Getting Started With
Pspice
ECST Computer Link
College of Engineering, Computer
Science, and Technology.
California State University, Los Angeles
Update: 2/17/2016
Author: CG
Introduction
Pspice is a powerful circuit simulation program. Through the schematic capture option of Pspice, users could create circuits,
run analyses, plot graphs, and obtain results.
Typical Analysis available from MicroSim PSpice:
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AC Sweep and Noise
DC Sweep
Transient
Digital
Monte Carlo
Standard
Schematic
Annotation
Graphics
Standard
Schematic
Simulation
Drawing
Main Schematic Window
Creating and Editing a Schematic
After opening the main schematic window, users can place components by accessing the
Part Browser. You can access the browser in three ways:


Press Ctrl + G.
Press Alt + D or select: Draw ► Get New Part.
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Select:
Note: Press “Advanced” in the part browser to expand the window and be able view the part symbol.
In the part browser, under Part Name, enter the following parts and place them in the main schematic
window by pressing Place” or “Place & Close”.
Part Name
R
VDC
AGND
Description
Resistor
Independent DC voltage source
Analog ground
Number
2
1
1
Reference
R1, R2
V1
New attributes
Same
12
2
IPROBE
VIEWPOINT
Current Probe
Voltage viewpoint
1
1
Using the main schematic window as your breadboard, connect all the components as shown in figure 1.
Notes:
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Add wire or bus to the parts by selecting “Draw” in the menu bar. Alternatively, you can
select:
Add grid and other options to the schematic by selecting: Options ► Display Options…
Rotate, flip, and align any part, just like R2 in figure 1, by selecting: Edit
Zoom in, out, to fit, or in an area by selecting: View. Alternatively, you perform these tasks
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
by selecting:
“V1”, “R1”, and “R2” are references or labels while “DC=”, and “1k” are attributes.
Use “Esc” key to cancel current task.
Figure 1. Simple DC Circuit
We are now ready to edit the attributes and references. If the reference of your parts does not match the one in figure 1, you can
double click on them and directly change them in the “Edit Reference Designator” window, however it is not necessary to change
them as long as there is no duplication.
As for the attributes, some of them already have default values such 1k, 1u, 1n, and so on. These default values denote kilo, micro,
nano, and so on. It is not necessary to include the units. We basically enter attributes the same way as references (with the exception
of the window).
Alternatively, we can hi-light a part and select: Edit ► Attributes …
Save
Attribute
Attribute
Changeable
Attribute
Reference
We can also change the display properties of any part by hi-lighting any “System-defined Attributes” and selecting “Change
Display.”
Notes: Since this is a simple circuit, and we already have some probes in it, we can easily run a simulation by pressing “
the simulation tool bar or select: Analysis ► Simulate.
” icon in
Quick Exercise:
Create and edit the schematic in figure 2.
Figure 2. Current Gain of a BJT
Part Name
Q2N3904
VDC
AGND
Description
Small Signal NPN BJT
DC voltage source
Analog ground
Number
2
1
1
Reference
R1, R2
V1
New attributes
Same
5
3
IDC
DC Current Source
1
Running Analysis and the Probe
You can run any of the typical analysis stated in the previous page. For specific analysis, user needs to setup the configuration since
the default analysis for new schematics is only bias point details. We shall use the schematic in figure 2 to show how to configure an
analysis.
From the main schematic window of fig. 2, select: Analysis ► Setup…. Our objective is to observe the DC current gain of
the BJT. To accomplish this, select DC Sweep… and configure the DC sweep window for following values:
Sweep Var. Type
Sweep Type
Name
Start Value
End Value
Pts/Decade
Current Source
Decade
I1
1u
1m
20
Run the simulation and the probe window should appear ►►
From the Probe Window:
To trace a plot, select:
To change axis settings:
To label plot, select:
Trace
Plot
Tools
► Add… Insert
► X Axis Setting…
► Label
Figure 3. Probe
Quick Exercise:
 Create and edit the schematic in figure 4.
 Setup and simulate the circuit with following parameters (Digital Setup)
 Plot, in the probe window, the following parameters: Q5, Q6, Q7, Q8
Analysis Configurations
4
Part Name
7400
7402
7404
7408
7432
7486
7493A
AGND
Bubble
Digital_Clock
Description
2-input positive-nand gate
2-input positive-nor gate
inverter
2-input positive-and gate
2-input positive-or gate
2-input xor gate
4-bit binary counter
Analog ground
Connection bubble
Digital Clock 50% Duty Cycle
Number
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
12
1
Reference
New attributes
As Specified
Frequency
1k
Figure 4. Logic Gates
5