Building Circuits¶

Learn how to create power electronics circuits from scratch in the GeckoCIRCUITS editor.

Duration: 20 minutes

Prerequisites: First Simulation

Overview¶

Building a circuit involves four steps:

1. Place components on the schematic
2. Wire them together
3. Set parameters for each component
4. Add measurement points (SCOPE)

Step 1: Start a New Circuit¶

Go to File > New (Ctrl+N) to create an empty schematic.

Step 2: Place Components¶

Adding Components¶

1. Select a component from the component palette (left panel or menu)
2. Click on the schematic to place it
3. The component appears at the clicked location

Component Categories¶

Power electronics circuits typically need:

Rotating and Flipping¶

• Right-click a component for rotation options
• Rotate to align terminals for clean wiring

Step 3: Wire Components¶

Making Connections¶

1. Click on a component terminal (small square)
2. Click to add wire waypoints (corners)
3. Click the destination terminal to complete the connection

Wiring Tips¶

Common Wiring Mistakes¶

Step 4: Set Parameters¶

Double-click each component to set its values.

Example: Buck Converter Parameters¶

Unit Prefixes¶

GeckoCIRCUITS recognizes standard SI prefixes:

Step 5: Add Measurements¶

Placing a SCOPE¶

1. Add a SCOPE block from the control components
2. Connect signals you want to measure to the scope inputs
3. Each input becomes a channel in the oscilloscope

What to Measure¶

For a typical power converter, measure:

• Output voltage across the load
• Inductor current through the inductor
• Switch node voltage at the switching point

Using Voltage and Current Probes¶

• Voltage probe - Measures voltage between two nodes
• Current probe - Measures current through a component (place in series)

Example: Build a Buck Converter¶

Follow these steps to build a basic buck converter from scratch:

Circuit Topology¶

    Vin ──[MOSFET]──●──[L]──●── Vout
                    │        │
                 [Diode]   [C]  [R]
                    │        │    │
                   GND ──────●────┘

Step-by-Step¶

1. Place Vin - DC voltage source, set to 48V
2. Place MOSFET - Connect drain to Vin positive
3. Place Diode - Cathode to MOSFET source, anode to ground
4. Place Inductor - From switch node to output
5. Place Capacitor - From output to ground
6. Place Resistor - From output to ground (load)
7. Connect Ground - To source negative, diode anode, capacitor, resistor
8. Add PWM - Connect to MOSFET gate (100 kHz, D=0.25)
9. Add SCOPE - Connect to output voltage node

Verify Before Running¶

Checklist:

• All nodes connected (no floating nodes)
• Ground present
• Source has a return path
• Switch has a control signal
• SCOPE connected to measurement points
• Simulation time step appropriate (< 0.1 us for 100 kHz)

Simulation Settings¶

Before running, set appropriate simulation parameters:

Next Steps¶

• PWM Basics - Understand PWM signals for switch control
• Running Simulations - Simulation settings and modes
• Buck Converter Tutorial - Full design with theory