Mira, The few good designers I have know in my 25 years of design *always* simulate their designs. Engineers who cannot design a functioning product without a simulator shouldn't be engineers in the first place. However, every engineer that takes simulation seriously can *improve* any design with simulation. I don't consider simulation a debug tool, rather an optimizing tool. Have you ever purchased a bad piece of electronic equipment. If yes, this underscores the importance of simulation. If no, you have had the good fortune of purchasing gear that probably received a thorough regimen of simulation before going into production. Do you think that camcorder you take so much for granted just fell out of somebody's schematic generating package onto the production line? People who argue that simulation takes too much time to be worthwhile are, in my experience, not proficient at simulation. It takes me less time to simulate a circuit than it takes to fill out the purchase orders for the parts that go into the prototypes. It does takes time to become proficient and you need tools that are easy to use. Pspice is easy, Protel is not (probably because I haven't taken the time to learn properly, I already know PSPICE so why bother with Protel). Also, with more experience you learn to recognize which portions of a circuit actually merit simulation. Voltage dividers, not necessary. High-gain multi-stage process control amplifiers that must operate in a plus or minus 100 degree temperature environment, a must.
Gary Packman Mira wrote: > > Nice and true thoughts, Gary. > It all depends on: > 1. How experienced you are when doing and debugging > your designs. Absolutely. > 2. How experienced you are with the simulation tools. > Mainly analog specialists go for this. Digital state machines should always be simulated. Software is always simulated before being released. Try to imagine how bad Windows would be without simulation. DOS 3.1 would still be on the drawing board. > Good designers rarely simulate their circuitry, while > newbies start with it to see the effect of changing > the circuitry and the values. Good designers don't need to simulate to verify their designs. The BEST designers always simulate to improve their already good product. > As opposed to what was already said, I can say that > simulations cannot replace the real world. They are > helpful, yes, but only if you know what you are doing. > Otherwise they may put you in a wrong direction. > As for the time you'll need to do this job... it > depends on you. I've seen people spending months for > simulations and then twice more time for debugging. > Luckily there are still bosses, who may afford to pay > for it. If the simulation is done well, there is no debugging. I never have to do any debugging (with the routine exception of software). Gary Packman ************************************************************************ * Tracking #: 88B8CF1CFEFFFC4CBB772737D9DF29782E1067F9 * ************************************************************************ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To post a message: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * To leave this list visit: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/leave.html * * Contact the list manager: * mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * * Forum Guidelines Rules: * http://www.techservinc.com/protelusers/forumrules.html * * Browse or Search previous postings: * http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
