Recommended Free Tools
Yes—usable SPICE models for the MC1496 balanced modulator exist, but the readily available examples are third-party or legacy models, not a clearly verified current ON Semiconductor macro-model. For LTspice, a community-posted transistor-level model is a practical starting point. Before trusting its output, match its .SUBCKT pin order to the symbol and datasheet, establish the recommended bias conditions, and validate the results against the behavior you actually need to predict.
What the MC1496 model represents
The MC1496 is an eight-transistor monolithic balanced modulator/demodulator. It has differential signal and carrier inputs, differential outputs, gain-adjust connections, and bias circuitry. Its applications include suppressed-carrier AM, synchronous detection, FM and phase detection, and chopper circuits. The manufacturer’s MC1496/MC1496B datasheet is the authority for its electrical characteristics and package pin diagrams; application note AN531 describes the internal differential-pair and switching-quad arrangement.
In balanced-modulator service, the circuit produces components around the sum and difference of signal and carrier frequencies. It is related to a Gilbert-cell multiplier, but it is not an ideal mathematical multiplier: its behavior depends on bias, input levels, loading, balance, and whether the carrier path is operated in a more linear or switching regime.
A behavioral expression such as BOUT out 0 V = {K*V(signal)*V(carrier)} can illustrate multiplication and sidebands. By itself, however, it does not model the IC’s input loading, bias currents, common-mode limits, gain adjustment, supply current, transistor mismatch, noise, distortion, or frequency-dependent parasitics.
#1 Best Overall
- Item Condition: Brand New
- Quantity: 5 Pcs MC1496 MC1496PG DIP-14 Balanced Modulators Demodulators
- Actual item as shown in photos
- Random send the part number
- NOTE: Kindly compare your original item with the photos provided for the listing to make sure that you are purchasing the correct part. we don't provide technical assistance please make sure you are familiar with the product before purchasing. apologize in advance.
Which SPICE model should you choose?
| Model type | What it represents | Best use | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioral multiplier | Scaled product, optionally with deliberately added imbalance or limiting | System-level modulation, spectrum, or control demonstrations | Low device-level fidelity; realistic bias and loading are absent unless added |
| Community transistor-level macro-model | An internal transistor implementation | LTspice experimentation and learning | Third-party, old, and not shown to correlate with production-device measurements |
| Legacy simulator library | A model packaged for its original EDA environment | Maintaining an existing CircuitMaker or CircuitLogix project | Portability to current simulators is not established |
| Custom transistor reconstruction | A circuit built from the datasheet topology | Education or a model that can be modified | Requires implementation and parameter choices; topology alone does not ensure accuracy |
Community LTspice model
The most directly usable public example is in an All About Circuits discussion. The 2010 post includes a library and sample schematic, with separate subcircuits identified as LM1496H for a 10-pin metal-can version and LM1496N for a 14-pin version. It uses CA3046 transistor models. Treat it as an educational or approximate third-party model: the source does not establish manufacturer validation, hardware correlation, modern LTspice compatibility, or a universal pin mapping.
Legacy libraries
CircuitLogix device-library documentation lists MC1496 SPICE data and an AMMOD.CKT example. Legacy CircuitMaker library documentation also identifies an MC1496 simulation subcircuit. These are most useful when maintaining projects in their original environments; the documentation does not establish that their files can be imported unchanged into LTspice, PSpice, KiCad, or ngspice.
Substitute names are not proof of equivalence
Some libraries or discussions use LM1496 names for an MC1496 simulation. An NI Multisim discussion describes using an LM1496 model in that context, but it is community guidance, not a current manufacturer equivalence statement. Check the specific device, package, pinout, and model implementation rather than assuming MC1496, MC1496B, and LM1496 are universally interchangeable.
