Also note that "'''Step Size'''" is different from "'''Step Ceiling'''". Step size specifies how large each time step of the simulation is when using the "Simulation Stepping" feature. Step Size does not factor into the simulation when running the engine in "'''Walk'''" or "'''Run'''" modes, where the simulation engine itself decides how large a step to take. On the other hand, Step Ceiling is the maximum value that you specify for the automatically calculated time step when a simulation is "Walked" or "Run".
To set the step size, go to '''Simulate Menu''' and select the "'''Time Options...'''" to open the Simulation Time Options Dialog. Or click the button labeled {{key|...}} on the '''[[Main toolbar|[[Main toolbar|Main Toolbar]]]]''' on the left of the Run button as shown in the figure below. You can also use the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl+I" to open this dialog, which is shown below:
<table>
== Using Live Digital Timing Diagrams ==
[[B2RF.Spice A/D]] allows you to view the state of your digital inputs and outputs graphically in real time using "'''Live Timing Diagrams'''". The digital timing diagrams appear diagram appears at the bottom of the Workshop just like a regular graph. However, these are interactive "live" graphs that change and expand with every time step. For this part of the lesson, you keep the value of "Time Step" at 20ns. First, reset your simulation engine by clicking the "'''Stop/Reset'''" [[File:b2Stop_Tool.png]] button of the [[Main toolbar|Main Toolbar]], or using the keyboard shortcut "'''Ctrl+E'''". Also reset the values of all the three inputs to 0.
To activate the timing diagrams, click the "'''Show/Hide Live Digital Timing Diagrams'''" [[File:b2Timing_Tool.png]] button of the '''[[Schematic toolbar|Schematic Toolbar]]'''. Nothing happens immediately because you haven't started a [[Digital Simulation|digital simulation]] yet. Here is the game plan that you will follow next. You will set the values of each input to 1 sequentially, one at a time. You will increment three time steps between any two actions or events. Then, you will revert the values of the three inputs back to 0 sequentially, one at a time, in the reverse order, until all the three inputs are 0 again. The following table shows the timing of the events:
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Start the [[Digital Simulation|digital simulation]] with all zero inputs and increment three time steps to 60ns. You will see that four timing diagrams appear at the bottom of the Workshop, one for each input and one for the output. In general every input and output port will have a timing diagram. Then, change the value of Input 1 to 1. Step again and you will see that the timing diagrams immediately get updated because the input states have now changed. Increment two more time steps to 120ns. Then, change the value of Input 2 to 1. Follow this recipe according to the above event table with 60ns intervals until all inputs are set to 0 again. The timing diagrams get updated after each change of state and the final diagrams are shown in the figure abovebelow. With a closer look at the output timing diagram, you will be able to see the propagation delay between the input and output ports. For example, at t = 180ns, when all three inputs are 1, you would expect to see the output to jump at 1. However, it take takes about 20ns for this to happen (at t = 200ns). To understand this, double-click on the NAND gate to open up its property dialog as shown above. You will see that 74LS10D has a "'''Low-to-High Propagation Delay'''" of 9ns and a "'''High-to-Low Propagation Delay'''" of 10ns. The 74LS04D Inverter has similar propagation delays. When Input 3 jumps to 1 at t = 180ns, it takes the NAND gate a propagation delay of 10ns to fall from its 1 state down to 0. Similarly, it takes the Inverter gate an additional propagation delay of 9ns to rise from its 0 state up to 1. This makes a total delay of 19ns as you can see from the graph.
{{Note|The timing diagram updates only when there is a change of states of the inputs.}}