TouchSPICE vs. ReActive-SPICE: A Human-Computer Interaction Perspective

<p>Traditional SPICE simulation tools and applications of circuit theory lack real-time interaction and feedback. The goal of this thesis was to create an interactive physical environment to allow the manipulation and simulation of discrete electrical components in near-real-time while optimizing and streamlining the human-computer interaction (HCI) elements to make the user experience as positive and transparent as possible. This type of HCI and near-real-time simulation feedback would allow for the instant realization of how the parameters of each discrete component or hardware module affect the overall simulation and response of the circuit.</p> <p>The scope of this thesis is to research, design and develop two real-time interactive SPICE simulation tools and analyze the real-time benefits and HCI elements of both simulators, principally the user interface design itself. The first real-time interactive simulator (TouchSPICE) uses multiple embedded processors (touchscreen hardware blocks) and a host computer to build and simulate a circuit. The second real-time interactive simulator (ReActive-SPICE) uses a single host computer with integrated software to build and simulate a circuit, much like LTspice™ and PSpice™ without the real-time aspects.</p> <p>As part of the study, 20 students were asked to create circuits utilized in undergraduate-level labs using TouchSPICE and ReActive-SPICE for the sole purpose of providing feedback on the two user interfaces. Students were asked to complete a survey before, during and after circuit creation to provide a basis for judging the intuitiveness, efficiency and overall effectiveness of the HCIs. Conclusions based-off the surveys support the hypothesis that both TouchSPICE and ReActive-SPICE were more intuitive and overall simpler than traditional SPICE simulation tools. Feedback collected showed TouchSPICE to have a more intuitive user interface while ReActive-SPICE proved to be more efficient. ReActive-SPICE was further developed and enhanced to improve the user interface as well as the overall circuit creation and real-time simulation processes.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MS in Electrical Engineering

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical Engineering

Year dc:date.available

2012

Author dc:creator

• O'Hara, Joshua Martin

Contributors dc:contributor

• John Y. Oliver

• real-time
• human-computer interaction
• HCI
• physical-virtual
• embedded processors
• Qt
• VLSI and Circuits, Embedded and Hardware Systems

Identifier

10.15368/theses.2012.161

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.calpoly.edu:theses-1894