In this question, it was brought up that recent versions of Circuitikz reversed the direction of symbols such as batteries. The fix is to insert \tikzset{voltage dir = RP}. This was working for me until I reinstalled my system software (Mac OS) and installed TeX Live 2019. Now that line leads to a console error I do not know the key '/tikz/voltage dir'. What's happening?
EDIT: updating all packages solved the problem.
Your problem is probably a simple version problem, so check I need to use a different version of circuitikz. How can I do that?, please.
But given that the voltage direction problem arises frequently, let me cite the manual here (and as someone said, reading the documentation is pretty dangerous):
The default direction/sign for currents and voltages in the components is, unfortunately, not standard, and can change across countries and sometimes across different authors. This unfortunate situation created a bit of confusion in circuitikz across the versions, with several incompatible changes starting from version 0.5. From version 0.9.0 onward, the maintainers agreed a new policy for the directions of bipoles’ voltages and currents, depending on 4 different possible options:
oldvoltagedirection, or the key style voltage dir=old: Use the old way of voltage direction having
a difference between european and american direction, with wrong default labeling for batteries (it
was the default before version 0.5);
nooldvoltagedirection, or the key style voltage dir=noold: The standard from version 0.5 onward, utilize the (German?) standard of voltage arrows in the direction of electric fields (without
fixing batteries);
RPvoltages (meaning Rising Potential voltages), or the key style voltage dir=RP: the arrow is in
the direction of rising potential, like in oldvoltagedirection, but batteries and current sources are
fixed so that they follow the passive/active standard: the default direction of v and i are chosen so
that, when both values are positive:
EFvoltages (meaning Electric Field voltages), or the key style voltage dir=EF: the arrow is in
direction of the electric field, like in nooldvoltagedirection, but batteries are fixed;
Notice that the four styles are designed to be used at the environment level: that is, you should use them
at the start of your environment as in \begin{circuitikz}[voltage dir=old] ... and not as a key for
single components, in which case the behaviour is not guaranteed.
Moreover, unless you are re-using old circuits, the best approach is to load the package with your preferred option (arguably, RPvoltages or EFvoltages should be the logical choices):
\usepackage[RPvoltages]{circuitikz}
and stick to it. There is a big fat warning if you do not specify the voltage direction, but I am evaluating removing it, it seems nobody reads warnings...
To long for the comment ...
I make test of your MWE with my Windows machine with recent MikTeX version (upgraded today) and also with some simple circuit scheme:
\listfiles
\documentclass[border=3.14159]{standalone}
\usepackage{circuitikz}
\tikzset{voltage dir=RP}
\begin{document}
% \begin{circuitikz}
%\draw (0,0) to [sV=$Uq$] (0,2);
% \end{circuitikz}
\end{document}
Compilation above MWE gives no errors, no warning and it generate the following file list:
*File List*
standalone.cls 2018/03/26 v1.3a Class to compile TeX sub-files standalone
shellesc.sty 2019/11/08 v1.0c unified shell escape interface for LaTeX
ifluatex.sty 2019/10/25 v1.5 ifluatex legacy package. Use iftex instead.
iftex.sty 2019/11/07 v1.0c TeX engine tests
xkeyval.sty 2014/12/03 v2.7a package option processing (HA)
xkeyval.tex 2014/12/03 v2.7a key=value parser (HA)
standalone.cfg 2018/03/26 v1.3a Default configuration file for 'standalone'
class
article.cls 2019/10/25 v1.4k Standard LaTeX document class
size10.clo 2019/10/25 v1.4k Standard LaTeX file (size option)
circuitikz.sty 2019/12/22{} The CircuiTikz circuit drawing package version 1
.0.0-pre1
tikz.sty 2020/01/08 v3.1.5b (3.1.5b)
pgf.sty 2020/01/08 v3.1.5b (3.1.5b)
pgfrcs.sty 2020/01/08 v3.1.5b (3.1.5b)
everyshi.sty 2001/05/15 v3.00 EveryShipout Package (MS)
pgfrcs.code.tex
pgfcore.sty 2020/01/08 v3.1.5b (3.1.5b)
graphicx.sty 2017/06/01 v1.1a Enhanced LaTeX Graphics (DPC,SPQR)
graphics.sty 2019/11/01 v1.3d Standard LaTeX Graphics (DPC,SPQR)
trig.sty 2016/01/03 v1.10 sin cos tan (DPC)
graphics.cfg 2016/06/04 v1.11 sample graphics configuration
pdftex.def 2018/01/08 v1.0l Graphics/color driver for pdftex
pgfsys.sty 2020/01/08 v3.1.5b (3.1.5b)
pgfsys.code.tex
pgfsyssoftpath.code.tex 2020/01/08 v3.1.5b (3.1.5b)
pgfsysprotocol.code.tex 2020/01/08 v3.1.5b (3.1.5b)
xcolor.sty 2016/05/11 v2.12 LaTeX color extensions (UK)
color.cfg 2016/01/02 v1.6 sample color configuration
pgfcore.code.tex
pgfcomp-version-0-65.sty 2020/01/08 v3.1.5b (3.1.5b)
pgfcomp-version-1-18.sty 2020/01/08 v3.1.5b (3.1.5b)
pgffor.sty 2020/01/08 v3.1.5b (3.1.5b)
pgfkeys.sty
pgfkeys.code.tex
pgfmath.sty
pgfmath.code.tex
pgffor.code.tex
tikz.code.tex
supp-pdf.mkii
epstopdf-base.sty 2019-12-09 v2.10 Base part for package epstopdf
***********
Result is blank page or if I consider example of circuitikz scheme` result is as expected:
Conclusion: I confirm @Rmano answer (+1). Please check, which version of packages you obtain at compilation of this MWE on your machine. If dates and versions of packages on your machine is older, than please update your LaTeX installation. With this you will solve your problem.
circuitikzyou use?