SIMetrix

SPICE and Mixed Mode Simulation

Users Manual

Copyright 1992-2008 SIMetrix Technologies Ltd.

Trademarks
PSpice is a trademark of Cadence Design Systems Inc.
Hspice is a trademark of Synopsis Inc.
Contact
SIMetrix Technologies Ltd., Terence House, 24 London Road,
Thatcham, RG18 4LQ, United Kingdom
Tel:
Fax:
Email:
Internet

+44 1635 866395

+44 1635 868322
info@simetrix.co.uk
http://www.simetrix.co.uk

Copyright SIMetrix Technologies Ltd. 1992-2008

SIMetrix Users Manual 2/10/08

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
Chapter 1

Introduction
Installation ................................................................ 16
General Information.................................................. 16
Uninstalling ............................................................... 17
Installation - Linux Version............................................... 17
To Install from CD..................................................... 17
error while loading shared libraries ........................ 18
Installing to Other Locations ..................................... 18
Uninstalling - Linux Version ...................................... 19
Licensing.......................................................................... 19
Overview................................................................... 19
Installing Stand Alone License Files......................... 19
Network Licensing- Overview ................................... 20
Installing Network Licensing for Windows ................ 21
Using the GUI Installer ............................................. 21
Installing License Manager Manually ....................... 21
Installing Network Licensing for Linux ...................... 22
Starting SIMetrix Network Version............................ 22
Using TCP Ports....................................................... 23
Changing the Location of the License Server........... 24
License Server Version ............................................ 25
Obtaining a License File ........................................... 25
Using the License Server ......................................... 25
What Is Simetrix............................................................... 27
What is SIMPLIS.............................................................. 28
Why Simulate?................................................................. 29
System Requirements ..................................................... 29
Operating System..................................................... 29
Hardware .................................................................. 30
Recommended System ............................................ 30
About the 64 bit Version ........................................... 31
Upgrade Notes................................................................. 31
Windows Vista User Account Control ..................... 31

Chapter 2

Quick Start
Examples and Tutorials - Where are They? ............. 32
Simulation for the Novice.......................................... 32
Tutorial 1 - A Simple Ready to Run Circuit ...................... 33
Tutorial 2 - A Simple SMPS Circuit.................................. 41
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Users Manual
Tutorial 3 - Installing Third Party Models......................... 47

Chapter 3

Getting Started
Simulation Modes - SIMetrix or SIMPLIS ........................ 51
Using the Schematic Editor ............................................. 51
Creating a Schematic............................................... 51
Circuit Rules .................................................................... 53
Circuit Stimulus ............................................................... 54
Waveform Generator................................................ 54
PWL Source ............................................................. 55
Power Supply/Fixed Current Source........................ 55
AC Source................................................................ 55
Universal Source...................................................... 55
Other Sources .......................................................... 56
Analysis Modes ............................................................... 58
Overview .................................................................. 58
Using the Choose Analysis Dialog ........................... 58
Setting Up a SIMPLIS Simulation ............................ 62
Manual Entry of Simulator Commands .................... 65
Running the Simulator..................................................... 65
SIMetrix .................................................................... 65
SIMPLIS ................................................................... 66
Plotting Simulation Results.............................................. 66
Overview .................................................................. 66
Fixed Probes ............................................................ 66
Random Probes ....................................................... 67

Chapter 4

Schematic Editor
Schematic Windows and Sheets.............................. 70
Schematic Editor Window ........................................ 70
Editing Operations.................................................... 71
Wiring ....................................................................... 75
Edit Modes ............................................................... 77
Bus Connections ...................................................... 77
Copying to the Clipboard.......................................... 78
Annotating a Schematic ........................................... 78
Assigning Component References........................... 79
Checking the Schematic .......................................... 79
Schematic Preferences ............................................ 79
Adding and Removing Worksheets.......................... 80
Finding and Specifying Net Names.......................... 80
Hierarchical Schematic Entry .......................................... 80

Table of Contents
Top-Down Method .................................................... 81
Bottom-up method .................................................... 81
Navigating Hierarchical designs ............................... 82
Placing - Full vs Relative Path.................................. 82
Connecting Busses in a Hierarchy ........................... 83
Global Nets............................................................... 84
Global Pins ............................................................... 84
Passing Parameters Through a Hierarchy ............... 86
Missing Hierarchical Blocks...................................... 86
Highlighting............................................................... 86
Printing............................................................................. 87
Printing a Single Schematic Sheet ........................... 87
Printing a Hierarchical Schematic............................. 87
File Operations ................................................................ 87
Saving....................................................................... 87
Exporting Schematic Graphics ................................. 87
Exporting to Earlier Versions of SIMetrix.................. 88
ASCII format ............................................................. 88
Autosave................................................................... 89
Creating Schematic Symbols - Overview ........................ 89
Symbol Generator............................................................ 89
To Create a New Symbol ......................................... 90
To Create a New Symbol From an Existing One...... 90
Symbol Shape .......................................................... 90
Pins........................................................................... 91
Netlist Order ............................................................. 91
Symbol Pin Order ..................................................... 91
Modifying Pins .......................................................... 91
Properties ................................................................. 91
Placing Symbol on Schematic .................................. 94
Graphically Editing Generated Symbols................... 94
Graphical Symbol Editor .................................................. 94
Notes ........................................................................ 94
Symbol Editor Window ............................................. 94
The Elements of a Symbol ....................................... 95
Creating a New Symbol............................................ 95
Editing an Existing Symbol ....................................... 95
Drawing Straight Line Segments .............................. 95
Drawing Arcs, Circles and Ellipses........................... 95
Placing and Defining Pins......................................... 96
Defining Properties ................................................... 98
Saving Symbols...................................................... 101
Creating a Symbol from a Script.................................... 103
Properties ...................................................................... 103
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Overview ................................................................ 103
What is a Property?................................................ 104
Template Property.................................................. 106
Editing Properties in a Schematic .......................... 107
Restoring Properties .............................................. 107
Template Property......................................................... 107
Overview ................................................................ 107
Template Property Format ..................................... 108
Template Scripts .................................................... 115
Symbol Library Manager ............................................... 115
Operations.............................................................. 116
Editing System Symbol Libraries ........................... 118
PSpice Schematics Translation..................................... 118
Configuring the Translator...................................... 118
If you don't have PSpice......................................... 119
Reading PSpice Schematics.................................. 119
Installing PSpice Libraries for Use with SIMetrix.... 119
What the Translator will do..................................... 119
Limitations .............................................................. 119
Using Schematic Editor for CMOS IC Design ............... 120
MOSFET Symbols ................................................. 120
Automatic Area and Perimeter Calculation ............ 121
Editing the MOS Symbols ...................................... 122
Further Information........................................................ 122
How Symbols are Stored ....................................... 122
Summary of Simulator Devices.............................. 123

Chapter 5

Components
Numbered Components ................................................ 126
Numbered Components in SIMPLIS ............................. 127
SPICE to SIMPLIS Conversion .............................. 128
Generic Components .................................................... 132
Saturable Inductors and Transformers................... 134
Ideal Transformers ................................................. 136
Coupling Factor...................................................... 137
Mutual Inductors..................................................... 137
Resistors, Capacitors and Inductors ...................... 138
Infinite Capacitors and Inductors............................ 139
Potentiometer......................................................... 140
Lossless Transmission Line ................................... 140
Lossy Transmission Line........................................ 141
Fixed Voltage and Current Sources ....................... 141
Controlled Sources................................................. 141

Table of Contents
Voltage Controlled Switch ...................................... 141
Switch with Hysteresis............................................ 142
Generic ADCs and DACs ....................................... 142
Generic Digital Devices .......................................... 143
Functional Blocks - Overview ................................. 144
Non-linear Transfer Function.................................. 145
Laplace Transfer Function...................................... 146
Arbitrary Non-linear Passive Devices ..................... 148
Creating Models............................................................. 148
Overview................................................................. 148
Creating Soft Recovery Diode Models ................... 149
Subcircuits ..................................................................... 151
Overview................................................................. 151
Creating a Sub-circuit from a Schematic ................ 151
Calling a Sub-circuit in a Schematic ....................... 153
Special Components...................................................... 155
Initial Conditions ..................................................... 155
Nodesets ................................................................ 155
Keeps ..................................................................... 156
Parameters and Expressions......................................... 156
Example.................................................................. 156

Chapter 6

Device Library and Parts Management

Using Parts Browser ...................................................... 159
Parts Management - Installing Models .......................... 160
Overview................................................................. 160
Procedure ............................................................... 160
Full Model Installation Procedure ........................... 160
Removing Model Libraries...................................... 163
Parts Management - Advanced Topics.......................... 163
Associating Multiple Models with Symbols ............. 163
Embedded Association........................................... 165
Catalog Files........................................................... 166
Importing Models to a Schematic ........................... 167
Sundry Topics................................................................ 167
.LIB Control............................................................. 167
Drag and Drop to Schematic .................................. 168
Library Diagnostics ................................................. 168
Local Models .......................................................... 168
Library Indexing Mechanism................................... 168
Duplicate Model Names ......................................... 168

