Hello Altair team,
I am using PSIM 2024.1 (24.1.0.3323) with the PSIM embedded Python 3.12 API for an academic DAB/CLLC converter study.
Before using a physical switching model in the converter study, I performed one preregistered smoke test only on the unmodified official Wolfspeed C3M0032120K SPICE DPT example bundled with PSIM.
The source schematic and run copy were byte-identical:
SHA-256: C33E061E0AF067EDD7785242BF3D98E012637ECF082F90F6691E0DF564BE8005
The simulation produced no persisted SMV. The API printed:
Error: cannot access local variable 'schFilePath' where it is not associated with a value
Static inspection of the installed Psim_Class.py shows that schFilePath is assigned only when PsimSimulate() receives a string path, while my single authorized run passed a PSIM_schematic handle:
PsimFileOpen(...) -> PsimSimulate(schematic_handle, graph_path, Simview=0)
When SimulationInit2 returns zero, the failure path then dereferences schFilePath, which masks the underlying pszError message. I have not performed a second simulation after this stop condition.
I also found two additional static details:
- the handle-based path and string-path branch use different schematic-opening paths/flags, so I would like to confirm which form is supported for schematics containing
SPICE_SUB_NETLIST_BLOCK; - the converted Python representation contains SPICE sub-netlist blocks, but it does not expose the full external model/netlist binding, so I cannot determine whether copying the
.psimsch outside the installation directory breaks a relative binding.
The installed example also contains SPICE-specific simulation settings, including SPICETIMESTEP, so I would like to confirm the intended simulation engine/API entry point.
Could you please clarify:
- Should this official Wolfspeed SPICE DPT be run using
PsimSimulate, PsimSimulate_HyperSpice, PsimSimulate_LTSpice, or another supported API call in PSIM 2024.1? - Is passing a string schematic path to
PsimSimulate() the supported way to retrieve the underlying SimulationInit2 error, rather than passing a PSIM_schematic handle? - For
SPICE_SUB_NETLIST_BLOCK elements, does the schematic need to remain in its original installation folder so that DLL/netlist/model bindings remain valid? - Is the unbound
schFilePath behavior a known PSIM 2024.1 Python API issue? - What is the recommended workflow for using the bundled Wolfspeed SPICE model as a physical-commutation reference and then calibrating the native PSIM Level-2 C3M0032120K model against the same DPT circuit?
- Can the native Level-2 model be used independently as a qualitative commutation-trajectory smoke test before vendor-SPICE calibration, provided no quantitative switching-loss/ZVS claim is made?
The project is currently stopped from making physical commutation, ZVS/ZCS, or final semiconductor-loss ranking claims until this workflow is validated. Historical electrical operating-point results are being kept under their original behavioral-model claim boundary.
I have a preserved evidence package with hashes, console transcript, runner, static API inspection and model provenance, and can provide it privately to Altair staff if needed.
Thank you very much.
