TINA-TI Introduction & DC Simulations

TINA is a SPICE-based electrical circuit simulator. A free version, TINA-TI, is available on the Texas Instruments web site: www.ti.com/too...
This introductory tutorial gives an overview of the program and demonstrates how to build circuits in the simulator (i.e., schematic capture). Basic DC measurements, including voltage and current, are performed.
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[@random_Person347]

Thank you. I'm just a hobbyist playing with breadboard circuits and an Arduino. I'm loving using Tina TI. It removes so much of the frustration for me and avoids me wasting time wiring up circuits that don't work. EDIT: As a beginner/hobbyist I didn't expect to find limitations of this free version so quickly, but it seems that it doesn't support polarised capacitors, although if you select "Enable 3D shapes" in the options, it does depict all capacitors in the circuit as polarised electrolytic ones, with no way to select the direction of polarisation), which is even more confusing. I find the array of upgrades offered to be quite bewildering so I'm trying the version 14 trial which unfortunately doesn't make things any clearer.

[@freeelectron8261]

Very useful tutorial. Thank you Prof Fiore!

[@billjones2271]

Thanks for the tip on TINA-TI. I find it intuitive to use and appears easier than LT SPICE.

[@AcuteChronic]

Great that TI made their version available. Great tutorial. I, also, couldn't find POLARIZED Capacitors. Also, is there a setting or option to SEPARATE the component LABEL from the VALUE? C101 100nF .... is too long and the numbers run together. I'd prefer; C101 100nF It's very compact and right next to the actual component.

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

I prefer stacked, too. You can leave off labels and such, and then add your own as text. Also, the label/value can be moved around the component (unselect the component, then click on the label, then move it-you'll notice the highlighting is different).

[@Starlite4321]

Thanks for these very helpful tutorials ! I see there is a long playlist of them. Do any of them cover the use of the TINA "Signal Analyzer" and the "Function Generator" (not Transient analysis, O-scope, Spectrum Analyzer ...) ? Thank You !

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

No, I tend to focus on TINA-TI, which is free. It doesn't have the tools you mention (that would require $). I must admit, I am not a huge fan of virtual instruments such as function generators and o'scopes in any simulator I have used. They always strike me as rather clunky and less useful than more direct schematic capture and simulation methods. The one exception I might make is using a virtual voltmeter or ammeter for absolute beginners.

[@slowride4511]

Very helpful tutorial, great job. Thank you for leaving it up!

[@an1rb]

Prof. --since you are passionate about OER, should you not teaching and promoting the use of OSS like Kicad and Qucs-S? Kicad has SPICE (ngspice) and a simulator included. Qucs-S can use ngspice and Xyce.

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

I use a number of free and open resources, and advocate their use (e.g., OBS Studio, Open Office, etc.). I know a few people who use Kicad and like it. From my experience, TINA-TI (free but not open source) has a very short learning curve for new students. That's in terms of installing it and running it. My goal is to get them up and running with minimal fuss. There are some others out there such as LT Spice. Whatever works for people is fine by me. I have thought about a series using/comparing different open simulators, but there are other things I'd rather get to first.

[@mortenlund1418]

Nice introduction. Thanks for sharing.

[@jj74qformerlyjailbreak3]

If not watching your videos, I wouldn’t know about TINA. Heck yea.

[@Wil_Bloodworth]

What is the reason for choosing this software versus something like KiCAD? Is it just the simplicity and ease of use for the beginner?

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

In my experience the learning curve is very short for new engineering students. They can get up and running quickly. Granted, it doesn't do everything, but it is sufficient for most students during their first couple of years (and beyond that, they can get into the pro version of TINA with little headache). At this point, most students are not looking to make PCBs, they're just trying to verify a lab circuit or check some homework.

[@Wil_Bloodworth]

@@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore Understood. Thank you!

[@imk820]

Hello Professor. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge to the public. I have a little question. I'm a junior year EE student and planning to go to graduate school for further study. I'm very interested in analog IC and electromagnetics(especially, computational EM using numerical methods like FDTD,FEM,MoM based on thorough Linear Algebra). My hope is to study both of them but the two things seem like a far away lands from each other. So if I choose one field(one research group in the graduate school) over the other I feel like I should abandon the other one. So I'm wondering if there is a research field that I can synthesize the two fields or if I choose analog IC over EM, whether my Linear Algebraic knowledge would give me an advantage studying analog IC or vice versa. Sorry for this wordy comment, I hope I could get your reply. Thank you.