Users Manual

Chapter 7

Analysis Modes
Running Simulations ..................................................... 171
Overview ................................................................ 171
Starting, Pausing and Aborting Analyses............... 171
Running Analyses in Asynchronous Mode............. 172
Running an Analysis on a Netlist ........................... 172
Transient Analysis ......................................................... 172
Setting up a Transient Analysis.............................. 172
Restarting a Transient Run .................................... 175
Transient Snapshots .............................................. 175
Operating Point ............................................................. 177
Sweep Modes................................................................ 178
Device Sweep ........................................................ 178
Temperature........................................................... 179
Model Parameter.................................................... 179
Parameter .............................................................. 179
Frequency .............................................................. 181
Monte Carlo............................................................ 181
Setting up a Swept Analysis................................... 181
DC Sweep ..................................................................... 182
Setting up a DC sweep .......................................... 182
Example ................................................................. 183
AC Sweep ..................................................................... 184
Setting up an AC sweep......................................... 184
Example ................................................................. 185
Noise Analysis............................................................... 185
Setting up an AC Noise analysis............................ 185
Plotting Results of Noise Analysis.......................... 186
Example 1 .............................................................. 187
Example 2 .............................................................. 188
Real Time Noise............................................................ 189
Setting Up a Real Time Noise Analysis ................. 189
Transfer Function .......................................................... 190
Setting up a Transfer Function Analysis ................ 190
Plotting Transfer Function Analysis Results........... 191
Example ................................................................. 191
Pole-zero ....................................................................... 193
Setting up a Pole-zero Analysis ............................. 193
Viewing Results...................................................... 193
Example ................................................................. 193
Sensitivity ...................................................................... 193
Setting up a Sensitivity Analysis ............................ 194
Simulator Options.......................................................... 194
Setting Simulator Options ...................................... 194

Table of Contents
Multi-step Analyses........................................................ 196
Setting up a Multi-step Analysis ............................. 197
Example 1............................................................... 198
Example 2............................................................... 199
Safe Operating Area Testing ......................................... 200
Overview................................................................. 200
Defining Simple Limit Tests .................................... 200
Advanced SOA Limit Testing.................................. 201

Chapter 8

SIMPLIS Analysis Modes

Transient Analysis ......................................................... 202
Setting up a Transient Analysis .............................. 203
Periodic Operating Point (POP)..................................... 204
Setting up a POP Analysis ..................................... 205
AC Analysis ................................................................... 206
Setting up an AC Analysis ...................................... 206
SIMPLIS Options ........................................................... 206
Multi-step and Monte Carlo Analyses ............................ 207
Overview................................................................. 207
Comparison Between SIMetrix and SIMPLIS......... 207
Setting up a SIMPLIS Multi-step Parameter Analysis207
Setting Up a SIMPLIS Monte Carlo Analysis.......... 209
Tolerances and Distribution Functions ................... 209
Performance Analysis and Histograms .................. 210
Initial Condition Back-annotation ................................... 210
Overview................................................................. 210
How to Back-annotate a Schematic ....................... 211
Disable/Enable Initial Conditions ............................ 211
Back-annotation Errors........................................... 211
Editing Back-annotated Initial Conditions ............... 211
How Does it Work?................................................. 211
Hierarchical Blocks and Subcircuits ....................... 212

Chapter 9

Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

Elements of the Graph Window ..................................... 213
Main Window .......................................................... 213
Windows and Tabbed Sheets................................. 213
Graph Toolbar ........................................................ 214
Probes: Fixed vs. Random ............................................ 214
Fixed Probes.................................................................. 215
Fixed Voltage and Current Probe Options.............. 216
Fixed Bus Probe Options........................................ 218
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Using Fixed Probes in Hierarchical Designs .......... 219
Adding Fixed Probes After a Run has Started ....... 219
Changing Update Period and Start Delay .............. 219
Random Probes ............................................................ 219
General Behaviour ................................................. 219
Functions................................................................ 220
Notes on Probe Functions...................................... 221
Plotting Noise Analysis Results.............................. 222
Plotting Transfer Function Analysis Results........... 222
Fourier Analysis ..................................................... 223
Probing Busses ...................................................... 227
Bus Probe Options ................................................. 228
Plotting an Arbitrary Expression............................. 229
Curve Arithmetic..................................................... 234
Using Random Probes in Hierarchical Designs ..... 234
Plot Journals and Updating Curves............................... 236
Overview ................................................................ 236
Update Curves ....................................................... 236
Plot Journals .......................................................... 236
Graph Layout - Multiple Y-Axis Graphs......................... 237
AutoAxis Feature.................................................... 238
Manually Creating Axes and Grids......................... 239
Selecting Axes ....................................................... 239
Moving Curves to Different Axis or Grid................. 239
Deleting Axes ......................................................... 239
Editing Axes ........................................................... 240
Reordering Grids and Digital Axes......................... 241
Plotting the Results from a Previous Simulation ........... 241
Combining Results from Different Runs................. 241
Curve Operations .......................................................... 243
Selecting Curves .................................................... 243
Deleting Curves...................................................... 243
Hiding and Showing Curves................................... 243
Re-titling Curves..................................................... 243
Highlighting Curves ................................................ 244
Graph Cursors............................................................... 244
Overview ................................................................ 244
Cursor Operations.................................................. 245
Additional Cursors.................................................. 246
Cursor Readout...................................................... 247
Cursor Functions.................................................... 249
Curve Measurements .................................................... 249
Overview ................................................................ 249
Available Measurements........................................ 249
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Table of Contents
Using the Define Measurement GUI....................... 249
Measurement Definitions Manager......................... 252
Repeating the Same Measurement........................ 253
Notes on Curve Measurement Algorithms.............. 253
Plots from curves.................................................... 255
Graph Zooming and Scrolling ........................................ 255
Annotating a Graph........................................................ 256
Curve Markers ........................................................ 257
Legend Box ............................................................ 258
Text Box ................................................................. 259
Caption and Free Text............................................ 260
Copying to the Clipboard ............................................... 260
Overview................................................................. 260
Copy Data to the Clipboard .................................... 260
Copying Graphics to the Clipboard......................... 261
Paste Data from the Clipboard ............................... 261
Using the Internal Clipboard ................................... 261
Exporting Graphics ........................................................ 262
Saving Graphs ............................................................... 262
Saving..................................................................... 262
Restoring ................................................................ 263
Viewing DC Operating Point Results ............................. 263
Schematic Annotation............................................. 263
Displaying Device Operating Point Info .................. 263
List File Data........................................................... 263
Other Methods of Obtaining Bias Data................... 263
Bias Annotation in SIMPLIS ................................... 264
Bias Annotation Display Precision.......................... 264
Bias Annotation and Long Transient Runs ............. 264
Saving Data ................................................................... 264
Saving the Data of a Simulation ............................. 264
Restoring Simulation Data...................................... 265
Performance Analysis and Histograms.......................... 265
Overview................................................................. 265
Example.................................................................. 265
Histograms ............................................................. 267
Goal Functions ....................................................... 270
Data Import and Export.................................................. 280
Importing SPICE3 Raw and CSDF Files ................ 280
Importing Tabulated ASCII Data............................. 280
Exporting SPICE3 Raw Files.................................. 281
Exporting Data........................................................ 281
Launching Other Applications................................. 281
Data Files Text Format ........................................... 282
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Chapter 10 The Command Shell

Command Line .............................................................. 284
Command History .................................................. 284
Message Window................................................... 284
Multiple commands on one line.............................. 285
Scripts .................................................................... 285
Command Line Editing........................................... 285
Maximum Line Length............................................ 285
Command Line Switches ....................................... 285
Editing the Menu System .............................................. 285
Overview ................................................................ 285
Procedure............................................................... 286
User Defined Toolbars and Buttons .............................. 288
Message Window .......................................................... 288
Menu Reference............................................................ 288
Keyboard ....................................................................... 288

Chapter 11 Command and Function Reference

Command Summary ..................................................... 293
Reference...................................................................... 293
DefKey ................................................................... 293
DefMenu................................................................. 295
DelMenu................................................................. 297
OpenGroup ............................................................ 297
ReadLogicCompatibility ......................................... 298
Reset...................................................................... 299
SaveRhs................................................................. 299
Set.......................................................................... 299
Show ...................................................................... 300
Unset...................................................................... 301
Function Summary ........................................................ 301
Function Reference ....................................................... 303
abs(real/complex)................................................... 303
arg(real/complex) ................................................... 304
arg_rad(real/complex) ............................................ 304
atan(real/complex) ................................................. 304
cos(real/complex)................................................... 304
db(real/complex) .................................................... 304
diff(real) .................................................................. 304
exp(real/complex)................................................... 304
fft(real [, string]) ...................................................... 304
FIR(real, real [, real]) .............................................. 305
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Floor(real) ............................................................... 305
GroupDelay(real/complex)...................................... 306
Histogram(real, real)............................................... 306
Iff(real, any, any)..................................................... 306
IIR(real, real [, real])................................................ 307
im(real/complex), imag(real/complex) .................... 308
integ(real) ............................................................... 308
Interp(real, real [, real, real]) ................................... 308
IsComplex(any) ...................................................... 308
length(any).............................................................. 308
ln(real/complex) ...................................................... 308
log10(real/complex), log(real/complex) .................. 309
mag(real/complex), magnitude(real/complex) ........ 310
maxidx(real/complex) ............................................. 310
Maxima(real [, real, string])..................................... 310
Maximum(real/complex [, real, real]) ...................... 310
mean(real/complex)................................................ 310
Mean1(real [, real, real]) ......................................... 311
minidx(real/complex) .............................................. 311
Minima(real [, real, string])...................................... 311
Minimum(real/complex [, real, real]) ....................... 311
norm(real/complex)................................................. 311
ph(real/complex), phase(real/complex) .................. 312
phase_rad(real/complex)........................................ 312
Range(real/complex [, real, real]) ........................... 312
re(real/complex), real(real/complex)....................... 312
Ref(real/complex) ................................................... 312
Rms(real)................................................................ 312
RMS1(real [, real, real]) .......................................... 312
rnd(real) .................................................................. 313
RootSumOfSquares(real [, real, real]) .................... 313
sign(real)................................................................. 313
sin(real/complex) .................................................... 313
sqrt(real/complex)................................................... 313
SumNoise(real [, real, real]).................................... 313
tan(real/complex).................................................... 313
Truncate(real [, real, real]) ...................................... 313
unitvec(real)............................................................ 314
vector(real) ............................................................. 314
XFromY(real, real [, real, real]) ............................... 314
XY(real, real) .......................................................... 314
YFromX(real, real [, real]) ....................................... 314

