Junior Certificate
Technology
Circuit Wizard
Circuit Wizard
Circuit Wizard Interface
Standard toolbar
Menu bar
Components
Style sheets
Work Area
Design tabs
Standard Toolbar
New document/page
Play animation
Open a file
Pause animation
Save a document
Stop animation
Print
Undo
Redo
Select tool
Pan tool
Zoom tool
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Rotate left
Delete
Rotate
Gallery
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Circuit Wizard
Style Sheets
Change the way in which the circuit is displayed.
Normal style sheet: When the circuit is animated the components will respond as in a
real circuit.
Current Flow style sheet: When the circuit is animated current flow is displayed.
Red = high voltage level
Green = low voltage level
It has a black background for contrast.
This can be changed by selecting View →
Display → Background and selecting a
colour of choice.
The appearance of other
elements can also be
changed by selecting View
→ Display → Customise
and making changes in the
Page Setup box.
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Circuit Wizard
These changes are only temporary and will return to
the default display when the style sheet is de-selected.
To make the changes permanent save the changes as a
new style sheet. Click More and Save Style. To retain
default style sheet give any new style sheet a different
name to the existing ones.
Gallery
The gallery gives quick access to all the available components. When the gallery tab
is first selected the components are displayed grouped by their function into folders as
shown below left.
Clicking on any folder such as
Power Supplies will open the folder
and display its contents. Any
component can be inserted into the
work area by clicking on it and
dragging it into the work area.
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Circuit Wizard
To insert a component from
another folder click the drop
down list to display the
folders.
Gallery display shows all the folders
when the drop down list is selected.
To Set the Properties of a Component
Double click the component to open the Property window. The default setting for the
battery is 9V. Type or select a new value as shown below. The change takes affect
when OK is clicked.
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Circuit Wizard
For some components such as transistors specific types can be selected in the property
window as shown below.
Component Labels
Components such as the LDR shown
have default labels that appear as
part of the circuit diagram. These can
be turned off by right clicking the
component and clicking the label to
be hidden.
Component Caption
Components can be given a caption by double clicking the component and typing in a
suitable caption.
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Circuit Wizard
Changing Values of Components
Animate the circuit. Right click on the component such as
the LDR shown on right. Change the resistance of the LDR
to mimic dark and light conditions by dragging the bar up or
down with the mouse.
Rotating a Component
Select the component. Clicking rotate left will turn
the component 90° anticlockwise for each click.
Clicking rotate will turn the component 90°
clockwise for each click.
Drawing a Circuit
Place the components into the work area. To connect with a wire move the cursor
over the components pin, click and drag to connecting pin or wire.
A bend in the wire connection can be created by releasing the mouse at the bend
position and completing the link by clicking on the components connecting pin.
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Circuit Wizard
Circuit Animation
Before animating a circuit turn on the simulation options shown to make it as real as
possible.
Convert to PCB
Open the circuit to be converted and select the Convert to PCB Layout icon on the
standard toolbar.
This will open the Convert to Printed
Circuit Board wizard.
Move through the wizard clicking
NEXT making appropriate selections.
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Circuit Wizard
Select layout of the PCB.
Select the shape of the PCB (rectangular or circular) or opt to specify a size.
Select Convert to produce PCB.
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Circuit Wizard
Components can be repositioned on the PCB by selecting and dragging the
components.
The track properties can be changed by selecting the track, right clicking and selecting
Properties.
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