What format should I use for my homework solutions?

Remember to use the ECE Homework Format, and to show all of your work (please attach hardcopy of output from any software tools that you use; you can also cut-and-paste onto your engineering paper as well).

In Eccles (the text), which figure goes with which problem?

Figures associated with a particular problem are designated by the "=>" symbol at the end of the problem statement.

How do I do coupled coils (mutual inductance) in Electronics Workbench?

The EWB circuit for Eccles 8.12 (includes coupled coils) is now available (look in the "Files" distribution area on the EC300 homepage).

EWB appears to not support coupled coils with a specific circuit
element, so the file shows how you can make your own set of coupled
coils using inductors and dependent sources.

How about coupled coils in PSpice?

PSpice has direct support for coupled coils.  Again, look in the files
distribution area for "eccles_8.12.sch".

Is there any free documentation for PSpice?

The local FTP mirror
(ftp://ftp.rose-hulman.edu/pub/mirrors/ftp.netcom.com/pub/mi/microsim/Ev al_Versions/docs/) contains the complete PSpice doc set in PDF format. These two files are probably of most interest when you are getting
started:

     pspcbscs.pdf -- "PSpice & Basics"
     pspcref.pdf -- "PSpice Reference Manual"

These are the full-strength manuals -- for example, the "PSpice &
Basics" manual is 423 pages long. I would ask that you *not* print the
entire manual on a RHIT laser printer (!!), but rather print only a
handful of pages if you need hardcopy at all. I found that zooming in a
bit on the page (within Acrobat Reader) makes it very readable on the
computer screen.

I�d like to construct a signal source to implement a sum of sinusoids. Any ideas?

In PSpice: Use multiple VSIN sources in series, and adjust each
source to produce each of the sinusoids which make up vs(t). Use a
transient analysis.

Note that VSIN literally implements A*sin(2*pi*f*t + theta). If we were using multiple sources at the same frequency, there would be no problem using sin( ) instead of cos( ). It *does* make a difference when you use
sinusoidal sources at different frequencies, however.

So, the bottom line is this: You need to add 90 degrees to the phase of
the cos( ) function to properly translate into PSpice.

For example, suppose you have vs(t) = 10cos(2pi440t) + 6cos(2pi880t +
20deg). You would use the following values in the VSIN device:

Source #1: Amplitude=10, frequency=440, phase=90
Source #2: Amplitude=6, frequency=880, phase=110
 

In Electronics Workbench: Use multiple sinusoidal sources in series. Remember that EWB's sinusoidal amplitude specification is in RMS, so you need to make a conversion to get the correct amplitude.