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Chapter 12 Monte Carlo Analysis

An Example ................................................................... 316
Component Tolerance Specification ............................. 318
Setting Device Tolerances ..................................... 318
Model Tolerances................................................... 319
Matching Devices................................................... 319
Random Distribution............................................... 320
Running Monte Carlo .................................................... 320
Overview ................................................................ 320
Setting up a Single Step Monte Carlo Sweep ........ 320
Setting up a Multi Step Monte Carlo Run............... 321
Running a Monte Carlo Analysis............................ 321
Setting the Seed Value .......................................... 321
Analysing Monte-Carlo Results ..................................... 322
Plots ....................................................................... 322
Creating Histograms .............................................. 323

Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Saving and Restoring Sessions .................................... 324
Overview ................................................................ 324
Saving a Session ................................................... 324
Restoring a Session ............................................... 324
Where is Session Data Stored? ............................. 324
Symbolic Path Names ................................................... 324
Overview ................................................................ 324
Definition ................................................................ 325
Configuration File Example .................................... 326
Using Symbolic Names .......................................... 326
SIMetrix Command Line Parameters ............................ 327
Using startup.ini ..................................................... 328
Configuration Settings ................................................... 328
Overview ................................................................ 328
Default Configuration Location............................... 328
Application Data Directory...................................... 328
Specifying Other Locations for Config Settings...... 329
Options .......................................................................... 330
Overview ................................................................ 330
Using the Options Dialog ....................................... 330
Using the Set and Unset commands...................... 335
Startup Auto Configuration ............................................ 350
Overview ................................................................ 350
What is Set Up ....................................................... 350
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Auto Configuration Options .................................... 350
Installation - Customising ....................................... 352
Colours and Fonts ......................................................... 352
Colours ................................................................... 352
Fonts....................................................................... 352
Using a Black Background ..................................... 354
Startup Script ................................................................. 354

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Chapter 1 Introduction
Installation - Windows Version
Installation
If you are upgrading from an earlier version, you must install to a new folder. Your
previous version will continue to function as before.
See below for information on upgrading.
Procedure - Installing from CD
Insert CD. If AutoRun is enabled, a simple dialog box should appear automatically. If
not execute SETUP.EXE in the Setup directory of the CD.
You should always install SIMetrix to a local drive. By modern standards it is a
compact application occupying around 50MBytes so therefore consumes negligible
resources. Although SIMetrix itself may run satisfactorily from a remote network
drive, the Help system probably wont run due to security limitations.
Upgrading
If you are upgrading an earlier version of SIMetrix, when you run SIMetrix for the first
time you will be asked if you would like to migrate your old preference settings. This
will migrate the following items:
1.

Preference settings such as fonts, colours and window positions.

2.

Any changes made to the system symbol library using version 5.3 or 5.4. These
changes are stored separately from the symbol library files themselves and the
files containing the changes are copied during the migration process. Other
symbol libraries, for example new symbols stored in your own library files, will
not be migrated.

3.

Model/symbol associations

Model libraries will not be migrated and these will need updating manually.
Please read Upgrade Notes on page 31.

General Information
All SIMetrix files are installed in the directory tree you specify to the setup program
except the example files which are copied to the application data tree (see Application
Data Directory on page 328). No files are copied to any other location and no system
files are updated or added. (But, SIMetrix does write files to other locations when it is
run - see Uninstalling below).
SIMetrix does not use any files that may be shared with other applications other than
those that form part of the standard operating system. This means that installing
SIMetrix cannot affect the running of other applications.

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Chapter 1 Introduction
SIMetrix does not use the system registry for any of its settings. Some settings get
written to the registry by the installer, but SIMetrix itself does not use them.

Uninstalling
SIMetrix in common with most applications includes an uninstall utility. However, the
uninstall program does not remove everything from the system. Any files that you
create will remain on your system. The following describes where you may find some
files that the uninstall program may leave behind.
To uninstall SIMetrix:
1.

In the system control panel, select Add/Remove Programs

2.

Select SIMetrix then press Add/Remove

As explained above their may be some files left over and you will find these in the
following locations:

Application root directory. Typically this is C:\Program Files\SIMetrixxx where

xx represents the version number. (E.g. 55 for 5.5)

Application data directory. See Application Data Directory on page 328

In a directory called SIMetrixTempData under the system defined temporary

directory. This is the directory pointed to by the TEMP or TMP environment
variables. Typically on Windows 2000 or XP this is C:\Documents and
Settings\username\Local Settings\Temp, on Windows Vista,
C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Temp.

Any other location specified in a Save operation.

SIMetrix will not place files in any other location unless you explicitly ask it to.

Installation - Linux Version

Currently SIMetrix for Linux has to be installed manually, but the procedure is
nevertheless straightforward. Before proceeding, make sure you are using a supported
distribution. See System Requirements on page 29 for details.
Please follow the procedure below precisely. Some files must only be installed at a
specific location and moving them elsewhere will prevent SIMetrix or other
applications from working.
Some files can be relocated and these are detailed below in section Installing to Other
Locations. But you should move these after the following procedure has been
completed.

To Install from CD
Insert and mount CD. The following assumes that the CD is mounted at /mnt/cdrom.
Proceed as follows:
1.

Become root.

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Users Manual
2.

cd /usr/local

3.

Extract the simetrix.tar file:

4.

This stage is optional. A number of example files are also provided and these
may also be installed if required. Simply copy the examples tree to a suitable
location where you have read-write access. We recommend
$HOME/simetrix/examples:

tar xf /mnt/cdrom/linux/simetrix.tar

mkdir /home/username/simetrix
cp -R /mnt/cdrom/examples /home/username/simetrix

You will also need to change the ownership of the examples:

chown -R username:group /home/username/simetrix

Replace username and group as appropriate. The examples will still run if you
leave the ownership at root, but you will not be able to edit the schematics.
5.

To start Simetrix run /usr/local/simetrix_55/bin/SIMetrix. You may wish to set up

some appropriate means to start simetrix in a more convenient manner such as by
creating an icon for your chosen desktop environment.

6.

If you have purchased a stand-alone license, you should leave the CDROM
mounted for the time being as your license file will usually be located on it.

7.

Exit to user mode.

error while loading shared libraries

If you get this error when starting SIMetrix:
error while loading shared libraries: libstdc++.so.5: cannot
open shared object file: No such file or directory

you will need to install an additional file. This error is likely with Red Hat Linux
Enterprise 5. To resolve, untar the lib_extra.tar file which you will find in
/usr/local/tmp after following the instructions in the above section:
tar xf lib_extra.tar

Installing to Other Locations

The following procedure refers to version 5.5. Replace references to 5.5 or 55 as
appropriate if installing a later version.
The above procedure will install SIMetrix to /usr/local/simetrix_55 and additional files
to /usr/lib/simetrix/5.5.
You may relocate the entire /usr/local/simetrix_55 tree to any location that you choose,
but you must keep the complete structure intact.
The contents of /usr/lib/simetrix/5.5 may not be relocated. If disk space on the partition
holding /usr/local is scarce, then you can move the directory and drop a symbolic link
in its place.

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Chapter 1 Introduction
DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES move the contents of
/usr/lib/simetrix/5.5 to a global library directory such as /usr/lib or any directory listed
in LD_LIBRARY_PATH or /etc/ld.so.conf. SIMetrix will probably work fine, but
other applications could break, in particular, the KDE desktop environment. Both
SIMetrix and KDE (and many other applications) use the Qt library, but the version
SIMetrix uses is not guaranteed to be compatible with other applications that use Qt.
These different versions MUST be kept separate. Adehering to the above advice will
guarantee this.

Uninstalling - Linux Version

There is no uninstall program supplied with Linux versions. To remove simply delete
the folder where you installed it. This is usually /usr/local/simetrix_xx where xx is the
version. Files are also installed to /usr/local/lib/simetrix/x.x where x.x is the version.
You should only remove these files if you are removing all versions of SIMetrix on
your system.
In addition to the standard program files, SIMetrix puts some files in
$HOME/.simetrixver where ver is a two digit number representing the SIMetrix
version. These can be removed if you are removing all versions of SIMetrix from your
system.

Licensing
Overview
Essentially there are two classes of license namely, portable licenses controlled by a
single license file and a security key (dongle) and network licenses controlled by a
license server.

