PSpice for Circuit Theory and Electronic Devices is one of a series of five PSpice books and introduces the latest Cadence Orcad PSpice version 10.5 by simulating a range of DC and AC exercises. It is aimed primarily at those wishing to get up to speed with this version but will be of use to high school students, undergraduate students, and of course, lecturers. Circuit theorems are applied to a range of circuits and the calculations by hand after analysis are then compared to the simulated results. The Laplace transform and the s-plane are used to analyze CR and LR circuits where transient signals are involved. Here, the Probe output graphs demonstrate what a great learning tool PSpice is by providing the reader with a visual verification of any theoretical calculations. Series and parallel-tuned resonant circuits are investigated where the difficult concepts of dynamic impedance and selectivity are best understood by sweeping different circuit parameters through a range of values. Obtaining semiconductor device characteristics as a laboratory exercise has fallen out of favour of late, but nevertheless, is still a useful exercise for understanding or modelling semiconductor devices. Inverting and non-inverting operational amplifiers characteristics such as gain-bandwidth are investigated and we will see the dependency of bandwidth on the gain using the performance analysis facility. Power amplifiers are examined where PSpice/Probe demonstrates very nicely the problems of cross-over distortion and other problems associated with power transistors. We examine power supplies and the problems of regulation, ground bounce, and power factor correction. Lastly, we look at MOSFET device characteristics and show how these devices are used to form basic CMOS logic gates such as NAND and NOR gates.
About the Author: Paul Tobin graduated from Kevin Street College of Technology (now the Dublin Institute of Technology) with honours in electronic engineering and went to work for the Irish National Telecommunications company. Here, he was involved in redesigning the analogue junction network replacing cables with PCM systems over optical fibres. He gave a paper on the design of this new digital junction network to the Institute of Engineers of Ireland in 1982 and was awarded a Smith testimonial for one of the best papers that year. Having taught part-time courses in telecommunications systems in Kevin Street, he was invited to apply for a full-time lecture post. He accepted and started lecturing full time in 1983. Over the last twenty years he has given courses in telecommunications, digital signal processing and circuit theory. He graduated with honours in 1998 having completed a taught MSc in various DSP topics and a project using the Wavelet Transform and neural networks to classify EEG (brain waves) associated with different mental tasks. He has been a 'guest professor' in the Institut Universitaire de Technologie (IUT), Bethune, France for the past four years giving courses in PSpice simulation topics. He wrote an unpublished book on PSpice but was persuaded by Joel Claypool (of Morgan and Claypool Publishers) at an engineering conference in Puerto Rico (July 2006), to break it into five PSpice books. One of the books introduces a novel way of teaching DSP using PSpice. There are over 500 worked examples in the five books covering a range of topics with sufficient theory and simulation results from basic circuit theory right up to advanced communication principles. Most of these worked example circuit have been thoroughly 'student tested' by Irish and International students and should mean little or no errors but alas. . . He married Marie and has four sons and his hobbies include playing modern jazz on double bass and piano but grew up playing G-banjo and guitar. His other hobby is flying and obtained a private pilots license (PPL) in the early 80's.