gnucap-python

This package contains a python plugin for the circuit simulator Gnucap which allows the user to implement commands or components (or anything) in Python, and run the simulator in a python environment, e.g. for postprocessing or plotting purposes.

The package also provides a command for Gnucap that loads Python modules, such as Python modules implementing custom commands or components (or anything). See examples.

Your support is gratefully received.

Requirements

requirements are:

• gnucap >= oct '17
• Python >= 3.6
• Swig >= 3.0.0 (tested with 3.0.12, 4.0.1)
• Numpy (with development headers/libraries)
• c++11 compiler (known issue with gcc 9, param.py)

Installation

Build python plugin for gnucap

::

$ ./bootstrap $ ./configure # pass PYTHON=some_other_python, to select # pass SWIG=/path/to/some/swig3.0, if needed $ make $ make check # runs tests $ make install # optional. may require root privileges

will install the python module "gnucap" and a gnucap plugin "python".

no Installation

after

::

$ make
$ export PYTHONPATH=.

it should be possible to "import gnucap" from a python interpreter, e.g.

::

$ python3 -c "import gnucap"
$ python3 some/test_or_example.py

Examples

From gnucap

This seems outdated. See examples/README

::

$ gnucap -a python.so gnucap> python example/loadplot.py <= this file is missing, but still. gnucap> get example/eq2-145.ckt gnucap> store ac vm(2) gnucap> ac oct 10 1k 100k gnucap> myplot vm(2)

First, the Python plugin is loaded. The second line loads a new command called "myplot" that plots a stored waveform using matplotlib. Line 3-5 loads a circuit and runs an ac analysis. Finally the ac magnitude of node 2 is plotted using the new plotting command.

From Python

Do the same directly from Python

::

$ python

import gnucap [..] welcome to gnucap-python gnucap.stuff

stuff is not documented much, but closely resembles the libgnucap interface. Exceptions are additional Pythonicity, and some usability hacks. see examples for some applications

Caveats

• Sometimes tests fail because of stream buffer races. don't know how to synchronize Python output with library output. Check manually...

• For debugging Python extensions with valgrind, you should set PYTHONMALLOC=malloc. The built-in default allocator, pymalloc, confuses valgrind.

• Python interface functions ending with _ are "under construction". These may be replaced or superseded by a more Pythonic approach later on.

• Generally you are advised to use gnucap packages from your distribution. If Gnucap is installed manually and with a custom prefix, you might have to pass

  LDFLAGS=-L$prefix/lib to configure. also export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$prefix/lib before you run gnucap-python.

  *** on some systems /usr/local is considered "custom", on others a dirty cache interferes with the linker. YMMV, tell me your workarounds ***

• the clone hack. currently, the clone override needs to keep a local reference to the returned python object. it boils down to an incompleteness in swig. generated code looks like

  c_result = reinterpret_cast< CARD * >(swig_argp); swig_acquire_ownership_obj(SWIG_as_voidptr(c_result), own /* & TODO: SWIG_POINTER_OWN */); return (CARD *) c_result;

  maybe a future swig will allow a better approach. NB: the clone override is now optional, and a default is taking care of this.

• python sometimes generates .pyc files containing cached bytecode in random places. these may lead to weird error messages, if they are outdated. delete them.