Installing Stand Alone License Files

Portable license files are usually pre-burned on the SIMetrix CD and - on Windows
systems - are automatically installed during the setup process. If this is the case, no
action needs to be taken to setup a SIMetrix or SIMetrix/SIMPLIS license.
In cases where the license file is not automatically installed, such as on Linux systems,
you will be prompted to find a license file with a dialog similar to the following.

19

Users Manual

(The above screen captured image was taken from a Linux system. The layout will be
similar for Windows and other Linux distributions, although the style may be quite
different.)
If you have already received a license file, perhaps by Email, then simply press
Install License... and locate the license file on your machine. SIMetrix will copy this

file to the correct location. On Linux stand-alone systems, you will normally find the
license file on the install CD at /mnt/cdrom/license.
If you do not yet have a license file, please email support@simetrix.co.uk providing
the Host ID and Serial Number information supplied.
Standalone Licensing for Remote X Servers
Linux only: Standalone SIMetrix licenses cannot be used on a remote X-server. If you
wish to use SIMetrix on such systems you must use a network license.

Network Licensing- Overview

SIMetrix uses the FLEXnet publisher (formerly FLEXlm) from Acresso Software.
Full end user documentation on this product can be found in
\docs\flexlm\LicensingEndUserGuide.pdf
(/mnt/cdrom/docs/flexlm/LicensingEndUserGuide.pdf) on the installation CDROM.
However, most of what you will need to know to setup the system is contained within
this chapter.
To use the license manager, a license server must be installed and started on a single
machine on your network. The machine must be running a Windows NT based
operating system such as, NT4, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista or any
of the Windows server systems and use TCP/IP as its transport protocol. No other
windows versions are currently supported. SIMetrix only products, that is without
SIMPLIS, may also be licensed from a Linux machine even if the application itself is
running on Windows.

20

Chapter 1 Introduction
Before you can use the license server, you will need a license file which we will supply
you. The license file locks the server to a particular machine identified by its Host ID
which is either an Ethernet ID or optionally the ID of a FLEXid dongle. Before we can
provide you with the license file we need to know the Host ID of your license server.
See Obtaining a License File on page 25 for details.

Installing Network Licensing for Windows

There are two methods of installing the network license manager:
1.
GUI Installer
2.

Manual method

We strongly recommend using the GUI installer unless you are already familiar with
FLEXnet publisher installation.

Using the GUI Installer

Before You Start
You must have the installation program and a license file:
The installation program may be found on the CD at
CD:\Flexlm\windows\gui-installer\flex_install.exe
We will usually email you the license file. You must be logged on as an administrator
to be able to install the license manager.
The install program will do everything needed to setup the license manager on your
computer.
Procedure
1.

Copy the license file to your Desktop. (The license file is a file with the extension
.lic)

2.

Run flex_install.exe.exe

3.

Follow the instructions given. You will be prompted for the license file after
clicking the first "Next". Select the file copied to your desktop in 1. above

4.

When the installation is complete, you can install SIMetrix itself on the users'
machines

5.

If you get error messages during the installation, please visit our web page:
http://www.simetrix.co.uk/site/users/LicenseManagerInstallerErrors.htm

Installing License Manager Manually

Full instructions may be found at
http://www.simetrix.co.uk/site/users/WindowsLicenseManagerAdvancedInstallation.htm

21

Users Manual

Installing Network Licensing for Linux

Copying Files
1.

Create a suitable directory on your machine for the FLEXnet publisher files. The
following assumes /usr/local/flexnet but you can use any location

2.

Create target directory

cd /usr/local
mkdir flexnet
cd flexnet

3.

Copy the license manager files from the CD. These are at cdrom/Flexlm/linux:
cp /mnt/cdrom/linux/Flexlm/linux/flexlm.tar .

4.

Extract from tar ball:

tar xf flexlm.tar

5.

Copy the license file we have supplied to a suitable location. You may choose to
use the same directory as the FLEXnet files.

Starting/Stopping License Manager

The following assumes that you have installed the license manager to /usr/local/flexnet
and the license file is in the same directory.
To start the license manager:
1.

cd /usr/local/flexnet

2.

./lmgrd -c licensefile

where licensefile is the name of the license file.

To stop the license manager:
1.

./lmutil/lmdown -q

You may wish to install a run-level script to start up the license manager automatically
when the machine is booted or enters a particular run level. However, this is a system
issue and is beyond the scope of this manual.

Starting SIMetrix Network Version

When you start SIMetrix for the very first time, it will be necessary to enter details of
the license server.
You will be presented with a dialog box asking for the name of the license server...

22

Chapter 1 Introduction

.
This is the unique name assigned to every machine on a network. If you do not know
this, ask your system administrator. You can also enter the IP address of the server in
this box.
If required you can also enter a TCP port number. When asked for the license server
name, press Advanced... and enter the required port number. For more information on
ports and the circumstances when you would use them, see Using TCP Ports on
page 23.

Using TCP Ports

In most situations, you can ignore this section. Situations where you need to know
about ports are:
1.

SIMetrix takes a long time to acquire a license

2.

You are accessing the license manager through a firewall

The license manager communicates with the application using the TCP/IP protocol the same protocol used for the Internet and virtually every LAN. TCP communications
always specify a port which is a number between 1 and 64000 and identifies a kind of
communication channel. By default, the FLEXnet license manager uses one of the
ports in the range 27000 to 27009 and the application will scan through these in
sequence.
In most situations the server will use port 27000 and, as this is the first port to be
scanned by the application, everything will work fine.
In some situations, the server might use another port usually because 27000 etc. is
already in use. With the default settings, this may cause a start up delay as SIMetrix
searches for the correct port. This problem mostly occurs when running under
Windows. In this situation, specifying the exact port number at both ends will resolve
this problem. See below to find out how to do this.
If you are accessing the license manager through a firewall, you will need to open up a
suitable TCP port. In this situation, it is best to specify the exact port number so that
only one port needs to be opened.
Specifying the License Server Port
To specify the port used by the license server, you must edit the license file. Simply
add the port number to the end of the SERVER line. E.g:
SERVER NT_SERV1 000CF1C97B71 27001

23

Users Manual
The above specifies port number 27001
Specifying the Application Port Number
When SIMetrix prompts you for server license information with...

...press the Advanced... button. You will a dialog box like...

... enter the port number as required.

If you have already entered license information and wish to change it, select the menu
Help|Reinstall License... then restart SIMetrix. This will force the re-entry of license
information.

Changing the Location of the License Server

If you need to move the license server to a different machine, then the end users'
machines will also need to be re-configured.
To do this start SIMetrix then select the menu Help|Reinstall License... then restart.This will delete all license information from the end user's machine. When you restart SIMetrix, you will be prompted to re-enter the name of the license server.
Note that the above procedure can be used even if the license server is not running.
SIMetrix will still run with no license present, but the simulator will be disabled.

24

Chapter 1 Introduction

License Server Version

If you have upgraded from version 5.3 or earlier, we strongly recommend that you
update the license server to the latest FLEXlm/FLEXnet version which is currently
11.4.
To update your license server, run the GUI installer as explained in section Using the
GUI Installer on page 21. The GUI installer will install the new license server and
shutdown your existing license server.
You can find which version you are using with the lmutil utility. This utility is installed
automatically by the GUI installer and is supplied as one of the files with the manual
install package. Run:
lmutil lmver NEWTECH

The result will be one of 7.0d, 7.2i, 8.2a, 9.5 or 11.4. If the version is anything other
than 11.4, we strongly recommend updating to 11.4.

Obtaining a License File

Before we can issue you with a license file, we need two pieces of information:
1.

The Ethernet address of the license server. The Ethernet address is a 12 digit
hexadecimal number and is associated with the Ethernet adapter in the server. It
is also known as the MAC address or sometimes the physical address.

2.

The computer/hostname of the license server.

Instructions on how to obtain the above information may be found at our web site.
Please visit http://www.simetrix.co.uk/site/users/HowtoObtainaLicenseFile.htm

Using the License Server

Once the license server is installed and running, any machine on the network will be
licensed to run SIMetrix. Licenses will be granted up to the number that have been
ordered. Note that licenses are counted on a per user and per machine basis. The same
user can start any number of instances of SIMetrix on the same machine and it will be
counted as just one license. Note, however, that on Linux, each X display is considered
as a separate computer for the purposes of counting licenses. So, for example, if you
run SIMetrix from the local display and then launch another SIMetrix instance on a
remote X server (e.g. VNC), two licenses will be required.
Note that the license server can serve licenses for SIMetrix running on either Linux or
Windows regardless of what platform the license server is running.
Mixed Feature Licenses
The license file may list codes for between 1 and 6 types of feature. The features are:
Basic
Digital
Micron
Advanced
Rtn

25

Users Manual
Simplis_if
Basic is, as the name implies, the basic feature and is compulsory for the SIMetrix
simulator to run. The remaining feature names enable functionality as defined in the
following table:

Feature name

Functionality

Digital

Enables event driven digital simulator

Micron

Enables chip design features, e.g. : BSIM3, BSIM4,

VBIC, Philips models, Star-Hspice model file
compatibility

Advanced

Enables extended sweep modes

Rtn

Enables Real Time Noise analysis

Simplis_if

Enables the SIMPLIS simulator interface. Note that

this does not enable the SIMPLIS simulator itself.

