LTspice/SwitcherCAD III Button Icon Cheat Sheet
ICON
FUNCTION
Click the LT icon to start a new project. In the first instance, it will be called “ Draft1.asc.”
Click the Folder icon to open an existing project. The default location is the last one used
to save a project.
Click the Disk icon to save a project.
Click the Hammer icon to invoke the control panel. We will not change from the defaults
as these options are intended for advanced users. Remember to restore defaults if you
do experiment with any settings.
To run a simulation that has already been defined (with a spice directive in the project) —
or by use of the Simulation drop-down menu — click the Running Man icon. To stop a
running simulation, click the Halt icon.
Use this set of four icons to zoom in or out while in either the schematic editor window
or the simulation results window (only available after running a simulation).
The Zoom + icon will require a target rectangle to be drawn; the Pan icon maintains the
scale but shifts the viewing screen area; and Zoom – icon zooms out. The X’d-out zoom
icon expands the image to fill the available window area and is called “zoom full
extends.
When a simulation is completed, use the Pick Visible Traces icon to select what signals
to display. To add more than one, hold down the Cntrl key. Use the Autorange icon to
maximize the traces on the visible graph axes.
These buttons change the display when more than one window is available (if more
than one project is open or if a project’s simulation has been run). Use the “Tile
Windows” icon to view all windows at once; use the “Cascade Windows” icon to stack
the windows; and use the “Close All” icon to clear the work area but keep the program
open (it will prompt to save any new work before closing Windows).
Use this group of controls to edit a schematic. The clipboard is a good way to build a
new schematic or add on to it; the Cut icon and Copy icon require a rectangle around
the area of interest. The Search icon has a dialog box for text searches of component
designators (R1, Q1, etc.) or Net names (V1, OUT, etc.), or even component values
(10K, etc.).
Use these icons to output to your computer’s printer. Also, under the Tools drop-down
menu is a useful “Copy Bitmap to Clipboard” function which easily allows the current
project to be captured as a graphic. Use it to post your work to an online forum or into
a Word doc, etc.
These are the basic drawing tools. The Wire icon is used to connect components and the
Ground icon adds at least one ground or common node to a new schematic. It may be
used multiple times to link any components to ground and avoid clutter in a schematic.
The Label Net icon is a useful way to make a schematic more readable. For example, use
the label “OUT’ in place of v[n001].
52
December 2008
