Micro-Cap v7.1.6 / RM

Chapter 24 - Fourier Analysis and Digital Signal Processing

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Typographic conventions

Certain typographic conventions are employed to simplify reading and using the manuals. Here are the guidelines:

1.Named keys are denoted by the key name alone. For example: Press HOME, then press ENTER.

2.Text that is to be typed by the user is denoted by the text enclosed in double quotes. For example:

Type in the name "TTLINV".

3. Combinations of two keys are shown with the key symbols separated by a plus sign. For example:

ALT + R

4. Option selection is shown hierarchically. For example this phrase:

Options / Preferences / Common Options / General / Sound

means the Sound item from General section of the Common group on the Preferences dialog box, from the Options menu.

5.Square brackets are used to designate optional entries. For example: [Low]

6.The characters "<" and ">" bracket required entries. For example: <emitter_lead>

7.User entries are shown in italics. For example:

emitter_lead

8. The OR symbol ( | ) designates mutually exclusive alternatives. For example, PUL | EXP | SIN means PUL or EXP or SIN.

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Chapter 1 Windows Basics

What's in this chapter

This chapter introduces and reviews the basics of working with Windows. It describes the common Windows structures including menus, dialog boxes, text boxes, list boxes, drop-down list boxes, option buttons, and check boxes. It also covers basic mouse and keyboard handling techniques and describes the difference between selecting and choosing.

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The various parts of a window and their purposes are as follows:

Control menu box

The Control menu box is located in the upper-left corner of the window. This box is a standard feature of all Windows applications and is mainly used to control the MC7 window size and location on the desktop. It lets you re-size, move, maximize, minimize, and close the MC7 window. The mouse can also be used to perform these tasks by dragging.

Circuit control menu box

The Circuit control menu box is similar to the standard control-menu box except that it controls a circuit window only. There can be many circuit windows open simultaneously. This standard Windows structure is provided for management of circuit windows, but there are easier ways to manipulate circuit windows. These will be described in later chapters.

Menu bar

This bar shows the available menus. A menu is a list of commands or options that lets you access various program features. Some items on a menu have an immediate effect. For example, when you choose Save from the File menu, the current circuit is saved to disk immediately. Other menu items control deferred actions or behavior. For example, when you choose Wire from the Mode item of the Options menu, nothing happens immediately. When you later drag the mouse in the circuit window, it draws a wire, instead of drawing a component or text.

Title bar

The title bar shows the name of the window. If the window is a circuit window, the title shows the circuit name and directory path. If the window is a dialog or text box the title shows the name of the dialog or text box. If the window is an analysis output window, such as numeric output, the title shows the file name and path of the file where the numeric output has been saved to disk.

Tool bar

The tool bar shows the tool buttons. These are graphical equivalents of the menu items. Clicking on a tool bar button is the same as clicking on its equivalent menu item. Tool bar buttons provide convenient, quick access to frequently used menu items. Immediate action buttons temporarily depress when clicked, then spring back. Modal buttons stay depressed until another mode is chosen. A depressed modal button means that the mode is enabled. This is the same as its corresponding menu item having a check mark.

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Close button

The Close button closes the window.

Maximize / Restore button

The Restore button restores the windows former size.

Minimize button

The Minimize button reduces the window to an icon.

Scroll bars

The scroll bars are used to pan the window document. If the window is a circuit, the scroll bars are one of several ways to view different parts of the circuit. If the scroll bars are part of a list box, they let you browse the list.

Window border

The window border is a control object on the outside edge of the window. When the mouse passes over the edge, the cursor changes to a vertical or horizontal double arrow. A mouse drag then moves the underlying border, changing the window size and proportions.

Window corner

The window corner is a control object on the corner of the window. When the mouse passes over the corner, the cursor changes to a diagonal double arrow. A drag here simultaneously moves the two corner sides, changing the window size.

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Basic mouse and keyboard techniques

This section explains the basic terms and techniques used to select and choose items from windows, menus, list boxes, and dialog boxes. The definitions of the more common terms are as follows:

Mouse button means the left mouse button, unless otherwise specified. The right mouse button is reserved for specialized functions.

The terms choose and select have two distinct meanings. To select something means to mark it, usually as a prelude to choosing it. To choose means to use the mouse or keyboard to pick or activate the selected item, option, or action.

Selecting is done by clicking the item with the cursor or dragging the cursor over a region containing the object. Selected text in a text field or in the text area appears in reversed video. Selected schematic objects, including text objects, are shown in the user-specified select color. Selected items from a window or dialog box may be shown as a highlight, or a dotted rectangle.

To choose a selected item in a dialog box, you click it with the mouse or press the SPACEBAR key. Highlighted buttons are chosen by pressing ENTER.

Accelerator keys are provided for some of the more frequently used menu items. Like tool bar buttons, they provide a quick and ready way to choose or activate common menu items. The keys are shown on the menus, adjacent to the items they activate.

Accelerator keys are well worth learning. For frequently used features, they can save a lot of time. Appendix D has a list of the accelerator keys.

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