By default SIMetrix will attempt to check out all features that are available. If you
have purchased the same number of licenses for all features then there is no problem.
If, however, you have fewer, for example, digital licenses than basic licenses, then a
problem could arise where the first users that check out licenses use up all the digital
licenses leaving these features unavailable for later users. This would be a waste if the
earlier users were not actually using the features. To overcome this SIMetrix has a
command line switch that instructs it what licenses to check out. The syntax is:
SIMetrix /f "basic|micron|digital|advanced|rtn"

You can remove any of the feature names from the above other than basic to prevent
those features from being checked out. The above allows you to setup alternative shortcuts or desktop icons to checkout different combinations of features.
The FLEXnet publisher options file also allows you to reserve particular features for
named users. See the end user documentation for details.
License Timeout
You can set up the license manager to automatically check out licenses from users who
have started SIMetrix but are not using it. To do this you must set up a FLEXnet
options file. To do this proceed as follows:
1.

Edit you license file to add:

options=options.txt
at the end of the line starting VENDOR NEWTECH

2.

Using a text editor, create a file called options.txt and add this single line:
TIMEOUTALL 1800

26

Chapter 1 Introduction
1800 is the timeout in seconds which of course you can set to some other suitable
value. The FLEXnet license manager will make the license available to other
users after this much idle time has been detected. SIMetrix does not report that it
is idle until there has been at least 10 minutes of inactivity, so in practice the
actual idle time required in the above example will be 2400 seconds or 40
minutes.
If you do not specify an idle timeout, a default value of 2 hours will be used.
Client Node Crashes
If a user's (client) machine crashes while SIMetrix is running, the license will not be
immediately checked in but will be after a time-out period equal to the idle time out
described above. This is 2 hours by default. Before this time has elapsed, the license
can be checked in manually at the server by typing at the command line
lmutil lmremove <feature> <user_name> <host_name> <display>

For Windows, display is the same as the host_name, on Linux you will need to enter
the display name which would usually be :0.0. feature will be one of basic, digital,
micron, advanced, rtn or simplis_if. Each feature must be checked in individually.

What Is Simetrix
SIMetrix is a mixed-signal circuit simulator designed for ease and speed of use. It is
based on two publicly available programs namely SPICE developed by the CAD/IC
group at the department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University
of California at Berkeley and XSPICE developed by the Computer Science and
Information Technology Laboratory, Georgia Tech. Research Institute, Georgia
Institute of Technology. XSPICE itself was developed from SPICE3C1.
Although originally derived from these programs only about 30% of the overall
application code can be traced to them. A large part of the simulator code is either new
or has been rewritten in order to provide new analysis features and to resolve
convergence problems. In addition SIMetrix includes schematic entry and waveform
analysis features that owe nothing to the original SPICE program.
Features

Closely coupled direct matrix analog and event driven digital simulator.

Fully integrated hierarchical schematic editor, simulator and graphical postprocessor.

Superior convergence for both DC and transient analyses. Pseudo transient

analysis algorithm solves difficult operating points while enhanced transient
analysis algorithm virtually eliminates transient analysis failures.

Advanced swept analyses for AC, DC, Noise and transfer function. 6 different
modes available.

Real time noise analysis allowing noise simulation of oscillators and sampled
data systems.

Support for BSIM3, BSIM4 and MOS9 devices. Compatible with Star-Hspice
model files.

27

Users Manual

Cross probing of voltage, current and device power from schematic. Current and
power available for sub-circuits.

Monte Carlo analysis including comprehensive tolerance specification features.

Full featured scripting language allowing customised waveform analysis and

automated simulation

Incremental plotting of results as simulation proceeds.

Functional modelling with arbitrary non-linear source and arbitrary linear sdomain transfer function.

Arbitrary logic block for definition of any digital device using descriptive
language. Supports synchronous, asynchronous and combinational logic as well
as ROMS and RAMs.

Models for saturable magnetic components including support for air-gaps.

User definable fixed and popup menus and key definitions.

What is SIMPLIS
SIMPLIS is a circuit simulator designed for rapid modelling of switching power
systems. An acronym for SIMulation for Piecewise LInear System, it is supplied
with the premium version of SIMetrix namely SIMetrix/SIMPLIS.
SIMPLIS is a component level simulator like SPICE but is typically 10 to 50 times
faster when simulating switching circuits. It achieves its speed by modelling devices
using a series of straight-line segments rather than solving non-linear equations as
SPICE does. By modelling devices in this way, SIMPLIS can characterise a complete
system as a cyclical sequence of linear circuit topologies. This is an accurate
representation of a typical switching power system where the semiconductor devices
function as switches. However, a linear system can be solved very much more rapidly
than the non-linear systems that SPICE handles. The end result is accurate, but
extremely fast simulations, allowing the modelling of complex topologies that would
not be viable with SPICE.
SIMPLIS has three analysis modes: Transient, Periodic Operating Point and AC.
Transient analysis is similar to the SPICE equivalent but is typically 10-50 times faster.
Periodic Operating Point is a unique analysis mode that finds the steady-state operating
waveforms of switching systems. AC analysis finds the frequency response of a
switching system without needing to use averaged models. This is especially useful for
what-if studies on new circuit topologies or control schemes where the small-signal
averaged model has not yet been derived.
Because non-linear devices are defined using a sequence of straight line segments,
models for such devices are quite different from SPICE models. There are of course
many SPICE models available and so in order to retain compatibility with these,
SIMetrix/SIMPLIS has the ability to convert models for some types of device into
SIMPLIS format. This conversion is performed when the device is placed on the
schematic. Devices currently supported are MOSFETs, BJTs and diodes. In the case of
MOSFETs and Zener diodes, the conversion is achieved by performing a sequence of
simulations using the SIMetrix-SPICE simulator. This method is independent of the
method of implementation of the device.

28

Chapter 1 Introduction

Why Simulate?
Integrated circuit designers have been using analog simulation software for over two
decades. The difficulty of bread-boarding and high production engineering costs have
made the use of such software essential.
For discrete designers the case has not been so clear cut. For them prototyping is
straightforward, inexpensive and generally provides an accurate assessment of how the
final production version of a circuit will behave. By contrast computer simulation has
been seen as slow and prone to inaccuracies stemming from imperfect models.
In recent years, however, the simulation of discrete analog circuits has become more
viable. This has come about because of the almost relentless advances in CPU power,
the increased availability of device models from their manufacturers and the
introduction of easy to use and affordable simulation tools such as SIMetrix.
The pressure to reduce product development time-scales has meant that for many
projects the traditional bread-boarding phase is skipped altogether - with or without
simulation - and circuit development is carried out on the first revisions of PCB. The
use of simulation on a circuit or parts of a circuit can help to eliminate errors in a
circuit design prior to this stage and reduce the number of PCB revisions required
before the final production version is reached. Of course, to be useful, the simulation
process must therefore not be too time consuming.
Computer simulation, does however, have many more uses. There are some things you
can do with a simulator which cannot be achieved with practical approaches. You can
remove parasitic elements, you can make non-invasive measurements that are
impossible in real-life or you can run components outside of their safe operating area.
These abilities make simulation a valuable tool for finding out why a particular design
does not behave as expected. If the problem can be reproduced on a simulator then its
cause can be much more easily identified. Even if a problem cannot be reproduced then
this gives some clues. It means that it is caused by something that is not modelled, a
wiring parasitic perhaps.
Simulation is extremely useful for testing ideas at the system level. Sometimes it is not
easy to test a concept because the hardware to implement it is very costly or time
consuming to build. It may even be that you don't know how to implement the idea in
hardware at all. The alternative is to design a model and simulate it with a computer.
Once it has been established that the concept is viable then attention can be given to its
implementation. If it proves not to be viable, then a great deal of time will have been
saved.

System Requirements
Operating System
Windows 32 bit versions
The following are supported
Windows 2000
Windows XP Home

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Users Manual
Windows XP Professional
Windows Vista Home
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Ultimate
Windows Vista Business
Windows Vista Enterprise
There are no service pack requirements for any of the above
The 32 bit version will also run on any of the systems listed under Windows 64 bit
version below.
Windows 64 bit version
The following are supported:
Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
Windows Vista Home, 64 bit edition
Windows Vista Home Premium, 64 bit edition
Windows Vista Ultimate, 64 bit edition
Windows Vista Business, 64 bit edition
Windows Vista Enterprise, 64 bit edition
There are no service pack requirements for any of the above
Linux
There are so many Linux distributions available that it is impossible to fully test and
support each and every one. We therefore only fully support the following
distributions:
Redhat Enterprise Linux, 3, 4 and 5
Currently only 32 bit versions are supported.
SIMetrix will run correctly on other distributions. However, if you use an unsupported
distribution, and you have difficulties with running SIMetrix on that distribution, we
will not be able to offer assistance unless we can reproduce that difficulty with a
supported distribution.
SIMetrix will usually run on any distribution that uses glibc 2.3.2 or later and gcc
version 3.2.3 or later.

Hardware
SIMetrix will run satisfactorily on any hardware that is sufficient to run the machines
operating system.

Recommended System
If you regularly run large circuit simulations or long runs on smaller circuits, we
recommend investing in the most powerful CPU available. A large RAM system can
be useful as this will allow caching of simulation data. This will speed up plotting

30

Chapter 1 Introduction
results if a large amount of data is generated. The data is stored to disk in an efficient
manner and therefore substantial RAM is not essential unless the circuits being
simulated are very large indeed. 20,000 MOSFETs requires around 64MBytes. A high
performance bus mastering SCSI disk system will improve simulation performance a
little.