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

First, I don't think you can go wrong with either of them. Some people look down on analog as being "old fashioned", but the world is analog and we need to interface to it. Further, if most people go into other fields, that leaves openings for experts in analog. Second, I have found the following axiom to be useful in life (but not absolute): When faced with a choice between two diametrically opposed options, do both. Really, it's the only way you'll know which one grabs you. It's not always practical, but sometimes you luck out and the two things cross pollinate. Short story: when I was in college many years ago, most students went toward digital/microprocessors instead of analog. Not that I didn't like digital (I very much enjoyed programming), but analog, and in particular, audio, was where my interest was. Some years later, DSP hardware became powerful and cheap enough that you could do some pretty wild things in the digital domain. As I already knew how do certain kinds of processing in the analog domain, it was a minor jump for me to start doing that same work (and more) in the digital domain. If I did not have that analog background, I suspect it would have been a much more challenging transition. Having that analog background also made me aware of certain things that the average digital engineer might not consider. Being that you're a junior, you still have some time to sort this out. BTW, you never know what courses will come in handy years down the road. A couple of very useful courses for me turned out to be music theory because it gave me a much deeper insight into audio and offered an alternate vocabulary. Besides, technology changes and situations change. "All your eggs in one basket" and such as that, right? Hope this helps.

[@imk820]

@@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore Thank you for your kind reply. I really appreicate it. I've got really inspired by your advice and I'm always gonna keep that in mind. My goal is to be a great engineer/person like you sir, and I'll always try my best to achieve that.

[@eng.reagan9540]

Nice tutorial. Would you do a simulation of how to isolate voltage using isolated transformer IC drivers e.g SN6507x?

[@AhmadAsmndr]

thank you very much.

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

You are welcome!

[@sorinlazar4708]

Thanks it was very helpful

[@rosshollinger8097]

I haven't downloaded this yet. I'm having trouble finding a program with simple things like fuses, bulbs, various switches (SPST, DPST, DPDT), vac tubes, etc. Does this have those? Very nice flow on the instruction.

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

TINA-TI has some switches although I do not believe that it has tubes. If you have a spice macro for your part, you can import it. The TINA-Cloud version ($12 per year for student access) has a much more broad array of components.

[@vevasam]

Thank you for the lecture. Apparently I am not able to build user defined excitation signal. The option 'Signal(t)' is greyed out. Perhaps its only available in paid version.

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

TINA-TI is a free version of TINA. That is what I am using here (the free version).

[@vevasam]

@@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore Thank you. Edit: I found the following answer in the forums from TINA-TI. "This function can only be enabled by purchasing the full version of TINA from DeisgnSoft. There are a couple limitations of the free version of TINA-TI and this is one of them. Additionally, Monte Carlo analysis is not enabled for TINA-TI." Found this helpful in this regard: e2e.ti.com/blogs_/b/analogwire/archive/2014/05/30/what-you-always-wanted-to-know-about-tina-ti-but-were-afraid-to-ask-part-4 Thanks again.

[@shubhamingle6137]

how to do line and load regulation of buck converter in tina ti

[@restonjesus]

Wonderful. Thanks.

[@satyeandrasharma2560]

thanks sir for making this type of video nice infomation

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

Thanks!

[@suryatiwari2926]

Using the knowledge of electronic devices and circuits, design and simulate the circuit diagram of a 4.7 V DC power supply. Input voltage is 220 VAC at 50 Hz. can anyone pls answer thin in 10 minss

[@alejandroperez5368]

no

[@ABCTechJoy]

Thanks How to display Digital ==> Gates, Flip Flops ... ?

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

TINA-TI is geared toward analog circuits. You can do digital via SPICE macros. Alternately, you can use the student version of TINA (not free, but relatively inexpensive) or TINA Cloud, which have more obvious means of simulating digital circuits.

[@kabandajamir9844]

So nice

[@JayJay-ki4mi]

I've got the speed x2 and you're still talking slow at points 🤣 Non the less great video thank you.

[@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore]

I would tend to agree regarding this video, but some people have told me that they have a hard time keeping up because I talk too fast. It's a Goldilocks thing, I guess.

[@JayJay-ki4mi]

@@ElectronicswithProfessorFiore It's all good :) Really enjoying these videos. Subbed.

[@amrit5679]

Gemini recommended me this video