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I have a very simple circuit that includes a capacitor meant to provide a few seconds of battery-like backup to a few LEDs when power is removed. In real life, it does exactly that. However, when I simulate it in LTSPICE it seems that after the input voltage is removed the capacitor doesn't "pick up" to power the circuit. Being rather new to LTSPICE, is there something about how to simulate it that I'm missing?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ What do you mean by "pick up"? It clearly is discharging between the 1s and 3s mark \$\endgroup\$
    – PlasmaHH
    May 13, 2016 at 12:16
  • \$\begingroup\$ In real life the capacitor provides (diminishing) voltage and current for many seconds after the voltage is completely turned off (in my simulation command at t=3s). Yet the voltage at t=3 becomes 0 and the current through the capacitor becomes 0A at t=3. \$\endgroup\$
    – JimMSDN
    May 13, 2016 at 12:20
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    \$\begingroup\$ In real life you don't have a zero impedance voltage source though. Try adding a switch to simulate real life maybe? \$\endgroup\$
    – PlasmaHH
    May 13, 2016 at 12:23
  • \$\begingroup\$ In looking through the list of components available in LTSPICE I don't see anything that resembles a switch, variable resistor, pot, etc. that I could use to do this. Is this a component I need to add or am I overlooking something? \$\endgroup\$
    – JimMSDN
    May 13, 2016 at 12:36
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    \$\begingroup\$ try searching the manual for switch, it will show you things like the sw component. \$\endgroup\$
    – PlasmaHH
    May 13, 2016 at 12:39

1 Answer 1

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You might think that setting your PWL to zero makes it open circuit. It doesn't. It's generating a low impedance zero, that discharges the capacitor.

If you want to simulate removing it, then you need a switch in series with it that opens at some time, or a variable resistor that you set to a very large value.

Series diodes are often used in real life so that a collapsed main power supply doesn't drag down its backup supply. You could do the same here.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Ah ha - that's what I was missing. \$\endgroup\$
    – JimMSDN
    May 13, 2016 at 12:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ OK, now in looking through the list of components available in LTSPICE I don't see anything that resembles a switch, variable resistor, pot, etc. that I could use to do this. Is this a component I need to add or am I overlooking something? \$\endgroup\$
    – JimMSDN
    May 13, 2016 at 12:28
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    \$\begingroup\$ Jim, see this link for an example of the SW element. You have to add the element, give it a drive voltage, and add a .model S1 SW... directive. \$\endgroup\$
    – rdtsc
    May 13, 2016 at 12:53

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