About the 64 bit Version

A 64 bit version of SIMetrix is available for Windows. See above for system
requirements.
The bit length of a processor (e.g. 32, 64 etc) can mean many things but it usually
refers to the size of the internal registers and thus the maximum range of addressable
memory. Up until recently all personal computers and workstations used 32 bit
processors and so the maximum memory range was 2^32 or 4GBytes. This is no longer
the unimaginably large amount of memory that it once was. In order to access more
memory than this we need more than 32 bits and the usual choice is to increase it to 64.
The memory range is the chief benefit of using a 64 bit processor and you should not
expect substantial performance improvements. With SIMetrix, the main area where
4GBytes of memory may not be enough is graph plotting. If you run simulations with
tens of millions of time points, you should seriously consider using the 64 bit version
of SIMetrix. Note that all 64 bit applications require a 64 bit operating system as
well as a 64 bit processor. You cannot install or run the 64 bit version of SIMetrix on a
32 bit operating system even if the processor is 64bit.
Although major performance benefits should not be expected, a 64 bit application will
usually run faster with a 64 bit OS compared to a 32 bit version of the same application
running with a 64 bit OS.

Upgrade Notes
Windows Vista User Account Control
Vistas User Account Control imposes some restrictions on what files an application
can write to. In particular, regular applications may not write to any files in the
Program Files directory unless explicitly started to override this restriction. None of
the files in the SIMetrix root directory (typically located in Program Files) require
write access and so SIMetrix will run normally with User Access Control enabled.
Note that from version 5.4 some files have moved to accommodate User Account
Control. These are the examples files and the user script directory. The example files
have moved to the application data directory while the user script directory has moved
to the My Documents folder.

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Users Manual

Chapter 2 Quick Start

Tutorials - Overview
This chapter covers a number of tutorials that will help you get started with SIMetrix.
Tutorial 1 is designed for total novices. You may wish to skip to tutorial 2 if you
already have experience with SPICE type programs.
Tutorial 2 assumes you have grasped the basics of using the schematic editor. You don't
have to worry about setting up analyses or the characteristics of any input stimulus
such as V2 in tutorial 1; these procedures will be explained.
If you are an experienced circuit designer but have never used a circuit simulator
before, we recommend you read Simulation for the Novice below. This will
familiarise you with a few concepts about simulation that may be alien to you if you
are used to traditional methods of evaluating circuits.

Examples and Tutorials - Where are They?

In Linux the examples and tutorials reside in the examples.tar file that forms part of the
standard distribution. Note that this file is not automatically installed.
On Windows the examples are automatically installed to
application_data_dir\examples. (See Application Data Directory on page 328 for
the location of application_data_dir). When the program first starts a shortcut at
created in My Documents\SIMetrix\Examples that points to where the examples are
located.
In the following tutorial discussions, the examples directory is referred to as
EXAMPLES.

Simulation for the Novice

When measuring a real circuit, you would probably connect up a power source - bench
power supply perhaps - maybe also some signal source, then switch it on and take
measurements using - probably - an oscilloscope. You can also make adjustments to
the circuit and see the effects straight away.
For simulation, you have a choice of analysis modes and not all of them have an exact
real life equivalent. The analysis mode that most closely resembles the method of
bench testing a circuit described above is transient analysis. This performs an analysis
over a specified (by you) time period and saves all the results - i.e. all the voltages and
currents in the circuit - to your hard disk. The difference between real life testing and
simulation is that the simulation is not running all the time. If you want to see the
effects of changing a component value, you have to change it then re-run the
simulation. (But note there is a potentiometer device that automates this procedure see
Potentiometer on page 140).
In order to solve the circuit, the simulator has to calculate the voltage at every node at
every time point. Disk space is cheap and plentiful so SIMetrix saves all these values

32

Chapter 2 Quick Start

as well as the device currents. Not all simulators do this, some require you to state in
advance what you want saved.
After the run is complete, you can then randomly probe the circuit to look at any
voltage, current or device power over the analysis time period. You can also place
fixed probes on the circuit before running the analysis which will cause the waveform
at that point of the circuit to be automatically be displayed while the simulation is
running or optionally after its completion.
Some of the other analysis modes are: AC analysis which performs a frequency sweep,
DC sweep which ramps a voltage or current source and noise analysis which calculates
total noise at a specified point and which components are responsible for that noise.

Tutorial 1 - A Simple Ready to Run Circuit

This tutorial demonstrates a basic simulation on a ready to run to circuit. All you need
to do is load the circuit and press F9 to run it. We will then make a few changes to the
circuit and make some extra plots.
This tutorial demonstrates the basic features without having to get into the details of
setting up a simulation. Proceed as follows:
1.

Select the menu File|Open Schematic.... Select the schematic file TUTORIAL1
which you should find in the folder EXAMPLES\TUTORIALS (See Examples
and Tutorials - Where are They? on page 32). Select Open to open this file.
A schematic window will open with the following circuit:
5.6k
R2

V1
5
Q3
Q2N2222

50
R5

Q1
Q2N2222
Q2
Q2N2222

V2
AC 1 0 Pulse(0 100m 0 10n 10n 5u)

2.7k
R1

2.2k
R3

Amplifier Output

CLOAD
100p

470
R4

V3
5V

This is a simple feedback amplifier designed to amplify a 100mV pulse up to

around 500mV. The basic requirement of the design is that the pulse shape should
be preserved, DC precision is important but is not critical. The above is our first

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Users Manual
attempt at a design but has not yet been optimised.
This example circuit has been setup to be ready to run.
2.

To start the simulation, select from the schematic window Simulator|Run or press
F9. The simulation will not take long, on a modern machine less than half a
second.

You will see a graph of the output voltage appear:

600

Amplifier Output / mV

500

400

300

200

100

Time/Secs

10
2Secs/div

As can be seen, our amplifier doesn't work all that well. There are two problems.
1.

There is substantial ringing on the rising edge, probably caused by the

capacitative load.

2.

The falling edge is somewhat sluggish

The sluggish falling edge is caused by the absence of any standing current in the output
emitter follower, Q3. To rectify this, we will place a resistor from the emitter to the -5V
rail. The resulting schematic is shown below:

34

Chapter 2 Quick Start

5.6k
R2

V1
5
Q3
Q2N2222

50
R5

Q1
Q2N2222
Q2
Q2N2222

V2
AC 1 0 Pulse(0 100m 0 10n 10n 5u)

2.7k
R1

2.2k
R3

Amplifier Output

CLOAD
100p

470
R4

1K
R6

V3
5V

To make this modification, proceed as follows:

1.

Press the Resistor button in the component toolbar. Alternatively, select the menu
Place|Passives|Resistor (Box shape) or, if you prefer, Place|Passives|Resistor (Z
shape). A resistor symbol will appear. Place this in the location shown in the
diagram above. Click the left mouse button to fix it to the schematic. You may
now see another resistor symbol appear (depending on how the system options
are set). Cancel this by clicking the right mouse button.

2.

Now wire up the resistor. There are a number of ways of doing this. If you have a
three button mouse or wheel mouse, one way is to use the middle button (or
wheel). Pressing it once will start a wire. Pressing it again will fix it and start a
new one. Pressing the right button will terminate it.
If enabled you can also use the smart-wiring method. Just take the mouse
pointer to the pin of the resistor. You will see a pen symbol appear as the mouse
gets close to the pin. Left click then move the mouse cursor to the destination
then left click again. This method will automatically locate a route for the wire if
one exists.
You can also enter wiring mode by selecting the toolbar wire button
. This
puts schematic into a permanent wiring mode where the left key is always used
for wiring. Revert to normal mode by pressing the wire button again.

3.

Re run the simulation by pressing F9.

The graph will now be updated to:

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Users Manual

600

First attempt

500

Amplifier Output / mV

400

300

With R6 added

200

100

0
0

Time/Secs

10
2Secs/div

As you can see, The problem with the trailing edge has been fixed and the ringing is
much improved.
Now let's have a look at the ringing in more detail. To do this, we need to zoom in the
graph by adjusting the limits of the axes. There are two ways of doing this. The
quickest is to simply drag the mouse over the region of interest. The other method is to
manually enter the limits using the Edit Axis Dialog Box. To zoom with the mouse,
proceed as follows:

36

1.

Make sure that the graph window is selected by clicking in its title bar.

2.

Place the cursor at the top left of the region of interest i.e to the left of the y-axis
and above the top of the red curve.

3.

Press the left mouse key and while holding it down, drag the mouse to the bottom
right of the area you wish to zoom in. You should see a rectangle appear as you
drag the mouse.

4.

Release the mouse key. You should see something like:

Chapter 2 Quick Start

First attempt

600

Amplifier Output / mV

500

With R6 added

400

300

200

100

0
0

50

100

150

200

250

Time/nSecs

If you don't get it quite right, press the Undo Zoom button:
previous view.

300

350

400
50nSecs/div

to return to the

We can probably improve the ringing by adding a small phase lead in the feed back
loop. This can be done by connecting a small capacitor between the emitter of Q3 and
the base of Q2. There isn't room to add this tidily at present, so first, we will move a
few components to make some space. Proceed as follows:
1.

