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I hope it is okay to post a software question here. Please let me know if not.

I've been learning about Microcap 12 (a SPICE simulator), and have been quite impressed. However, recently I got stuck. I am using a transient analysis, and the software for some reason is producing a polar output plot with complex values. It had been the regular rectangular one that most spice programs produce at first, but I did something, and now I can't get back to the rectangular output no matter what I've tried. I've tried changing almost every relevant setting I could find, but to no avail. I've looked in the user guide and on Spectrum's website, but can't find any fixes. They would seem to say that a polar plot isn't an option for a transient analysis, so I'm starting to suspect some configuration bit might have been advertently set in error.

Am I missing some setting somewhere?

Thanks for any help.

polar output

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I've stumbled across this looking for support on MC12. Thanks for posting info which might prove useful at a later date. The only forum for MC12 I have been able to find is in its infancy, but as it is the only one it might be worth getting behind as a support group. As you probably know, Spectrum Software no longer exists and there is no official support, and it is kind (or disruptive?) of them to release the software for free use. I'll not post a URL in case of breaking any rules, but a search for "micro-cap eda" should find it. \$\endgroup\$
    – Dark Owl
    Commented Jun 17, 2021 at 6:55

1 Answer 1

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After much searching, I noticed that other circuits didn't behave this way. I looked at files the simulator generated that were specific to the circuit with the polar plot, and in the .cir file, I noted a section titled "[Waveform]".

In it, was a line "Chart Type=Polar". There were two of these "[Waveform]" sections in the file, with the first line under them being "Analysis=Transient", and each with a different "AliasID". I compared to the working circuits, and saw that the only difference was that the "Chart Type" line didn't exist in them.

After deleting the two "Chart Type=Polar" lines and restarting, the Transient analysis window now appears as it should.

enter image description here

This may have been a bug bug of some kind, or it may have to do with me fiddling with the "PSS" option, although I'm not sure why...I just recall this being one of the last things that I had experimented with before the unwanted behavior occurred, and that the simulator ran for much longer after the line I deleted. I then discovered that "PSS" had been switched on.

enter image description here

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