛠️🛰️📡🎧Feb 3, 2023
@odo2063 Maybe I missed something, but it #kicad #simulation seems like a clunky hassle. Like I have to set up initial conditions, give it a time step and blah blah blah. How do I interactively mess around with the pots and some random waveforms in the input #audio jacks? #circuitjs manages to do something useful here...
Show threadich war hierFeb 3, 2023
@davidr @odo2063 #Kicad uses ngspice which is not interactive like a javascript website. Totally different things...
Show threaddr 🛠️🛰️📡🎧Feb 3, 2023
@___warhier @odo2063 I think that's my point.
Show threadich war hierFeb 3, 2023
@davidr then just the right tools for your job. Circuitjs will easily choke on complex circuits, won't do batch runs and other things spice does single handed. Initial conditions are a complex thing to automate on it's own - and required for solving differential equations. It not that somebody thought about his to make simulation less accessible for lulz 🙂
Show threaddr 🛠️🛰️📡🎧Feb 3, 2023
@___warhier But how do I run tests other than laboriously setting each one up? Or is that The NGSPICE Way?
Show threadich war hier
@davidr Simulation is jusr way harder to do properly than people would like to think. Yes, spice in general asks a bit of physics knowledge and understanding of what you actually try to simulate. And often 3rd party models go along nicely, because they weren't treated to. I'm not used to ngspice myself, but oh think it has a lot of potential. I've been working 10+ years with ltspice professionally and still learn new things on a regular basis
Feb 15, 2023 at 10:05pmWeb
Show threaddr 🛠️🛰️📡🎧Feb 15, 2023
@___warhier I definitely want to figure out how to do #simulation in #kicad. This would have uncovered multiple problems in my first end-to-end self-designed schematic. #circuitjs is fun for playing with ideas, but I need to specifically test the "production" schematic.
Show threadich war hierFeb 16, 2023

@davidr usually a good starting point is not to simulate the complete schematic but divide it into chunks of lower complexity. These will have to interact with much less elements simulate faster. Make sure these chunks work properly, then start plugging stuff together while reducing the complexity again, just to check if all works out logically.
You see, I can't give specific advice vin kicad.

Generally, think about _what_ behaviour you want to test and then start with a very simple circuit.