A Quick KiCad Simulation Tutorial - Charging Capacitor Transient

Performing a transient analysis simulation of a charging capacitor is very easy in KiCad, but there is one little trick. This video goes through the building of the schematic, the configuration of the initial conditions, and then the simulation of a charging capacitor circuit.
KiCad is an open source schematic capture and PCB (printed circuit board) design software application. It also comes packaged with a SPICE simulator to give the user a graphical interface to ngspice.
For more about charging and discharging capacitors, including more SPICE simulation, check out:
www.electronx.ca/education/dc-circuits/dc-chapter-16/
which includes introductory circuits courses based around the free and open source text book - Lessons in Electric Circuits by Tony Kuphaldt.

[@Tim_Small]

Thanks for the video!
I think this was made for KiCad 5.x. For people starting fresh with KiCad 6, (with the default preferences and hotkeys) it's almost the same but:
Add components using the 'A' hotkey (or Place -> Add Symbol, or the comparator symbol button from the right-hand-side toolbar)
Connect up wires with the 'W' hotkey (or Place -> Add Wire, or the '/' button on the rh toolbar)
Change the Value of the components at @1:23 with the 'V' hotkey (or arrow button from rh toolbar, then right-click -> 'Edit Value')
Place text at @1:58 with the 'T' hotkey (or Place -> Add Text, or the 'T' button on the rh toolbar)
Finally, the simulator has moved from the "Tools" menu to the "Inspect" menu.
HTH!

[@ElectronXLab]

Those are great tips. Thanks for your input Tim.

[@MatzeMaulwurf]

Thanks Tim! KiCad-Army 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@MickHealey]

Superb video, thank you. A nice simple example, that we should all know, so allows us to focus entirely on how to use KiCad. The initial condition part is a real gold nugget.

[@iwbnwif]

Fantastic video, thanks!

[@larsthomsen6434]

easy to follow, worked

[@techankhamun838]

Absolutely love this! Please make new videos on KiCad and LTSPICE. Thank you

[@ElectronXLab]

Thanks for the comments. I do intend to keep making KiCad and LTSpice videos in the near future.

[@mahuubao]

Excellent ... well done ... for KiCAD 6 ... KiCAD 7 is quiet different ... VSource doesn't exist any more ...Simulation is different ...

[@OndryAulin]

Hi, how did you know about condition ".ic V(/VC1)=0", where can I learn more about this? Thanks!

[@williamkopanchuk]

Thank you!

[@BartomiejZogaa]

If Kicad is using spice in GUI those commands should be part of 'Spice Simulator' window itself instead those quirks. Ideally also generated from GUI settings instead of typing spice queries manually

[@eliemarckenziemichelespino3332]

thanks so much

[@davidlamantia5743]

awesome, thank you so much

[@ElectronXLab]

you're welcome

[@SilvanaBordados]

please, in your procects post de file of each video
I'm inexperienced user and my KiCad is a v7.x

[@Antyelektronika]

Could you make video with mosfter transistor which include spice netlist? Thank you for this video

[@ElectronXLab]

Thanks for the comments. That is definitely on my to-do list; it's kind of far down the list right now, so please be patient. :-)

[@hhal9000]

Does kicad have spice models for most of it's components and can it be used as a simulator in the same way Multism is used or does it just have generic models for capacitors and transitors etc?

[@ElectronXLab]

Kicad is open source software, and due to licensing issues it doesn't include device specific spice models. It has some generic BJTs and FETs, but that's about it. It's easy enough to obtain the models from the manufacturer or something like LTSpice though

[@hhal9000]

@@ElectronXLab Ok-Thanks

[@publikjuli]

Do I have to do this for every capacitor in a complicated circuit or it is not necessary only to specific analysis?

[@ElectronXLab]

For AC analysis, it's not necessary. It's only necessary if you need to force a initial voltage on the capacitor when looking at transient analysis

[@user-th7gd7ge4p]

get a speaking course and learn the meaning of pauses