Check package pins and model node order first
A SPICE subcircuit’s external node order is defined by its .SUBCKT line, not by the physical pin numbers printed around a package diagram. A symbol can have the right number of pins and still connect the wrong electrical nodes. The MC1496 is encountered in 14-pin packages and 10-pin metal-can variants, whose physical numbering is not interchangeable.
| 14-pin package pin | Datasheet function |
|---|---|
| 1 | Signal input |
| 2 | Gain adjust |
| 3 | Output |
| 4 | Signal input |
| 5 | Bias |
| 6 | Output |
| 7 | Carrier input |
| 8 | Carrier input |
| 9 | No connection |
| 10 | Carrier input/bias-related connection as shown in the package diagram |
| 11 | No connection |
| 12 | Gain adjust |
| 13 | No connection |
| 14 | VEE |
Use the package drawing in the datasheet to interpret connections, particularly the carrier and bias-related pin. The table is a physical-package map, not a substitute for the subcircuit’s node list.
- Open the model file in a text editor and find the
.SUBCKTdeclaration. Record its exact name, external nodes, and their order. - Check the file for required
.MODELstatements, continuation lines beginning with+, duplicate names, and simulator-specific syntax. - Compare the number and order of model nodes with the symbol pins. Map each active input, output, gain-adjust, bias, and supply connection deliberately.
- Reconcile that map with the correct package diagram in the datasheet. Do not add physical no-connect pins to the subcircuit call unless that subcircuit actually exposes them.
- Follow the datasheet application circuit for biasing and unused terminals; do not ground or float a pin simply because a generic symbol leaves it unconnected.
- Run a DC operating-point check before adding signal and carrier sources.
Import a model into LTspice
Keep the model source intact, make a working copy if edits are needed, and verify the subcircuit name and node order before wiring a symbol. The core LTspice requirements are an included library, a symbol whose value matches the exact subcircuit name, and pin ordering that matches its declaration. Interface labels can vary by release, so check the symbol’s pin attributes rather than relying on a particular menu path.
Rank #2
- Founded in 2010, Chips Gate is a trusted supplier of industrial automation equipment, including PLC modules,motor drives, and control systems for both B2B and B2C needs.
- Wide selection of automation equipment suitable for various industrial and commercial applications.
- Durable packaging keeps your order fully protected in transit.
- Available for single-unit purchases or bulk orders to meet different project needs.
- Dedicated to maintaining consistent quality standards through careful selection and handling of equipment.
- Save the plain-text model as a library file, for example
MC1496.lib, in the project directory or another location you can reference. - Place a suitable generic or custom symbol and set its Value to the exact name after
.SUBCKT—for example,LM1496Nif that is the model’s declared name. - Add the directive
.include MC1496.lib, using a path that resolves from the schematic or project. - Ensure the symbol’s pin sequence corresponds exactly to the subcircuit’s external node order. Do not infer that order from a symbol’s labels or the package pin numbers.
- Wire the supplies and datasheet-recommended bias and gain-adjust network, then run an operating-point analysis.
- After the DC values are plausible, run a transient test and inspect the output waveform and spectrum.
A generic SPICE subcircuit call has this form:
XU1 n1 n2 n3 n4 n5 n6 n7 n8 n9 n10 MODEL_NAME
This is only a syntax example. The node count and order must come from the actual .SUBCKT declaration; it is not a universal MC1496 call.
Build and validate a DSB-SC testbench
Start from a datasheet application circuit rather than connecting ideal voltage sources directly to every pin. The stimulus below illustrates a low-frequency signal and a higher-frequency carrier; the correct source topology and DC offsets depend on the model’s differential pins and bias network.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →.param FS=1k
.param FC=100k
.param VS=20m
.param VC=60m
Vsig sigp 0 SINE(0 {VS} {FS})
Vcar carp 0 SINE(0 {VC} {FC})
With these example frequencies, the principal modulation products should appear near FC-FS and FC+FS. Whether the carrier itself is suppressed, and by how much, depends on circuit balance, bias, source levels, loading, and mismatch. The datasheet reports typical carrier-suppression figures of approximately 65 dB at 0.5 MHz and 50 dB at 10 MHz for its stated device/application conditions; those figures are not guaranteed results for a third-party model or an arbitrary testbench.
Measure more than the sidebands
Record the output node and load, input levels, bias conditions, transient time window, and FFT resolution when comparing runs. For useful validation, inspect:
- DC operating point, output offset, and supply current.
