diff --git a/FAQ b/FAQ index 6aff4f155..45429d697 100644 --- a/FAQ +++ b/FAQ @@ -1,7 +1,7 @@ - Ngspice F.A.Q.Version 2.3 (ngspice-32 release) + Ngspice F.A.Q.Version 2.4 (ngspice-32 release) Maintained by Holger Vogt - Last update: 09-14-2018 + Last update: 04-27-2020 This document contains the Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers) for ngspice project. @@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ 1.11 Where can I get a copy of ngspice? 1.12 Where should I look on the World Wide Web for ngspice stuff? 1.13 Where should I look on the World Wide Web for Spice documentation? + 1.14 Are there some (official) tutorials available? 2. DEVELOPMENT 2.1 What is the current version? @@ -83,7 +84,7 @@ Sharedspice is an interface option to ngspice. It compiles the simulator into a shared object (or dynamic link library), providing full control - of ngspice to any suitable controlling program (GUI, optimizer, + over ngspice to any suitable controlling program (GUI, optimizer, development system, etc., to be provided by the user). @@ -233,6 +234,13 @@ http://ngspice.sourceforge.net/literature.html + 1.14 Are there some (official) tutorials available? + + Yes, they are, for ngspice, ngspice within KiCAD and on eletro-thermal + simulation. You may find them at: + http://ngspice.sourceforge.net/tutorials.html + + 2. DEVELOPMENT @@ -241,30 +249,44 @@ The latest version released is: - * ngspice-31 (released on 22/09/2019) + * ngspice-32 (released on 01/05/2020) 2.2. What are the latest features in the current release? - New features: - + configure flag --with-fftw3 If set to 'no', internal fast fourier is used - instead of fftw - + command setseed to set the seed value for the random number generator - + option seed=[val|random] - + variable inputdir to remeber and retrieve the last input file directory - + example directory 'digital' with analog, behavioral and digital example input files - + new XSPICE filesource, d_source, and state-machine examples - + +, - maybe part of instance name - + Quasi-saturation VDMOS example - + add environmental variable SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH to allow reproducible executables - + new parameters to command setplot: setplot next, setplot previous - + updates to commands cd, rusage, print - + update to bipolar and diode temperature equations + + Add resource info on memory used and available for macOS + + redesign of memory monitoring + + Replace B source pwl by XSPICE PWL Controlled Source that has smooth rounded and + stepless differentiable corners. + + Get a variable directly from an input file with i/o redirection + + Make 64 bit compilation the standard + + On Windows VisualStudio compilation we support only VS2019 + + Add function 'conj' + + Improved error messages for 'meas' command + + Improved PSPICE compatibility + + VDMOS model now allows electro-thermal simulation + Optionally (instance flag 'thermal') 2 thermal nodes tj and tcase are added + to the device instance + + Enable utf-8 and UNICODE for string handling (maybe switch off by --disable-utf8) + + Vastly redisigned plotting capability: vertical text for labeling y axis, + independent color selection for background, grid/text and graphs, + independent width selection for grid and graph, access to UNICODE fonts, + characters may become ticmarks (variable 'ticchar'), RGB color tables included, + variable 'nolegend' switches off the legend + + Add variables 'oscompiled' + + Command 'let' to allow default low and high indices + + Upon calculating the operating point, true gmin stepping added + + Free the internal control structure memory by sending ngSpice_Command(NULL) + + No interrupt handling (SIGINT) in shared ngspice + + Limit the exp function to exp(14) + + Event simulation output data may be selected by command 'setplot' + + Many conde updates not visible to the user, but enhancing stability + and efficiency - Bug fixes: - + several bug fixes - + lots of memory leaks removed, especially when XSPICE circuits are called several - times in a loop. + + many bugs fixed and code improvements (see bugs 427 and up) + + memory leaks removed 2.3. What does it look like? @@ -307,10 +329,11 @@ 3.1. What systems are supported? - Ngspice is written in C, and uses some GNU extensions, then you need - a GNU C compiler and a UNIX environment to compile it. Ngspice can + Ngspice is written in C, and uses some GNU extensions. You may use + a GNU C compiler and a LINUX environment to compile it. Ngspice can be compiled under Windows using the mingw or cygwin environment as - well as MS Visual Studio. + well as MS Visual Studio. It will readily compile on macOS. + FreeBSD or Solaris will do, but are not officially supported. 3.2. I get errors when I try to compile the source code, why? @@ -354,7 +377,7 @@ 4.4. Disclaimer and Copyright - Copyright: Holger Vogt, 2018 + Copyright: Holger Vogt, 2020 License: Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike (CC-BY-SA) v4.0. This document is provided as is. The information in it is not warranted to be correct: you use it at your own risk.