Designing a PCB with DEX > Projects > Circuit Simulation > The Spice Reference Manual > Analysis and output Control

.NODESET: Specify Initial Node Voltage Guesses

General form:

.NODESET V(NODNUM)=VAL V(NODNUM)=VAL ...

Examples:

.NODESET V(12)=4.5 V(4)=2.23

The Nodeset line helps the program find the dc or initial transient solution by making a preliminary pass with the specified nodes held to the given voltages. The restriction is then released and the iteration continues to the true solution. The .NODESET line may be necessary for convergence on bistable or a-stable circuits. In general, this line should not be necessary.

.IC: Set Initial Conditions

General form: .IC V(NODNUM)=VAL V(NODNUM)=VAL ... Examples: .IC V(11)=5 V(4)=-5 V(2)=2.2

The IC line is for setting transient initial conditions. It has two different interpretations, depending on whether the UIC parameter is specified on the .TRAN control line. Also, one should not confuse this line with the .NODESET line. The .NODESET line is only to help dc convergence, and does not affect final bias solution (except for multi-stable circuits). The two interpretations of this line are as follows:

1. When the UIC parameter is specified on the .TRAN line, then the node voltages specified on the .IC control line are used to compute the capacitor, diode, BJT, JFET, and MOSFET initial conditions. This is equivalent to specifying the IC=... parameter on each device line, but is much more convenient. The IC=... parameter can still be specified and takes precedence over the .IC values. Since no dc bias (initial transient) solution is computed before the transient analysis, one should take care to specify all dc source voltages on the .IC control line if they are to be used to compute device initial conditions.

2. When the UIC parameter is not specified on the .TRAN control line, the dc bias (initial transient) solution is computed before the transient analysis. In this case, the node voltages specified on the .IC control line is forced to the desired initial values during the bias solution. During transient analysis, the constraint on these node voltages is removed. This is the preferred method since it allows SPICE to compute a consistent dc solution.