Our latest video guide is now available, featuring a comprehensive walkthrough of Code Compilation and Simulation on the ESP32C3 Microcontroller using TINA v16.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure your environment is correctly configured:
Compiler Installation: During the TINA installation process, you must have selected the ESP32 compiler package.
Note: If you missed this, you can add it later by running a Custom installation and enabling the ESP32 Compiler checkbox.
Arduino Path Setup: Navigate to Analysis > Options > Digital Simulation > Advanced. Ensure the Arduino path is correctly set to your local installation.
Step 1: Creating a New Project
Open TINA and locate the Logic_ICs-MCUs tab on the toolbar.
Click the Arduino button.
From the dropdown list, select the ESP32C3 microcontroller and place it onto your schematic workspace.
Step 2: Compiling Arduino Code
Open the Editor: Right-click on the ESP32C3 component and select Open MCU code editor…
Add Your Code: In the code editor window, click the “Add Existing file to Project” button to load your previously saved Arduino (.ino) program.
Compile: Press the “Make Project” button on the toolbar. TINA will now compile your code using the integrated ESP32 compiler.
Save: Once the compilation is successful, press the “Save Project” button and close the editor window.
ESP32C3 Microcontroller: Compiling and saving the Arduino code
Step 3: Building the Circuit
Add Components: Connect a switch to a GPIO input and an LED to a GPIO output.
Ready-to-Use Example: If you want to see a completed version of this setup, you can find it in the built-in examples:TINA Examples/Microcontrollers/ESP32/esp32c3_digitalread.tsc
Step 4: Running the Simulation
This example is designed to read the state of a physical switch. Depending on the switch position, the ESP32C3 will turn the LED on or off.
Press the TR (Interactive Transient) button to start the simulation.
Toggle the switch: Watch as the LED responds instantly to the input change.
ESP32C3 Microcontroller: Toggling the switch
Conclusion
By following these steps, you can rapidly prototype and debug your ESP32C3 applications in a risk-free virtual environment. TINA v16’s ability to compile Arduino code directly and simulate it alongside analog components makes it an invaluable tool for modern embedded design.
In our latest video, we demonstrate how to analyze complex nonlinear RF and Microwave circuits using the Harmonic Balance (HB) analysis method.
Introduction to Harmonic Balance (HB)
In TINA v16 and later versions, you can analyze complex nonlinear RF and Microwave circuits using the Harmonic Balance (HB) analysis method. This approach is crucial for high-frequency design.
The HB Advantage: The key benefit of this method is that it does not require detailed time-domain simulation, which can be computationally prohibitive for GHz-range signals. Instead, you only need to specify the desired base harmonics, and the program calculates and displays the resulting spectrum lines in the frequency domain.
Locating Examples: Example circuits for Harmonic Balance analysis can be found in the Examples\RF\HB folder within TINA.
Let’s explore a few practical examples.
1: Frequency Tripler Circuit
We begin with a classic nonlinear application: frequency multiplication.
Example Circuit:Tripler BJT.TSC (located in Examples\RF\HB)
Frequency Tripler Circuit
Circuit Description
This frequency tripler circuit generates a 2.4 GHz output signal, which is exactly three times the 800 MHz input frequency. It achieves this using a high-frequency bipolar transistor (MMBR941) as the nonlinear element.
Running the Analysis
To obtain the output spectrum, run Harmonic Balance Analysis from the Analysis menu using the appropriate settings.
Ensure that Vout is selected in the Output field.
Frequency Tripler Circuit: HB analysis dialog
Analysis Results
Frequency Tripler Circuit – Harmonic Balance Analysis dialog
The results clearly demonstrate the tripling effect:
The dominant spectral component appears at the third harmonic (2.4 GHz) with an amplitude of 113.85 mV.
The fundamental component at 800 MHz is significantly suppressed, measured at only 1.77 mV.
This confirms the correct frequency-tripling operation.
You can view the spectrum lines graphically by clicking the Draw button in the Harmonic Balance Analysis dialog. To display the numeric values of the spectrum lines, click the (Auto Label) button on the diagram, and then click the top of any spectrum line.
Frequency Tripler Circuit- Harmonic Balance Amplitude-Phase diagram
2: AM Demodulator and Direct Frequency Specification
A major feature of the Harmonic Balance analysis is the ability to specify the desired spectrum lines directly by listing their frequencies. This is particularly useful when analyzing signals that have widely separated frequency components.
