small improvements / some questions

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RA1981
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 4:01 am

small improvements / some questions

Post by RA1981 »

Hi,

first I want to say that LC is a great tool. I like it and it's easy to work with it.

I want to suggest some small improvements:

1) for buttons, there's a checkbox to make the button a push-button or a switch (if checkbox checked). The text is missleading (at least in the german version), it say 'Taster oder Schalter', but in fact, it's a 'Schalter' (switch) if the checkbox is checked, if unchecked it's a 'Taster' (push-button).

2) The pin side option for buttons, signal sources etc moves the connection point to the selected side for the component, but this is not true for input/output object - here it seems that this option defines the position on the symbol created from a circuit, right? So, this needs to rotate a symbol if the IO object is on "the other side", which also rotates the text. On the other hand, the user might think that the component has an error. I want to suggest to really rotate the pin location with this settings, so it's identical to the other components. Additionally, add a second combobox defining the position on the symbol.

3) Using two buttons connected to a single LED throws an error, which is electrically correct. Deleting the LED doesn't throw an error, it just prevents the button to be toggled. Is this intended behaviour?

4) Is it possible to get a bidirectional switch and diodes? I want to simulate a matrix keyboard including diodes. To show bad effects like ghosting and how to prevent those effects, it would be nice to have those component types.

Regards,

Ralf
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superryan94
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Joined: Sat May 09, 2015 5:59 am
Location: Rotterdam The Netherlands

Re: small improvements / some questions

Post by superryan94 »

For your point two, I think that is a really good idea. And how I see what you mean is that if you select pin side down that on the circuit the pin at the top is, correct? Because that would make many circuits much easier to design indeed.
RA1981
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 4:01 am

Re: small improvements / some questions

Post by RA1981 »

Hi Ryan,
superryan94 wrote:And how I see what you mean is that if you select pin side down that on the circuit the pin at the top is, correct? Because that would make many circuits much easier to design indeed.
The current setting defines the position of the pin on the symbol created from the circuit, but in the circuit itself the pin has always the same position. For some circuits it would be easier if the pin position of a IN/OUT component can be changed like for the other components. That's why I suggested to have two comboboxes, defining the pin positions on both the component and the created symbol.

Regards,

Ralf
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superryan94
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Location: Rotterdam The Netherlands

Re: small improvements / some questions

Post by superryan94 »

Yes, that is what I meant. That I can make it in the circuit pinside down and on the symbole pin side up.
RA1981
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Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 4:01 am

Re: small improvements / some questions

Post by RA1981 »

Exact =)

Regards,

Ralf
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admin
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Re: small improvements / some questions

Post by admin »

Hi Ralf,
Thanks for your suggestions.
As of the German’s wording you can help make it better. If you can please let me know and I’ll send you instructions on how to do it.
For the pin side this was already reported by some other people as well, so I will try to implement it. My only concern is having two pin side selectors will more confusing than current configuration.
Two buttons without anything connected to them are simply turned off by optimization. As there is no indication for the user that anything is changed there is no point to keep them running.
Can you please explain what bidirectional switch is and why you need diode?
Regards,
Eugene
RA1981
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Joined: Wed May 27, 2015 4:01 am

Re: small improvements / some questions

Post by RA1981 »

Hi Eugene,
admin wrote:As of the German’s wording you can help make it better. If you can please let me know and I’ll send you instructions on how to do it.
I can't say if I can do it, but I can say I can try it ;) Send me those instructions and I'll see what I can do.
admin wrote:For the pin side this was already reported by some other people as well, so I will try to implement it. My only concern is having two pin side selectors will more confusing than current configuration.
I see your problem. I think it depends how the comboboxes are named. What about the following: The current combobox keeps its description ("pin side"), but with the function similar to other components.
The new combobox has the function of the current combobox, the description is "symbol pin" or "symbol pin location" or something like that. If necessary the combobox can be equipped with a hover-/tooltip text explaining the function or differences between the two comboboxes. What do you think?
admin wrote:Two buttons without anything connected to them are simply turned off by optimization. As there is no indication for the user that anything is changed there is no point to keep them running.
But the scenario I described is two buttons connected together and connected with additional LED. This case throws an error, deleting the LED doesn't throw an error, it simply prevents the button from being toggled. That's were I see a problem especially for beginners, because they won't see the electrical error if this happens with other component types.
admin wrote:Can you please explain what bidirectional switch is and why you need diode?
I want to use LC for our trainees, and one theme is a key matrix for microcontrollers. The simple matrix can have "ghost keys" if more than two keys are pressed. To show this, a switch used in a simulation has to be bidirectional (like the real mechanical switch is), because the signals causing ghost effects can come from both terminals.
The ghost effect can be avoided by using diodes. I can 'create' a diode by using the tristate buffer, where the buffer input is fixed value, and the buffer enable is either cathode or anode. But with the current capabilities of LC it seems that two sub-circuits are needed for this, one for a low-active diode, and one for a high-active diode (the anode/cathode terminal directions are swapped between input and output).
In fact LC is a logic simulator, not a circuit simulator, so it's your decision if you want to implement it.
I'll have to think about if both functions (bidirectional switch and diode) can be achieved with the current LC capabilities by using the tristate buffer component.

Regards,

Ralf
logicrace
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Joined: Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:53 pm

Re: small improvements / some questions

Post by logicrace »

I would definitely like to see an option to control the pin side for the symbol, so that my wires don't have to bend around so much.
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