FAQ A01 - Electric: How do I connect electrical circuit elements?

Category: Simcenter Amesim

Topic: Applicative solutions

Access Level: End User

Publish Date: November 2013

Question

Electric: My Simcenter Amesim model of an electrical circuit generates implicit variables, and sometimes I cannot connect components. How do I connect electrical circuit elements?

Answer

The Simcenter Amesim causal approach requires you to respect some constraints when building a circuit model. The submodel choice is very important in that respect. Sometimes, Simcenter Amesim cannot find the right causality with the premier submodel button.

A submodel has a given causality (input or output quantities exchanged at ports). Once a submodel has been chosen in a component, it influences and limits the remaining circuit components possible submodel choice. Sometimes, a connection is possible despite the limitation, but algebraic loops are created, leading to a different type of problem. Another situation is that the limitation makes every connection impossible.

Then, if a wrong choice has been made once, it might be impossible to get a correct modeling afterward. In case of problem, it is often best to start the connection over, and then choose the submodels manually. In Sketch mode (F9), select the whole circuit (ctrl+A), right-click the sketch and click Remove submodels. Then all submodels are removed.

You can find tips to resolve the problems of causality assignment in the Electrical Basics manual.