Example Circuit:AM Demodulator with PIN Diode.TSC
Circuit Description
This circuit is a simple PIN diode detector used for demodulating an Amplitude Modulated (AM) signal. It includes an RC low-pass filter at its output to retrieve the modulating signal.
The input AM signal is modeled using three generators:
One at the 1 GHz carrier frequency.
Two generators forming the upper and lower sidebands, each spaced 100 kHz from the carrier.
AM Demodulator with PIN Diode: circuit and HB analysis dialog
Why Direct Specification is Necessary
The goal is to calculate the amplitude of the 100 kHz modulating signal at the output using HB analysis.
If we tried to define the sidebands and the carrier as multiples of the low 100 kHz base frequency, we would require the calculation of over 10,000 spectrum lines, which is impractical.
The Solution: We specify only the three known input frequencies (the carrier and the two sidebands) directly in the HB Analysis dialog.
After calculation, the values of the spectral voltages appear, including the critical low-frequency demodulated component.
AM Demodulator with PIN Diode: Harmonic Balance analysis-Values of the spectral voltages
Verification using Time-Domain and Fourier Analysis
Although the HB analysis provides the frequency spectrum, the results can be cross-checked using time-domain methods.
Transient Analysis: Select Transient from the Analysis menu. The waveform of the high-frequency AM signal and the low-frequency demodulated signal will appear in the diagram window.
Fourier Series Analysis: To perform a Fourier check, click the upper demodulated signal and select Fourier… from the Process menu.
Ensure the Base frequency is set to 100 kHz.
Fourier Result: 208.75 mV at 100 kHz.
HB Result: 202.70 mV at 100 kHz.
AM Demodulator with PIN Diode: Transient analysis
AM Demodulator with PIN Diode: Fourier analysis
The excellent agreement between the two methods confirms the accuracy of the Harmonic Balance calculation.
Conclusion
The Harmonic Balance method provides a robust and computationally efficient way to analyze nonlinear RF and microwave circuits, especially when dealing with widely separated frequency components.
However, as evidenced by the verification step, the growing performance of modern computers is making time-domain methods (like Transient Analysis coupled with Fourier analysis) increasingly competitive and useful for validating the results obtained from the Harmonic Balance technique.
Today we are releasing a new video tutorial demonstrating how to analyze, design, and implement appropriate input and output filtering for an LT8609 Series Step-Down DC-DC Converter using TINA, and verify the results to ensure stable, low-noise operation.
DC-DC converters are indispensable in modern electronic systems for efficiently stepping voltages up or down. However, their inherent switching operation introduces conducted noise and ripple on both the input and output rails.
Although usually small in amplitude, these disturbances can become critical in sensitive applications such as precision measurement, RF front-ends, or high-speed digital circuits.
1. Initial Circuit Setup and Redesign
To begin the analysis, we use the simulation environment.
Start by opening the LT8609 Steady State Analysis.tsc file found in the TINA Examples/Analog Devices folder. The first objective is to redesign the circuit to meet a specific output voltage requirement.
Using the Design Tool in TINA, we set the required output voltage (Vout) to 4 V. Once the value is entered, pressing Run executes the quick analytic calculation, and the necessary component changes are instantly applied to the displayed circuit.
Filtering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINA-Redesigning the circuit
2. Analyzing Initial Noise and Ripple
Calculating Initial Ripple
We calculate the ripple in the input current (Iin) and the output voltage (Vout). By running a Transient Analysis in TINA, the steady-state operating waveforms appear. To get the numerical values, first select the curves, then access the Diagram window’s Process menu, and choose Ripple… This calculates and displays the absolute and relative ripple values.
Filtering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINA: Ripple values
The Problem: High Input Ripple
The result is displayed in new window. As we can see, the ripple of the output voltage is quite small – only 5.1 mV, while the ripple in the input current is very high but may be acceptable due to the filtering in the main power supply.
However, as mentioned in the introduction, these disturbances may cause problems in some applications and therefore must be filtered out.
The result is a cleaner, more stable output voltage – which is especially important for sensitive analog or RF circuits, microcontrollers, or precision sensors.
3. Implementing Low-Noise Filtering
To achieve a cleaner, more stable output voltage—critical for sensitive analog, RF, or precision sensor circuits—we modify the design by adding external filtering components.
