Due 12/13

ELEN 223 Name:

Micro Cap Tutorial Assignment

Installation:
Download the .zip file from Blackboard (or Google Microcap 9 Evaluation and download the file from
Spectrum Soft). Unzip the file to a directory you specify. Go to the directory you entered and run the
setup.exe file.

For this tutorial, write your answers in the spaces provided and include print outs from each
simulation.

PART 1: We will simulate the following circuit in Micro Cap.

+
5V - 100 

a) Add a Voltage Source by selecting the part in the left side part browser
Analog Primitives  Waveform Sources  Battery
Under the Value box, enter 5 (or 5 V) and click ok

b) Add a Resistor by selecting the part in the left side part browser
Analog Primitives  Passive Components  Resistor
Under the Value box, enter 100 and click ok

c) Add 2 grounds by clicking on the ground symbol in the top toolbar

nd
d) Connect all the parts by drawing wires between them. The wire tool button is on the 2 toolbar
on the left side. (Right beside the T button)

e) Simulate the circuit by selecting Analysis  Probe Transient

You can use the default time. Your cursor becomes a probe tip and any point you select on the
circuit on the write will show a voltage graph (vs time). If you select multiple points, multiple lines
nd
will show in the same graph. If you select the same node a 2 time the line will disappear.

To have current numbers show on the circuit image

on the right you can select the Current Button

f) What is the value of the current flowing though the resistor in the above circuit?

_________________

To get out of the simulation mode, you can close the window on the left with the graph and you
will return to schematic mode.

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g) Change the value of the voltage source and run the simulation again for voltage source potentials
of 1, 2.5, 7.5 and 10 V. Record the value of the current flowing through the resistor in a table
below:

Voltage (V) Current (mA)

2.5

7.5

10

You can change the value of the voltage source will in simulation mode by changing the value in
circuit on the right. The simulation will automatically update with new values.

You only need to print this simulation for 1 voltage value.

PART 2

a) Enter the following circuit in Micro Cap.

+
5V - 100  20 

b) Simulate the circuit

c) What is the value of the current flowing though the 100Ω resistor?

_________________

d) What is the value of the current flowing through the 20Ω resistor?

_________________

Print the simulation graph and circuit.

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PART 3

a) Enter the following circuit in the PSPICE schematics editor program.

1

1 1

10 V +- 2 3

b) Simulate the circuit. What value of current does the simulator show as flowing through the 3Ω
resistor?

_________________

Print the simulation graph and circuit.

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PART 4
Consider the following circuit.

10 0o V 50 -90o 

We will refer to the complex impedance of the capacitor as ZC, the source voltage phasor as VS and the
current phasor as I. Given that Ohm’s Law for complex impedances is

V = IZ

a) Solve for the current phasor that flows through the capacitor.

b) Implement the above circuit in Micro Cap

For the source you will need to use the voltage source component.
(Analog Primitives  Wavefore Sources  Voltage Source)

DC = 0 AC Magnitude = 0 AC Phase = 0
(DC Source) (AC Magnitude and Phase are only used in AC Analysis)

VO = 0 VA = 10 FO = 100
(DC Voltage offset) (Sinusoidal Amplitude) (Sinusoidal frequency in Hz)

TO = 0 DF = 0 PH = 0
(Time Delay) (Dampening Factor) (Sinusoidal Phase Shift)

Calculate the capacitance value of the impedance ( ZC) given above. (hint: ω = 2πf)

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 Use this value for the capacitor in Micro Cap.
Simulate the circuit by selecting Analysis  Probe Transient
To change the time the simulation runs for, on the toolbar select Probe  Limits.
Change the time range to ensure 1 period is graphed.

The probe will graph Voltage. You can graph the current by changing the probe. Ctrl+Spacebar
will change the probe between Voltage and Current. The probe icon will have a V or I to specify
which probe type.

All signals (voltages and currents) will show up in the same graph. By default all signals will use
the same Y axis scale. To better see the different signals, the Y axis scale can be separated for
each signal. To change that, click on the Properties icon in the toolbar on the Transient Analysis
window on the left. On the “Scales and Formats” tab, uncheck “Same Y Scales for Each Plot
Group” and click OK.

c) What is the amplitude of the current in the capacitor? ___________________

d) How does this amplitude compare with the amplitude of the current phasor you calculated in part
1)? ___________________

e) The plot suggests that current leads voltage through a capacitor. What is the phase difference
between the two waveforms (in seconds) ___________________

f) Convert the seconds from #6 into degrees) _________________

g) How does this phase shift compare to the phasor calculated in part 1? ___________

Print the simulation graph and circuit.

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