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What does PC ECAP calculate?
It calculates amplitude, phase, group delay, impedance, PSV and attenuation in practically any frequency range. The circuit can be powered by a sinusoidal, rectangular, sawtooth signal, or monitor the response to a unit step. It is possible to analyze circuits with more than a thousand components and ninety nodes. The program includes an internal editor with on-line help. Data or a graph can be printed on 9/24 dot matrix and HP LaserJet compatible printers.
Program control
The program is relatively easy to use, you just need to learn how to create a circuit. Several examples included in the program and on-line help, which includes syntax, will help you with this. After starting the program, you will be greeted by the main menu with the following items:
- Select input file
: select an existing file, create a new one, or delete an old one
- Edit input file
: built-in editor for creating a circuit. The F1 key calls up on-line help, F2 is the model maker for creating a hybrid model of a bipolar transistor. The F3 key inserts and the F4 key deletes a line. F5 is used to search for a component. The Alt+F1 combination calls up the netlist, which is a list of components connected to each node. Alt+F2 is used to rename the edited file. Alt+F3 is to insert a copied line, which we mark with Alt+F4. The last combination, Alt+F5, is find next – searching for the next component.
- Analyze circuit
: starts the circuit analysis and subsequent graph drawing. It is also possible to use zoom (magnifying glass) and print the image. We move between individual graphs (there can be several output graphs (e.g. graph of the real component of impedance, graph of the imaginary component of impedance and graph of PSV) using the right and left arrows. We return to the menu with the Esc key.
- View output data
: is a display of data in a table, which we move around with the arrows. The F1 key displays the graph.
- Output to printer
: print data with a printer.
- Change program settings
: change the program settings. You can set the number of samples, the port to which the printer is connected and test it immediately. The configuration can be saved to disk.
- Quit this program
: exit the program and return to DOS or Windows.
Conclusion
What can I say in conclusion? I guess I can recommend PC ECAP to every technician, but not only him. You can test a circuit "dirtily" using a computer, revealing its weaknesses and strengths. It helped me find the most suitable connection of input filters and find out why the original ones somehow didn't work.
Despite the undeniable advantages, my rating is one minus. PC ECAP does not display the circuit diagram, which is a problem with more complex circuits. Then the wiring can be difficult to navigate. An undeniable plus would be if there was a program in which the wiring diagram is drawn, the component values are inserted, the program analyzes the wiring and designs the printed circuit board... I guess we will see one day.
You can find PC ECAP in the Download section on CQ.sk.