Robert_Kidd

modified 4 years ago

EC Teach and Learn - Help

144

01:07:54

Hi! With no user manual ever written for this app it is hard for new users, of which there are many, to know how to get the best out of this simulator. Users come and go and knowledge doesn’t always remain here, or can be laborious to track down.

Can you help? I’m hoping this thread will become a ‘go-to’ for any user looking for useful tips to speed up circuit construction and, perhaps, highlight some of EC’s limitations and glitches and how to get over them.
Thanks to all contributors in advance 👍.

My small initial offering:- cloning of components - if you drag one component over another (of a similar type) the second component will assume the same parameters as the first. You will see ‘cloned’ briefly displayed. Try it on my nonsense circuit above.

published 4 years ago

jason9

4 years ago

Of course cloning only works between components of the same type. This can be annoying when trying to match parameters between an N-type MOSFET and a P-type MOSFET.

fatcat2

4 years ago

A tutorial would be unnecessary, coz there's nothing much to gather before getting started with EC. Of course,there are some unknown parameters such as the transformer primary resistance and the transistor capacitance, which aren't mentioned in the sim but those are the only prerequisites needed for EC.

jason9

4 years ago

Another useful tip, one which I would’ve loved to know when I first started EC: if a component has multiple parameters (e.g. the transistor) then you can access them by hitting the wrench to access one parameter then tapping the parameter to bring up a menu with all the parameters. You can tell if there are other parameters by whether or not there’s a yellow line on the left side of the parameter. If there is, there are multiple parameters. If not, then there’s only one parameter (the one you see).

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

That’s exactly the kind of thing beginners may take time to realise. Thanks for adding it here.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

Another one that’s just come to mind is the 555 chip issue. The sim model is not perfect and it was realised that putting a 15 Ohm resistor in series with the output pin resolved the issue. (Obviously if you have a larger value resistor there anyway you don’t need to add an extra 15 Ohms).

jason9

4 years ago

Right, the 555 issue. Since the devs made a mistake and accidentally gave the output resistance of the 555 a value of -15Ω instead of 15Ω so I actually recommend adding a 30Ω resistor to make it the proper value of 15Ω. Of course as Robert_Kidd said if there’s a much larger resistor (e.g. 1kΩ) immediately after anyway it won’t matter.

jason9

4 years ago

If you are given a link to a circuit and don’t know how to access it you can take the 16 digit number in the link and put it into the EC search bar to access the circuit.

jason9

4 years ago

(Something I wish I knew when I first started using EC) If you save someone else’s circuit (even if you modified it) or make (and possibly modify) a copy of one of your own circuits then it becomes “derived” in which case it can only be unlisted or private rather than public, so beware of that. To make a circuit from scratch click the left most button in the upper-right corner when viewing a list of circuits. If instead of viewing a list of circuits you’re viewing the description of a circuit or something like that then the button won’t be there. The button looks like a rectangle with the upper-right corner folded in and a “+” in the middle.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

Using the app on iPhone doesn’t allow copy paste so it’s always been a bit of a chore. Android users are more fortunate. PC’s fine too of course.

jason9

4 years ago

What I do is I type the link in the “new comment” area and then copy it from there.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

Using the SAVE button - you can save your circuit as Public or Private. Please consider saving as Private if your circuit is incomplete and you are not looking for help. Also if you are running through a set of exercises you may like to make these private as they are less likely to be of interest to other users. Thank you.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

Inputting NOISE - sometimes it can be necessary to inject noise into a circuit to get it running in the simulator. You can inject noise by shaking your device, a message shows briefly to confirm this. On PC’s you left click and hold on the circuit and rapidly move the mouse backwards and forwards, then release mouse button. Again , confirmation message appears briefly. If you add an on/off switch to your circuit you won’t need to inject noise.

jason9

4 years ago

Well, sometimes using an on/off switch doesn’t quite do it. Some circuits won’t start when powered on in the absence of noise, e.g. a ring oscillator.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