In the schematic window, drag the mouse with the left key pressed over the
region shown by the dotted lines below:

37

Users Manual

5.6k
R2

V1
5
Q3
Q2N2222
Amplifier Output
2.2k
R3

Q1
50
Q2N2222
Q2
V2
R5
AC 1 0 Pulse(0 100m 0 10n 10n 5u) Q2N2222

CLOAD
100p
470
R4

2.7k
R1

V3
5V

1K
R6

As you drag the mouse, a rectangle should appear.

2.

Release the mouse. The area enclosed will turn blue:

5.6k
R2

V1
5
Q3
Q2N2222

50
R5

Q1
Q2N2222
Q2
Q2N2222

V2
AC 1 0 Pulse(0 100m 0 10n 10n 5u)

2.7k
R1

2.2k
R3

Amplifier Output

CLOAD
100p

470
R4

1K
R6

V3
5V

The blue wires and components are said to be selected. To move them...

38

3.

Place the cursor within one of the selected components - V1 say - then press and
hold the left mouse key.

4.

Move the mouse to the right by two grid squares then release the left key.

Chapter 2 Quick Start

5.

Unselect by left clicking in an empty area of the schematic. This is what you
should now have:
5.6k
R2

V1
5
Q3
Q2N2222

50
R5

2.2k
R3

Q1
Q2N2222
Q2
Q2N2222

V2
AC 1 0 Pulse(0 100m 0 10n 10n 5u)

CLOAD
100p

470
R4

2.7k
R1

6.

Amplifier Output

1K
R6

V3
5V

Wire in the capacitor C1 as shown below using a similar procedure as for the
resistor R6.

Q3
Q2N2222

1n
C1

2.2k
R3

Q2
Q2N2222

Amplifier Output

CLOAD
100p

470
R4

1nF is obviously far too high a value so we will try 2.2pF. To change the component's
value proceed as follows:
1.

Double click C1. You should see the following dialog box appear:

39

Users Manual

You can type the new value in directly in the Result box or you can select a value
using the mouse alone with the up and down arrow buttons. Leave the Initial
Condition setting at its default (Open Circuit)
2.

Now re-run the simulation. This is the result you should see:

First attempt

600
With R6 added
500

Amplifier Output / mV

With R6 and C1 added

400

300

200

100

0
0

50

Time/nSecs

100

150

200

250

300

350

400
50nSecs/div

The blue curve is the latest result. This is now a big improvement on our first attempt.
We will now round off tutorial 1 by introducing AC analysis.
AC analysis performs a frequency sweep over a specified frequency range. To set one
up, follow these instructions:
1.

40

In the schematic window, select the menu Simulator|Choose Analysis... . This is

what you will see

Chapter 2 Quick Start

2.

Click AC check box and uncheck the Transient check box. The details of the AC
sweep have already been set up - click the AC tab at the top to see them.

3.

Run the simulation - this will open a new graph sheet.

Tutorial 2 - A Simple SMPS Circuit

In this tutorial we will simulate a simple SMPS switching stage to demonstrate some of
the more advanced plotting and waveform analysis facilities available with SIMetrix.
ESR_C1
80m
D2
murd310

V1
9

R3
3

30u
IRF7501

L1

C1
150u
Output

47
Q1
R2
V2
X
Pulse(0 5 0 50n 50n 1.95u 5u)

41

Users Manual
You can either load this circuit from EXAMPLES\Tutorials\Tutorial2 (see Examples
and Tutorials - Where are They? on page 32) or alternatively you can enter it from
scratch. The latter approach is a useful exercise in using the schematic editor. To do
this follow these instructions:
1.

Place the components and wires as shown above.

2.

The probe labelled Output can be selected from either Place|Probe|Voltage

Probe or Probe|Place Fixed Voltage Probe or just by pressing B in the schematic
editor.

3.

After placing the output probe, double click to edit its label. Enter this in the box
titled Curve Label. All the other options may be left at their defaults.

4.

For the pulse source V2, you can use Place|Voltage Sources|Universal Source or
the Universal Source tool bar button.

5.

Double click V2. Edit the settings as shown below:

This sets up a 200kHz 5V pulse source with 40% duty cycle and 50nS rise time.
6.

Set up the simulation by selecting the schematic menu

Simulator|Choose Analysis... . In the dialog box, check Transient. Usually we
would set the Stop time but on this occasion, the default 1mS is actually what we
want. Now select the Advanced Options button. In the Integration method box,
select Gear integration. This improves the simulation results for this type of
circuit. You will still get sensible results without checking this option, they will
just be a little better with it. (For more information, see Convergence and
Accuracy chapter in the Simulator Reference Manual).

If you have any graph windows open, you should now close them. Once you have
loaded or entered the circuit, press F9 or use the schematic Simulator|Run menu to start
the simulation. This will take somewhat longer than the previous tutorial but still less
than 1 second on a modern machine. This is the graph you will see

42

Chapter 2 Quick Start

0
-0.5
-1

Output / V

-1.5
-2
-2.5
-3
-3.5
-4
-4.5
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Time/mSecs

1
200Secs/div

The circuit is the switching stage of a simple step-down (buck) regulator designed to
provide a 3.3 V supply from a 9V battery. The circuit has been stripped of everything
except bare essentials in order to investigate power dissipation and current flow.
Currently, it is a little over simplified as the inductor is ideal. More of this later. We
will now make a few measurements. First, the power dissipation in Q1:
1.

Create an empty graph sheet by pressing F10

2.

Select schematic menu Probe|Power In Device... . Left click on Q1.

This is what you should see:

200
180
160

Power(Q1) / W

140
120
100
80
60
40
20
-0

0
Time/mSecs

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1
200uSecs/div

43

Users Manual
This shows a peak power dissipation of 200W although you are probably more
interested in the average power dissipation over a specified time. To display the
average power dissipation over the analysis period:
1.

Select menu Measure|Mean

This should display a value of 517mW. This is the average power over the whole
analysis period of 1mS. You can also make this measurement over any period you
select using the cursors as described below:
1.

Zoom in the graph at a point around 100uS, i.e. where the power dissipation is at
a peak.

2.

Switch on graph cursors with menu Cursors|Toggle On/Off. There are two
cursors represented by cross-hairs. One uses a long dash and is referred to as the
reference cursor, the other a shorter dash and is referred to as the main or
measurement cursor. When first switched on the reference cursor is positioned to
the left of the graph and the main to the right.

3.

Position the cursors to span a complete switching cycle. There are various ways
of moving the cursors. To start with the simplest is to drag the vertical hairline
left to right. As you bring the mouse cursor close to the vertical line you will
notice the cursor shape change. See Graph Cursors on page 244 for other ways
of moving cursors.

4.

Press F3 or select analysis menu Measure|More Functions... . From the tree list
select Measure|Transient|Mean|Cursor Span:

You should see a value of about 2.8W displayed. This is somewhat more than the
517mW average but is still well within the safe operating area of the device. However,
as we noted earlier, the inductor is ideal and does not saturate. Lets have a look at the
inductor current.
1.

44

Select schematic menu Probe|Current in Device Pin (New Graph Sheet)

Chapter 2 Quick Start

2.

Left click on the left pin of the inductor L1. This is what you will see:
0

-1

I(L1-P) / A

-2

-3

-4

-5

-6
0
Time/mSecs

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1
200Secs/div

This shows that the operating current is less than 1.5A but peaks at over 6A. In practice
you would want to use an inductor with a maximum current of around 2A in this
application; an inductor with a 6A rating would not be cost-effective. We will now
replace the ideal component, with something closer to a real inductor.
1.

Delete L1.

2.

Select schematic menu Place|Magnetics|Saturable Transformer/Inductor.... A

dialog box will be displayed. (See picture below). Select 0 secondaries then enter
34 in the turns edit box. Next check Select Core Type. Select EFD10-3F3-A25.
This is part number for a Philips ferrite core. This is what you should have:

45

Users Manual

3.

Run a new simulation.

4.

Select the graph sheet that displayed the inductor current by clicking on its tab at
the top of the graph window. Now select schematic menu Probe|Current in
Device Pin... and left click on the left hand inductor pin.

You will notice the peak current is now in excess of 45A. This is of course because the
inductor is saturating. You can also measure the peak power over 1 cycle:
1.

46

Select the graph sheet with the power plot then select Probe|Power In Device

2.

Zoom back to see the full graph using the button:

3.

Zoom in on the peak power.

4.

Position the cursors to span a full cycle. (The cursors are currently tracking the
first power curve. This doesn't actually matter here as we are only interested in
the x-axis values. If you want to make the cursors track the green curve, you can
simply pick up the cursor at its intersection with the mouse and drag it to the
other curve)

5.

We now have two curves on the graph so we must select which one with which
we wish to make the measurement. To do this check the box as shown:

6.

As before, press F3 then select Measure|Transient|Mean|Cursor Span. The new

peak power cycle will now be in the 11-12W region - much more than before.

Chapter 2 Quick Start

Tutorial 3 - Installing Third Party Models

In this tutorial, we will install a device model library. For this exercise, we have
supplied a model library file - TUTORIAL3.MOD - with just two devices. These are:
SXN1001 - an NPN bipolar transistor
SXOA1000 - an opamp.
Both are totally fictitious.
You will find this file in the tutorial folder i.e. Examples\Tutorials\Tutorial3.mod.
There are two aspects to installing a model. SIMetrix needs to know where within your
file system, the model is located. If the model is to be listed in the parts browser
system, then SIMetrix also needs to know what symbol to use for it in the schematic
and what category it comes under. This is how you do it:
1.

