title: Tutorial 102: Basic Circuits¶

Tutorial 102: Basic Circuits¶

Overview¶

Learn how to build circuits from scratch in GeckoCIRCUITS. This tutorial covers component selection, placement, wiring, and parameter configuration.

Level: Beginner (⅓)

Duration: 25-30 minutes

Series: Getting Started

Learning Objectives¶

By the end of this tutorial, you will: - [ ] Navigate the component library - [ ] Place and orient components on the schematic - [ ] Connect components with wires - [ ] Configure component parameters - [ ] Add measurement probes (SCOPE connections) - [ ] Build a complete RLC circuit

Prerequisites¶

• Complete Tutorial 101: First Simulation
• Basic understanding of electrical circuits (R, L, C components)

Materials¶

Component Library Overview¶

GeckoCIRCUITS organizes components into categories:

POWER Components (Electrical)¶

CONTROL Components (Signal)¶

THERM Components (Thermal)¶

Measurement (SCOPE)¶

Building Your First Circuit¶

Step 1: Create a New File¶

1. File > New (or Ctrl+N)
2. A blank canvas appears

Step 2: Add a Voltage Source¶

1. In the left panel, expand POWER category
2. Click on Voltage Source (V)
3. Move cursor to the canvas
4. Click to place the component
5. Right-click to finish placement (or press Escape)

Step 3: Configure the Voltage Source¶

1. Double-click on the voltage source
2. Set parameters:
3. Amplitude: 10 V
4. Frequency: 50 Hz (for AC)
5. DC Offset: 0 V
6. Click OK

Step 4: Add a Resistor¶

1. Select Resistor (R) from POWER components
2. Click to place it to the right of the voltage source
3. Double-click to set: R = 10 Ω

Step 5: Add an Inductor¶

1. Select Inductor (L) from POWER components
2. Place it in series with the resistor
3. Double-click to set: L = 10 mH

Step 6: Connect Components with Wires¶

1. Click on an output terminal of the voltage source
2. Drag to the input terminal of the resistor
3. Click to create connection points
4. Repeat for all connections
5. Create a return path back to the voltage source

Tip: Use Ctrl+click to create corner points in wires

Step 7: Add Ground Reference¶

1. One node must be designated as ground (0V reference)
2. Select Ground symbol
3. Place it at the bottom node of your circuit

Step 8: Add Oscilloscope¶

1. Select SCOPE from component library
2. Place it near your circuit
3. Connect scope inputs to nodes you want to measure:
4. Channel 1: Voltage across resistor
5. Channel 2: Current through inductor (use current probe)

Component Orientation¶

Rotating Components¶

• Before placing: Press R to rotate 90°
• After placing: Select component, then Edit > Rotate (or R key)

Mirroring Components¶

• Edit > Mirror or press M key

Grid Alignment¶

• Components snap to grid automatically
• Use View > Grid to show/hide grid
• View > Snap to Grid toggles snapping

Wiring Best Practices¶

Good Wiring¶

    ┌──[R]──[L]──┐
    │            │
   [V]          [C]
    │            │
    └────────────┘
        GND

Avoid¶

• Overlapping wires (hard to follow)
• Very long wire runs (use labels instead)
• Wires crossing components

Using Labels¶

For complex circuits, use labels instead of long wires: 1. Right-click on a wire 2. Select Add Label 3. Enter label name (e.g., "Vout") 4. Any wires with the same label are electrically connected

Circuit: RLC Series Example¶

Build this circuit step by step:

         R=10Ω        L=10mH
    +───[===]───────[oooo]───┐
    │                        │
   [ ] V = 10V               │
   [ ] f = 50Hz         C=100μF
    │                    │ │
    └────────────────────┴─┘
                        GND

Parameters¶

Expected Behavior¶

At 50 Hz: - XL = 2πfL = 2π × 50 × 0.01 = 3.14 Ω - XC = 1/(2πfC) = 1/(2π × 50 × 100μ) = 31.8 Ω - Z = √(R² + (XL-XC)²) = √(100 + 821) ≈ 30 Ω - I = V/Z = 10/30 ≈ 0.33 A

Simulation Settings¶

1. Simulation > Settings (or F9)
2. Configure:
3. Simulation time: 0.1 s (5 cycles at 50 Hz)
4. Time step: automatic or 10 μs
5. Solver: Trapezoidal (default)
6. Click OK
7. Run simulation (F5)

Checkpoint¶

At this point, your circuit should: - [ ] Have all 4 components placed (V, R, L, C) - [ ] Be fully wired in a closed loop - [ ] Have a ground reference - [ ] Show waveforms in the SCOPE after simulation

Common Mistakes¶

Exercises¶

Exercise 1: Modify Component Values¶

1. Change R from 10Ω to 100Ω
2. Re-run the simulation
3. Question: How does the current change?

Exercise 2: Resonance Frequency¶

1. Calculate the resonant frequency: fr = 1/(2π√LC)
2. Change the source frequency to fr
3. Question: What happens to the impedance?

Exercise 3: Add Another Component¶

1. Add a second resistor in parallel with C
2. Experiment with its value
3. Question: How does this affect the circuit behavior?

Exercise 4: Build from Scratch¶

1. Create a new file
2. Build the circuit without looking at ex_2.ipes
3. Compare your results with the reference

Summary¶

In this tutorial, you learned: 1. Navigating the component library 2. Placing and configuring components 3. Wiring circuits correctly 4. Setting up measurements with SCOPE 5. Running simulations and checking results

Next Steps¶

Continue your learning with: - Next Tutorial: 103 - PWM Basics - Learn pulse-width modulation - Example: Buck Converter - Apply your skills

Additional Resources¶

• GeckoCIRCUITS_tutorial_basics_EN.pdf - Complete PDF tutorial
• Help > Component Reference - Detailed component documentation

Tutorial Version: 1.0 Last updated: 2026-02 Compatible with GeckoCIRCUITS v1.0+