Granted :-)

wyoelk

4 years ago

On an Android phone to "Bookmark" a circuit, tap the three ... dots to the top right of the posting, before opening the cir uit or comments. If this makes no sense feel free to clarify and I will delete this comment.

jason9

4 years ago

Same for iOS/iPadOS. Also, when looking at circuit description/comments there’s a bookmark button in the upper-right corner which can be used to bookmark/unbookmark.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

@jason9, thanks for your link copying comment. So obvious but it had not occurred to me to do it that way. Duh! Worth starting this thread just for that :-)

jason9

4 years ago

Yeah, I always did it the hard way until like 3 days ago when I realized there was a much easier way to do it.

jason9

4 years ago

Also, you said “this app uses RMS voltages for AC”. Did you mean peak-to-peak rather than RMS?

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

Oh dear! I’ve just deleted that - got my knickers in a twist. Tried to clarify and confused instead.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

When you set up an AC source the amplitude shown in the setting is the peak value of the waveform.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

So, if you dial up 1V, that is 1V peak, 2V peak to peak, 0.7071V RMS.

jason9

4 years ago

Yup. And when you hear 120V or 240V it’s in RMS so it’s 170V and 340V peak voltage. So, to simulate a 120V power outlet make a sinusoidal voltage source with frequency 60Hz and voltage 170V.

Zurkster

4 years ago

Actually the sister app to this is called Circuit Jam and is designed specifically to teach the basics and use of this apps components. Hope this helps

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

Useful, thanks.

jason9

4 years ago

If you’re frequently visiting a circuit by link on iOS/iPadOS then rather than tediously writing down the number in the comments area and then copying that and pasting it into the search bar, you can copy it and paste it into the Notes app for easy access every time you need to visit that circuit.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

When you use voltmeters and ammeters you can reverse their polarity if you wish to. Touch the meter, then select the reverse icon (at bottom between rotate and dustbin icon). When you restart the sim you will see polarity of meter is reversed.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

In EC inductors are modelled as ‘ideal’ devices with inductance but no resistance. This means that putting a coil across a voltage source can give an error message. To circumvent this add a very small resistance (say 100mOhms) in series with the coil.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

Note that transformers in EC do not exhibit this effect.

jason9

4 years ago

EC Transformers don’t exhibit the effect because they have a built in 100mΩ resistance in their coils.

jason9

4 years ago

Also, EC is shorthand for EveryCircuit.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

EC switches and wires are ‘ideal’ and have no resistance. Putting them in parallel causes ‘check circuit topology’ to be displayed. The work-around is to add a tiny resistance in series. For example, if you have two switches in parallel, put a 10mOhm resistor in series with one of the switches. The effect of this on your circuit will be negligible.

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

If you want to look at a particular users circuits, click on their username to show their profile then click on ‘list’ to list their circuits.

jason9

4 years ago

You can also prefix their name with “@“ and search that, for example “@thebugger” to see all their circuits.

jason9

4 years ago

It’s case insensitive so “@THEBUGGER” and “@tHeBuGgEr” work too.

Tomtech

4 years ago

Robert , I just started using bjt transistors but my battery keeps shorting ,any suggestions?

Robert_Kidd

4 years ago

Sorry, only just seen this. Need to see your circuit. Have you published it yet?

592azy2circuitdude

2 years ago

A tip to help oscillators run smoother is to add a voltage signal with a frequency to match the oscillators frequency. The source doesn't even have to be connected. Credit: @jason9.

592azy2circuitdude

2 years ago

Sometimes the max simulation speed can be too slow due to a high frequency signal. This can cause the circuit's operation to take forever. A tip to overcome this limit is to create a square wave using a series of pulse generators. By adjusting the width and delay, a clean square wave can be produced that isn't distorted with higher simulation speeds. It also meshes well with the other components. Example: https://everycircuit.com/circuit/6179235476275200. Credits: @hurtz and @Sheen140. Good luck.

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