- Time-domain waveform and whether the output clips.
- FFT amplitudes at the lower sideband, carrier, and upper sideband.
- Gain versus signal amplitude and behavior as the gain-adjust network changes.
- How the carrier suppression changes when balance is deliberately perturbed.
Define carrier suppression with an explicit reference, such as carrier amplitude relative to a stated sideband at the same output node and load. A ratio such as 20 log10(Vcarrier/Vreference) is not reproducible unless the measurement bandwidth, FFT window, node, load, and reference component are specified.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsRank #3
- COMPONENT INCLUDED: Each pack contains 5 pieces of MC1496PG balanced modulator and demodulator ICs.
- IDEAL FOR STUDENTS AND HOBBYISTS: Perfect for electronics learners, DIY projects, and circuit repair enthusiasts exploring modulation techniques.
- Mounting Type: Through Hole
- Package: DIP-14
Bias and operating conditions that change the result
Carrier level
The upper differential quad can be operated with a lower-level carrier in a more linear regime or driven harder toward switching behavior. These conditions produce different gain and output spectra, as the datasheet’s application guidance indicates. A carrier should not be treated as an arbitrary logic clock: use the level and bias appropriate to the intended circuit.
Signal level and gain adjustment
The lower differential pair has a finite linear range. Excessive signal drive can cause compression, clipping, and additional harmonics. The gain-adjust terminals are functional circuit nodes; leaving them floating or grounding them without reference to the recommended application can produce misleading gain or a bad operating point.
Supply and bias convention
The datasheet shows circuits using dual supplies as well as a single-12-V supply arrangement. A model set up for one bias convention will not necessarily work when moved to another by changing only the supply voltage: input common-mode levels, output bias, and every bias connection must be translated consistently.
Troubleshoot common simulation failures
“Unknown subcircuit”
- Confirm the library include path resolves and the file is plain text.
- Copy the exact spelling of the subcircuit name from its
.SUBCKTline into the symbol’s Value field. - Check for a name such as
LM1496Ninstead ofMC1496.
Wrong node count or unexpected behavior despite a successful run
Compare symbol pin count and order against the declared external nodes, then compare the electrical mapping with the package diagram. A circuit may compile while inputs, outputs, or supplies are connected to the wrong nodes; successful parsing does not validate pin mapping.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
DC operating point does not converge
- Check for floating differential inputs, bias pins, gain-adjust pins, or nodes without a DC path.
- Verify supply polarity and pin mapping against the datasheet circuit.
- Use realistic source resistance and reduce signal levels while debugging.
- Inspect model syntax and transistor parameters for compatibility with the simulator.
- Temporarily replace the macro-model with a simple multiplier to separate wiring or testbench errors from model convergence issues.
Output is saturated
Check supply voltages, carrier and signal amplitudes, output loading and bias, gain-adjust wiring, and whether a differential input has been driven in a way that violates the model’s expected common-mode conditions. The real device also has finite signal handling, so saturation alone does not prove a model defect.
Carrier null is unrealistically perfect
Perfectly matched transistor branches in a model can produce a much deeper carrier null than a physical circuit; an ideal product model can produce mathematical balance by construction. You can perturb one branch or add a small controlled imbalance as a sensitivity experiment, but that does not turn the result into a statistical production model.
Quick Recap
When another approach is a better fit
- Use a behavioral multiplier when the goal is to test system-level modulation or a communications algorithm, not to predict IC bias, distortion, or loading.
- Use a discrete Gilbert-cell model when you want transparent, editable circuitry for learning or architectural exploration.
- Consider an AD633-class multiplier for general-purpose analog multiplication; it is not a pin-compatible or architectural replacement for the MC1496.
- Consider an AD630-class device for precision balanced modulation or synchronous detection when its distinct operating requirements suit the design. An NI discussion comparing the MC1496 and AD630 for phase-sensitive detection is community context, not a specification.
- Use the MC1496 model when maintaining a legacy design or studying the behavior of that device, while treating unvalidated model predictions accordingly.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
