Contributions to XCircuit
Otherwise known as ``Neat Hacks.''
As XCircuit develops further toward the model of a compact C core
with extended functionality provided by Python or TCL scripts, I
hope to create a separate page for contributed code, to include
contributed Python or TCL scripts which extend and enhance the
capabilities of XCircuit (see section "Help!" on the XCircuit
home page).
- Joachim Fenkes (dojoe AT gmx DOT net> has provided a Perl
script tool called "xclib" to aid in the process of
compiling and maintaining XCircuit libraries. It takes an
input script declaring, among other things, the ordering of
objects and names of objects to ignore, etc. This idea
seems so useful, I may have to incorporate it into the
xcircuit code. The script and accompanying README file
can be downloaded from the following URL:
xclib-0.8.tar.gz (about 12KB).
-
Zhengdao Wang (zhengdao AT ece.umn.edu) at the University of
Minnesota ECE department, has written a Matlab-to-xcircuit
Matlab script. The purpose of the script is to convert
a vector of points into an xcircuit object and save the
result into an xcircuit library file. This allows arbitrary
functions to be plotted into xcircuit for display of sinusoids,
exponents, etc. Now why didn't I think of that? I spent a
long time trying to think how to convert Matlab output to
xcircuit and didn't even think of this much more elegant
solution. This code can be expanded upon in many ways
(multiple objects, color, 2-D objects, text, etc. ad infinitum)
for anyone wishing to take on that task. As it is, this code
is a MUST HAVE: I can't recall how many times I wanted a
simple curve to a specific equation and tried to approximate
it with splines (ugh!). Here you go:
xcircuit.m Matlab script
test.m Matlab test program (generates
a sine wave)
-
More recently, Zhengdao has submitted a Tcl script that,
when sourced from the XCircuit Tcl console, draws a
Lissajous figure. The script can be downloaded here:
lissajou.tcl.
-
Paul Ortyl (ortylp AT key.net.pl) has kindly provided a Perl
script for converting xfig files to xcircuit. This program
should be considered alpha code and is provided without any
guarantees. If you have any extensions or fixes for the
program, please feel free to pass them on.
fig2xcircuit
-
Jayant Jere (j_jere AT yahoo.com) claims to have written a Java tool
to convert netlists (e.g., spice?) into schematics
(e.g., xcircuit?). In his last email to me, July 27 (1999), he
claimed it was "still not production ready". Please bug him about
it until it is.
Note: this should be superceded by
XCircuit version 3.2 with automatic schematic generation provided
by Dr. Stephen Frezza and his students at Gannon University.
Back to the xcircuit home page. . .
email:
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Last updated: May 9, 2007 at 4:16pm