Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!ames!pasteur!agate!eos!labrea!decwrl!decvax!mandrill!neoucom!wtm
From: wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: MSDOS SPICE
Message-ID: <1135@neoucom.UUCP>
Date: 25 Apr 88 02:42:14 GMT
References: <QWPml6y00Xc6MZw0=T@andrew.cmu.edu> <138@accelerator.eng.ohio-state.edu>
Organization: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
Lines: 24
Summary: Take a look at Ztec Zspice Spice for msdos


I've been running a spice program called Zspice from a company
called Ztec that is located in/near Seattle Wa (I don't have the
address handy at this terminal).  I've been using for about a year
and a half.  Their version is fairly complete relative to the
"official" Berkeley version.  Supports parameter variation,
piecewise models, etc.  The graphics package supports HPGL and a
couple of other plotter types as well as so-so EGA graphics.  The
best part is that it *can* run without an 80x87 coprocessor.  There
are basic element models for 2N3904, 1N914, etc, plus recently they
announced they have some component model libraries.  At the time I
got it, Ztec was charging $275 for it.  It was cheaper to go their
route, rather than having to shell out for the tapes, *and* c
compiler and then doing my own debugging.

I think Ztec advertises pretty regularly in the back of Electronics
magazine.  I've been satisified with their spice for my needs, but
then I haven't tried to push it with a 400 node circuit.  My only
complaint is that it is a memory pig.  It needs just about all of
the 640K in a PC | AT.  I've been running on an 8 MHz AT compatible
without an 80287.  Zspice can do a 10Hz-10KHz bode plot on an
active filter with about 20 nodes (6 pole) and my own LF351 SUBCKT
element in about 1-1/2 minutes.

--Bill