Fred,
Thanks much for the files, which I will resort to if LT doesn't get back to me today (or rejects my plea.) I guess I didn't make myself clear:
LT will let anyone have their simulator and its documentation for free, no problems, but to _register_ you have to have what they are willing to consider a "security sensitive" email.
Anyone can get a gmail address just for the asking, and they find it easier to administrate their samples-giveaway program and their software maintenance system by limiting who they will automagically hand out 'yes'es to. In my case, I think I have a quite legitimate claim to their programs, being a working technician and a private inventor who, who can tell, might just invent something everyone wants and would sell millions of LT ICs. Frankly, the majority of IC companies will feed folk like us better than 'legit' engineers, because the legit engineers are too ready to fall into patterns. Last power supply used National parts, all power supplies must use National parts. Us poor bottom-benchers are more likely to say, oooh, I have a sample from LT that might make a good PS for this, let's slot it in and see what it does!"
That was one of my real enjoyable bits when I worked for UTRC, in fact: after giving me his canned spiel, the local Newark field sales guy (Newark is the US version of Farnell, at least now) he'd lead me out ot his car, and any databook of sample box that didn't have a destination already chosen for it was mine to take if I wanted. (Even years before that, this same sales guy gave me the whole databook and programming manual set for the Pace microprocessor that National was fronting at the time: it was like the 1802 on stearoids. I didn't buy any, but I did learn a bunch about uP from it, so I was able to buy other stuff from them.
If anyone else reading the group is in my position, taking the effort to learn the math and apply it, capable of waving a soldering iron without damaging yourself too badly, and interested in design, call your local Newark (or Farnell?) and see if they're willing to support you. I have my own account with Newark for at home as well as the one I used at Pfizer (which I moved with me to IPG.) When I was going to UCONN for EE (which unfortunately aborted) I was able to buy equipment the bookstore didn't have from Newark at deeply discounted prices!
So anyway, if I don't get registered with LT, I'll download the files, but if I do, I'll feel better about being able to keep the software up to date.
And I apologize for what has become another OT subthread.
ray
