This section is designed to highlight one or two features per issue that may be overlooked because they are not made visually obvious with an icon or a menu item.
Select Waveform Color Option
A very useful option, included in Micro-Cap 6, but defaulted off, is the Select Waveform Color option. This option, enabled from the Preferences dialog box (SHIFT+CTRL+P), colors the waveform branch where the left cursor is with the primary color and the waveform branch where the right cursor is with the secondary color. The primary and secondary colors are set from the Properties dialog box (F10).
Saving Waveforms
Saving waveforms is a useful feature for comparing the results of one run with another. Waveforms are saved as numerical lists in text files called user files. Saving is done from the Properties dialog box (F10) after the analysis run is over.
Once a waveform has been saved, it will show up under the Variables List (described below) and is available for plotting. It may also be used with a User Source to drive parts of the circuit.
Variables List
Can't remember how to express a variable you want to plot? Use the Variables list. With the cursor in either the Y or X Expression fields of the Analysis Limits dialog box, click the right mouse button. This pops up a hierarchial list of every variable that you can plot. It also shows math operators and lists of already saved waveforms that are available to plot.
If you select the X or Y expression first (CTRL + A), then any item picked from the list will replace the selected expression, other wise the item picked will be placed after the cursor location.
Math functions will generally wrap the expression. For example, if the expression was V(1) and the ABS functions was selected, then the result will be ABS(V(1)).
Math operators will generally be placed to the right of the text cursor. For example, if the expression was D(1) D(2) with the cursor between the D(1) and D(2) and the OR operator was selected, then the result will be D(1) OR D(2).
This list also shows waveforms that have been saved to the data directory and are thus available for plotting. These waveforms are typically used for comparison with actual waveforms from the circuit. Note that, not just time-domain waveforms, but any plot from transient, AC, or DC analysis can be saved and displayed here.
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