Signal definition

Another application of the Interpreter is the arbitrary definition of signals to be used as excitation for a circuit. These signals can be assigned to analog generators. User defined waveforms are extremely general and call up an equation editor window where the waveform may be defined as a mathematical expression. To make signal definition even easier, a template which you can modify to create your own signal is provided in the editor window. Note that while TINA’s Interpreter is utilized for signal definition, you access signal definition via the Schematic Editor window, not the Tools/Interpreter menu.

Clicking on a generator, we can establish the Signal properties. Choose type user defined and the Signal Editor opens. In this editor, as in the Interpreter editor, we can edit, save and compile source code.

A separate window, visible just below the editor, contains a list of the symbols for pre-defined variables, circuit variables, and other user defined functions. We can use these to create a new user defined waveform. Here’s how we would define an amplitude modulated signal:

Function Signal(t);

Begin

fCarrier:=1M;

wC:=fCarrier*2*pi;

m:=0.5;

fmodsig:=100k;

wS:=fmodsig*2*pi;

Signal := 1*sin(wC*t)*(1+m*sin(wS*t));

End;

If we continue and define more functions, the function named Signal will appear at the top of the symbol list. In the body of the functions, we can define variables and use arbitrary assignments of the built-in functions.