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User Interface Guide

Overview of the GeckoCIRCUITS workspace, toolbar, and editor.

Main Window Layout

The application window has four main areas:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Menu Bar                                     │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Toolbar (Run, Stop, Settings, Zoom)          │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                               │
│                                               │
│            Schematic Editor                    │
│          (Circuit Drawing Area)                │
│                                               │
│                                               │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Status Bar                                   │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘

File Menu

Action Shortcut Description
New Ctrl+N Create empty circuit
Open Ctrl+O Open .ipes file
Save Ctrl+S Save current circuit
Save As Ctrl+Shift+S Save with new name
Export SVG Export schematic as SVG image

Edit Menu

Action Shortcut Description
Undo Ctrl+Z Undo last action
Redo Ctrl+Y Redo undone action
Copy Ctrl+C Copy selected components
Paste Ctrl+V Paste copied components
Delete Del Delete selection
Select All Ctrl+A Select all components

Simulation Menu

Action Shortcut Description
Run F5 Start simulation
Stop Stop running simulation
Settings Open simulation parameters

Toolbar

The toolbar provides quick access to common actions:

Button Action
Run (play icon) Start simulation
Stop (stop icon) Stop simulation
Settings (gear icon) Simulation parameters
Zoom In/Out Adjust view scale
Fit Fit circuit to window

Schematic Editor

The main drawing area where you build and edit circuits.

Action Control
Pan Middle-click + drag, or scroll
Zoom Scroll wheel
Fit to window Double-click empty area

Selecting Components

Action How
Select one Left-click on component
Select multiple Left-click + drag (selection box)
Add to selection Shift + click
Deselect all Click empty area

Moving Components

  1. Select component(s)
  2. Left-click and drag to new position
  3. Components snap to grid

Editing Parameters

  • Double-click a component to open its parameter dialog
  • Change values and click OK
  • Parameters take effect on next simulation run

Component Palette

Components are organized by domain:

Electrical Components

Category Components
Sources DC voltage, DC current, AC voltage, AC current
Passive Resistor, Inductor, Capacitor
Semiconductors Diode, MOSFET, IGBT, Thyristor
Transformers Ideal transformer, coupled inductor
Measurement Voltage probe, Current probe

Control Components

Category Components
Sources Constant, Sine, PWM, Signal generator
Math Gain, Sum, Multiply, Divide
Controllers PI, PID, Integrator, Limiter
Logic Comparator, AND, OR, Flip-flop
Display SCOPE (oscilloscope)

Thermal Components

Category Components
Thermal Thermal resistance (Rth), Thermal capacitance (Cth)
Sources Temperature source, Heat source

Wiring

Connecting Components

  1. Click an output terminal (connection point)
  2. Route the wire by clicking intermediate points
  3. Click the input terminal of the destination component

Wire Rules

  • Wires connect at terminals (small squares on components)
  • A junction dot appears where three or more wires meet
  • Crossing wires without a junction are not connected

Scope (Oscilloscope)

The SCOPE is the primary visualization tool.

Adding Scope Channels

  1. Place a SCOPE block on the schematic
  2. Connect signals to scope input terminals
  3. Double-click scope to open the waveform viewer

Scope Features

  • Multiple channels with independent scaling
  • Time-domain and frequency-domain views
  • Cursors for precise measurement
  • Data export to CSV

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
F5 Run simulation
Ctrl+S Save
Ctrl+Z Undo
Ctrl+Y Redo
Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V Copy / Paste
Del Delete selection
Ctrl+A Select all
Esc Cancel current action

Next Steps