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Revision List

Summary of major changes and bug fixes

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5Spice version 1.40, March 10, 2008

NEW FEATURES

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5Spice version 1.30, May 30, 2007

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5Spice version 1.22, September 27, 2005 
(maintenance release)

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5Spice version 1.21, September 4, 2005 
(maintenance release for v1.20)

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5Spice version 1.20, September 1, 2005

BUGS / IMPROVEMENTS

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5Spice version 1.11. February 4, 2005 (maintenance release)

added demo schematics for power dissipation

BUGS / IMPROVEMENTS

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5Spice version 1.10 December 28, 2004

NEW FEATURES

BUGS / IMPROVEMENTS

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5Spice version 1.02 June 02, 2004

NEW FEATURES

BUGS / IMPROVEMENTS

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5Spice version 1.01 May 07, 2004

NEW FEATURES

BUGS / IMPROVEMENTS

Arithmetic Overflow crash for WinSpice

Rebuilding the Library

NonLinear Source (Fxy) formula syntax checking

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5Spice version 1.00 December 17, 2003

NOTE: Trial period for commercial use is now 30 days.

NEW FEATURES

DC Sensitivity analysis (results displayed only for registered users)

differential Testpoint added

save image of graph as .BMP or .EMF file

Backwards Euler integration method for Transient and Distortion analysis

convergence option which fixes "timestep too small" error in some circuits

basic syntax checking of the NonLinear Source's formula

rebuilding the Library generates a report file (*.rpt) of problems. the expanded error descriptions are useful if more details are needed about a problem in a subcircuit.

handle common Intersil subcircuit syntax

TIME and TEMP (temperature) available in subcircuits and NonLinear Source formula

Unregistered Programs no longer access

Noise and Distortion analysis

digital logic parts

BUGS / IMPROVEMENTS

Help - numerous improvements

Subcircuit Syntax

TEMP global variable available for B source, E and G sources with VALUE=

TIME global works in same places except in DC, Noise and Senstivity analysis. user notified with message in those analyses.

can now use IF-THEN syntax in expressions for component values

bug fixed with F source and POLY syntax that caused simulation failure.

bug fixed where function names common to Spice3 and PSpice syntax      were causing subcircuit to be marked as containing error when used in PSpice VALUE syntax.

PWR,PWRS(-3, 6) when base had unary minus sign, was not being translated correctly into Spice3. fixed.

Intersil subcircuits

now handles POLY syntax where dimension is not enclosed in ( )

now handles numbers with leading + as in    +1E-07

Graph divide by zero error, AC analysis, plot of Phase

if the real part of a simulation data point is zero, got a divide by zero error (even though the same code worked last spring). fixed

Schematic cut and paste bug fixed

if popup menu used to cut or copy and then shortcut keys used to cut or copy, program would refuse to cut or copy or selection might jump to wrong part.

Simulation Engine Error reporting

fixed situation where the last in a series of errors were reported. Generally the later errors are caused by the earlier. Now report the first error.

TestPoint with no connection

fixed bug where disconnecting a Testpoint used in a graph plot caused an unrelated error. now correct error message.

Group Delay

bug fixed where value jumped as phase moved through 180 degrees 

SubCircuit list display

bug when user un-checked the "show only matching subcircuits" box and selected a subcircuit not visible before. the program would not remember this the next time schematic was loaded. caused a "subcircuit not found" error. fixed.

Transmission Line (LTRA model) in subcircuit

program was marking subcircuit as having error. fixed.

AC Analysis Graph setup

Radians checkbox now available only if "Phase" is selected for the plot

Library Index building now ignores files with extension .BAK

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5Spice version 0.99.9 Jun 25, 2003 (first formal release of 5Spice)

NEW FEATURES

simple, generic logic functions (gates) added.

support for passing parameters from a schematic symbol to its subcircuit added for registered users.

autocompletion while drawing wires is faster. See Options to use old way.

new transformer model added

transmission line added

group delay plot available in AC graphs

BUGS / IMPROVEMENTS

*INTERNATIONAL Users

Fixed serious bug in version 0.99 for countries where Windows uses the comma " , " as the decimal separator in numbers: 1,23 (Germany, etc.). Bug causes diodes, transistors, FETs to behave as if there is a 1K resistor between each pair of terminals.

Registered WinSpice Users

fixed bug that caused program lockup with temporary key issued to registered WinSpice users who then registered 5Spice 0.99.

Conflicts in Model/Subcircuit Names

Fixed bug where two models or subcircuits could be confused if they have the same name and same file name and the files are located in different directories or the files have different extensions.

NetLink can't connect wire to

fixed bug where you could not attatch a wire to a NetLink after reloading the schematic.

RiseTimes for Pulse, Exp, Squarewave waveforms (Transient analysis)

1. Spice allows users to leave risetime entries blank. Then the risetime Spice uses equals the TimeStep. If you also leave the Timestep entry blank, it then varies with the transient runtime - and so does the risetime! Endless confusion since no one remembers this while debugging a circuit.

Fix: For squarewave with no risetime specified, 5Spice now uses a risetime equal to 1/100 of the period. For pulse and exponential wavefroms, the user must enter the risetimes.