Using the circuit editor in TINA, we introduce two key filtering stages:
Output Filtering: An NR1700 Adjustable Output LDO Regulator (Low Dropout Regulator) is added to the output. LDOs are highly effective at suppressing ripple and providing a stable voltage even when the input (from the DC-DC converter) has residual noise.
Input Filtering: An RLC filter is added to the input rail to significantly attenuate the large input current ripple.
Filtering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINA: Adding an LDO Regulator and an RLC filter
4. Verification of Filter Effectiveness
With the filters in place, we repeat the analysis to confirm the noise reduction.
We perform a new Transient Analysis to obtain the updated waveforms and then use the Ripple… function again to check the final noise levels.
Filtering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINA: Filtered circuit-Ripple value
The Final Result
The ripple values are now drastically reduced, falling into the microvolt and microampere range. This demonstrates the success of the filtering strategy, resulting in a cleaner output that is acceptable even for the most demanding, sensitive applications.
This concludes the demonstration of how to effectively filter the input and output noise of DC-DC converters using TINA simulation.
In this tutorial, we will demonstrate how to analyze, design, and implement appropriate input and output filtering for an LT8609 Series Step-Down DC-DC Converter using TINACloud, and verify the results to ensure stable, low-noise operation.
DC-DC converters are indispensable in modern electronic systems for efficiently stepping voltages up or down. However, their inherent switching operation introduces conducted noise and ripple on both the input and output rails.
Although usually small in amplitude, these disturbances can become critical in sensitive applications such as precision measurement, RF front-ends, or high-speed digital circuits.
1. Initial Circuit Setup and Redesign
To begin the analysis, we use the simulation environment.
Start by opening the LT8609 Steady State Analysis.tsc file found in the TINA Examples/Analog Devices folder. The first objective is to redesign the circuit to meet a specific output voltage requirement.
Using the Design Tool in TINACloud (accessible via Tools menu/ “Re-design this Circuit…”), we set the required output voltage (Vout) to 4 V. Once the value is entered, pressing Run executes the quick analytic calculation, and the necessary component changes are instantly applied to the displayed circuit.
Filtering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINACloud: Redesigning the circuit-diagram
Filtering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINACloud: Redesigned circuit
2. Analyzing Initial Noise and Ripple
Calculating Initial Ripple
We calculate the ripple in the input current (Iin) and the output voltage (Vout). By running a Transient Analysis in TINACloud, the steady-state operating waveforms appear. To get the numerical values, select Ripple… from the Process menu of the Diagram window. This calculates and displays the absolute and relative ripple values.
Filtering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINACloud: Steady state waveforms
The Problem: High Input Ripple
The result is displayed in new window. As we can see, the ripple of the output voltage is quite small – only 5.16 mV, while the ripple in the input current is very high but may be acceptable due to the filtering in the main power supply.
Filtering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINACloud: Ripple values
However, as mentioned in the introduction, these disturbances may cause problems in some applications and therefore must be filtered out.
The result is a cleaner, more stable output voltage – which is especially important for sensitive analog or RF circuits, microcontrollers, or precision sensors.
3. Implementing Low-Noise Filtering
To achieve a cleaner, more stable output voltage—critical for sensitive analog, RF, or precision sensor circuits—we modify the design by adding external filtering components.
Using the circuit editor in TINACloud, we introduce two key filtering stages:
Output Filtering: An NR1700 Adjustable Output LDO Regulator (Low Dropout Regulator) is added to the output. LDOs are highly effective at suppressing ripple and providing a stable voltage even when the input (from the DC-DC converter) has residual noise.
Input Filtering: An RLC filter is added to the input rail to significantly attenuate the large input current ripple.
Filtering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINACloud: Adding an LDO Regulator and an RLC filter
4. Verification of Filter Effectiveness
With the filters in place, we repeat the analysis to confirm the noise reduction.
We perform a new Transient Analysis to obtain the updated waveforms and then use the Ripple… function again to check the final noise levels.
Filtering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINACloud: Filtered circuit-Transient waveformsFiltering Noise in LT8609 Series DC-DC Converters with TINACloud: Filtered circuit-Ripple values
The Final Result
The ripple values are now drastically reduced, falling into the microvolt and microampere range. This demonstrates the success of the filtering strategy, resulting in a cleaner output that is acceptable even for the most demanding, sensitive applications.
This concludes the demonstration of how to effectively filter the input and output noise of DC-DC converters using TINACloud simulation.
What is TINA v16 Design Suite and TINACloud