2. if squarewave risetime is set to exactly 50% of period, the waveform distorts. Fix: limit maximum risetime to 0.499 of period.

AC Phase - no signal causes error msg

Fixed bug where a plot set for AC phase would give an error message if there was no signal (signal = 0).

B Source line in subcircuits

fixed bug where B source line was not always checked for syntax problems, did not always have units in formula removed if present.

PSpice Syntax: function PWRS, operator **

1. fixed bug where PWRS(base, exp) could return wrong sign if base < 0.

2. fixed bug where x**y was translated as x^y instead of correct abs(x)^y.

  fixed bug where a unary minus in front of x**y returned negative number.

RECOMMEND not using ** as it does not behave as in a scientific calculator!

New Transformer model

model was merger of two commonly known models. Fix: users selects which of the two models to use and enters appropriate parameters.

Singular Matrix error

5Spice would sometimes report a singular matrix error when the simulation had recovered from this error and run sucessfully. Fixed.

Canceling the Analysis Setup/Edit dialog with the ESC key

when dialog was reopened, on rare occasions would show that something had been modified when nothing had actually been changed. Fixed.

AC Graphs - dB display

user could select dB display of real or imaginary parts of AC waveform. If the real or imag part went negative, the graph displayed the negative value rather than indicating an error (dB of a negative value is an error). Fix: dB display restricted to AC magnitude only.

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5Spice version 0.99.0 (beta) March 25, 2003

* This is the first release that can accept the Registration code that is generated when you register the program!

* Users in non-English speaking countries:

Program now works properly in countries where Windows uses the comma as the decimal separator in numbers: 1,23 (Germany, etc.)

Program will not work where Windows shows a negative number as 12- or (12)

You may not use non-English characters in the program except in Notes or in the TEXT component and Title block in the schematic.

* significantly improved PSpice subcircuit syntax compatibility and bug fixes. finally at desired performance level. see Spice Compatibility in Help for details.

Subcircuits using the PSpice VSWITCH / ISWITCH model: the simulation engine was trying to model these as Spice3 switches. The PSpice model is very different. Effects: wrong results to simulation failure. Fix: implement the PSpice model.

Errors while dragging component in schematic

Drags that start and stop multiple times while turning the wiring into spaghetti no longer produce error messages.

Editing Subcircuit symbols in the schematic

A large library file causes a delay on slow computers. The cursor now changes to the hourglass to indicate the file is being loaded.

Graph Autoscale lockup

When autoscaling of axes is selected, graph would sometimes lock up if the datapoints were all the same value and this value was > 1e3. Fixed.

Noise Analysis Graph units

Input and output integrated noise are now both displayed in separate area of the graph. Integrated noise values were correct but previously the units were indicated as [volts per square root Hz]. The units have been corrected to Volts or Amps, as appropriate.

DC Analysis with Graph

Using engineering units for Signal Source's DC Start, Stop, Step values gives error. No error if output is a Table/List. Fixed.

Spice Models/Subcircuits - long names, long file names bug

Library file names or model/subcircuit names in the file exceeding about 13-14 characters were truncated. Problem: the model/file could not be found. The file name may now be any length. The model/subcircuit name may now be up to 32 characters in length.

Spice Models in Library files - unrecognized parameters

PSpice models can have parameters not defined in Spice3. These are skipped over and simulation proceeds. User is now warned at bottom of schematic when this happens.

Spice subcircuit in Library files - not copied correctly to WinSpice

if multiple subcircuits were nested inside another subcircuit and they did not have a empty line between the .ends line of the first and the .subckt line of the next, then they were not copied correctly to simulation engine. very rare situation. not found in Manufacturer's subcircuits. Fixed.

Linear Tech library file updated to 10/02/2002 version.

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5Spice version 0.98.0 (beta) December 6, 2002

* much improved PSpice subcircuit compatibility (apologies for so many bugs)

* MOSFET - add entry of geometry parameters to schematic symbol.

* Resistor,Capacitor - add entry of temperature coefficients to schematic symbol

* DC Analysis - can now graph results

* DC Bias and DC Analysis - much improved tabular display of data

* Simulation error messages - common ones now shown inside 5Spice

* OpAmp schematic symbol - node order numbers now hidden.

* NonLinear Source schematic symbol (user specifies formula)

 

*Major Bug Fixes

Printing Graph

Dragging component

Spice POLY syntax (Analog Devices, LinearTech subcircuits)

RES,CAP, R,C model types not recognized (subcircuits)

Polarized Capacitor symbol

Diode symbol with user selected parameters

ReBuilding Library (new installations)

Subcircuit symbol with "?" at end of reference designator

Transistors, FETs, Diodes and subcircuits

Switching between pages in the program (very confusing)

Adding component to schematic when schematic is zoomed

In Library list of model names, those starting with M or F did not show.

DC Bias Analysis

All Analyses- sweep of Temperature

 

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0.96.2

Graphing

NonLinear (user specified formula) controlled Source

Communicating with WinSpice v1.04

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0.96.0

fix bug that prevented running under WIN2000 or XP unless user was logged in at the Administrator level

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0.95.5

Astable, Bistable demo schematics

Nonlinear (user defined) controlled Source

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0.95.4 initial beta release