Open windows explorer or click on My Computer or open other file manager of

your choice.

2.

Locate TUTORIAL3.MOD in EXAMPLES\Tutorials (see Examples and

Tutorials - Where are They? on page 32). Pick the file up and drop into the
SIMetrix command shell. That is, drop it in the window where SIMetrix
messages are displayed. If you can't see the command shell because it is
obscured, select any SIMetrix window then press the space bar.

A message box will appear asking you to confirm you wish to install the file. Click Ok.
The message Making device catalog. This may take some time, please wait... will be
displayed.
At this stage, SIMetrix knows where to find our fictitious devices. You will find that it
also knows about the NPN transistor as the following demonstrates:
1.

Open an empty schematic.

2.

Press control-G or select menu Place|From Model Library. You should see
window displayed with the caption Select Device

3.

Select the * Recently Added Models * category from the top of list shown on
the left hand side.

47

Users Manual
4.

Select SXN1001 from the listed items on the right hand side. This is what you
should see:

5.

Press Place to place the device on the schematic.

Without you having to tell it, SIMetrix already knew that the SXN1001 is an NPN
transistor. This is because it is a primitive device defined using a .MODEL control.
Such devices are built in to the simulator and SIMetrix can determine the part type
simply by reading the .MODEL control in TUTORIAL3.MOD.
This is not the case with the other device in the model library. This is an opamp and is
defined as a subcircuit. This is a module made up of other components, in this case
BJTs, diodes, resistors and current sources. SIMetrix cant tell what type of device this
is. It knows that it has five terminals and it knows where the electrical model is located
in the file system, but it doesnt know what schematic symbol to use for this model.
SIMetrix will ask you for this information when you try and place it. Follow this
procedure:
1.

48

Repeat the steps 1-5 above but instead select the SXOA1000 device instead of
the SXN1000. Notice that when you select the device in the right hand side, you
see the message SIMetrix does not know what symbol to use for this model.
Press Place to resolve.

Chapter 2 Quick Start

2.

After pressing the Place button, you should see the following box:

3.

First specify a suitable category for the device. In this case it is an operational
amplifier, so select Op-amps from the drop down box labelled Choose Category
for SXOA1000.

4.

Next define a symbol for this part. Under Define Symbol for SXOA1000 select
Operational Amplifier - 5 terminal.

We have not quite finished yet. Our new op-amp has the wrong pin out for the
schematic symbol. The pin order for the symbol is shown in the third box down on the
right and is as follows:

Pin name

Function

INP

Non-inverting input

INN

Inverting input

VSP

Positive supply

VSN

Negative supply

OUT

Output

The text at the bottom of the dialog box shows the actual subcircuit definition.
Fortunately, it has been annotated with the function of each of the sub-circuit's
terminals. (This is in fact usually the case with third-party models). As you can see, the
output terminal is in the wrong place. We can change the pin order using the Pin order
up and down buttons:
1.

Select out in the pin order box.

49

Users Manual
2.

Click twice on the up button so that it is positioned between inn and vsp. This is
what you will now have:

3.

Press OK

You will now find our op-amp listed under the Op-amps category in the parts browser.
Notes
You will not always need to execute the above procedure to associate models and
symbols even for subcircuit devices. SIMetrix is supplied with a data base of over
30000 devices that are already associated. These are devices for which SPICE models
are known to be available from some third party source. This database is in the file
ALL.CAT which you will find in support directory under Windows and in the share
directory under Linux. The information you enter in the associate models dialog is
stored in a file called USER_v2.CAT which you will find in the application data
directory - see Application Data Directory on page 328.
You will also not need to perform the above procedure for many 2 and 3 terminal
semiconductor parts even if they are not listed in the ALL.CAT database. SIMetrix
runs a series of simulations on these models and attempts to determine what the device
type is from their results. If successful, the association step demonstrated above will
be skipped.
Finally, there is a method of embedding association information within the model
itself, and such models will not require manual association. The embedding method is
described in Embedded Association on page 165.

50

Chapter 3 Getting Started

Chapter 3 Getting Started

Overview
This chapter describes the basic operation of SIMetrix and is aimed primarily at novice
users.
The basic steps to simulate a circuit are as follows:
1.

Enter the circuit using the schematic editor. See page 51 below

2.

Add signal sources if relevant to your circuit. See page 54 below.

3.

Specify analysis. This includes what type of analysis and over what limits it
should run. See page 58 below.

4.

Run simulator . See Running the Simulator on page 65

5.

Graph results. (See Plotting Simulation Results on page 66

The following paragraphs briefly describe these steps. More details are given in other
sections.

Simulation Modes - SIMetrix or SIMPLIS

If you have SIMetrix/SIMPLIS, you can set the schematic editor to one of two modes
to select whether you are using the SIMetrix native (SPICE) simulator or the SIMPLIS
simulator. To choose the simulator mode, select the menu File|Select Simulator... then
select which simulator you wish to use.
If the schematic is not empty and you change modes, the program will check that all
parts entered on the sheet are compatible with the newly selected simulation mode as
not all parts will work in both modes. Any that are believed not to be compatible will
be highlighted and a warning will be issued. To clear the highlighting, select
Edit|Unhighlight. You will most likely need to replace those components but in some
cases you may simply need to re-enter the same component.
If you wish to enter a circuit that will work in both modes, you should enter it in
SIMPLIS mode and not use any of the components in the menu Place|SIMPLIS
Primitives. Following this advice will not guarantee a circuit with dual mode
simulation ability but will minimise the chance of placing a device that is compatible
with only one of the simulators.

Using the Schematic Editor

Creating a Schematic
The schematic editor has been designed to be intuitive to use and you may not need to
read too much about it. Here we describe the less obvious procedures. For full
documentation see Schematic Editor on page 70. If you have SIMetrix/SIMPLIS,
make sure you are in the correct mode before entering a schematic. See above section.

51

Users Manual
To Place a Component
If it is a simple device which only needs a value such as a resistor or capacitor, select
the appropriate symbol from the tool bar or Place menu. For other devices that require
a part number, it is easiest to use the parts browser. Select menu Place|From Model
Library and select your desired device.
To Change Value or Device Type for a Component
First select it then double click or select schematic popup Edit Part... or press F7. (Note
that the double click behaviour first appeared in version 5.1 and may be disabled for
backward compatibility. See Using the Options Dialog on page 330 for details). A
dialog box appropriate for the type of component will be displayed. For devices
requiring a model name, a list of available types will appear.
To Rotate, Mirror or Flip a Component
Use the rotate toolbar button
or key F5 to rotate a component. You can repeat
pressing this button/key until the desired orientation is reached. (It sequences through
all 8 possible orientations).
This operation can be performed while a component is being placed or while a block is
being moved or copied (see below).
You can also select a component or block then press the rotate button/key to rotate insitu.
To mirror a component or block through the y-axis, press the mirror toolbar button or
F6 key.
To flip a component or block (mirror about x-axis), press Flip button or press shift-F6.
Wiring
If you have a three button mouse you can start a wire by clicking the middle button.
Clicking the middle button a second time will complete the wire and start a new one.
Click the right button to terminate wiring.
If you have a two button mouse you can start a wire by pressing F3 or double clicking
the left button. Single clicking the left button will complete the wire and start a new
one. Click the right button to terminate wiring.
Alternatively, press the Wire button on the toolbar
. You can start a wire by single
clicking the left button, otherwise continue as described above. Press the Wire button
again to cancel this mode
Disconnecting Wires
Press the shift key then select area enclosing the wire. Press delete button.

52

Chapter 3 Getting Started

To Move Items Disconnected
Select items then schematic menu Edit|Detach. Move items to desired location then
press left mouse key. You can rotate/flip/mirror the items (see above) while doing so.
To Copy Across Schematics
Select block you wish to copy. Choose menu Edit|Copy. In second schematic choose
Edit|Paste.
Multiple Selection
Individual items which do not lie within a single rectangle can be selected by holding
down the control key while using the mouse to select the desired items in the usual
way.
Selecting Wires Only
Hold down shift key while performing select operation.
Holding Down the ALT Key...
... while selecting will limit component selection to only devices that are wholly
enclosed by the selection box.
Zoom Area
Press

button on schematic. Drag mouse to zoom in on selected area.

Zoom Full (Fit to Area)

Select popup Zoom|Full or press the HOME key to fit the whole schematic in the
current window size.

Circuit Rules
The following design rules must be observed for the simulation to run correctly. Note
that most circuits obey them anyway and they do not impose serious limitations on the
capability of the simulator.

There must always be at least one ground symbol on every circuit.

Every node on the circuit must have a dc path to ground. If you do have a floating
node, connect a high value resistor (e.g. 1G) between it and ground.

There must not be any zero resistance loops constructed from voltage sources and
or inductors. If you do have such loops. insert a low value resistor. It is best to
make the resistance as low as is needed to have a negligible effect on your circuit
but no lower.

There should be at least two connections at every node.

Failure to observe the above usually leads to a Singular Matrix error.

53

Users Manual

Circuit Stimulus
Most circuits require some form of input signal such as a pulse or sine wave. Such
signals - or stimuli - are specified using a voltage or current source which is placed on
the schematic in the usual way. A number of different types of source are available.
These are described in the following sections.

Waveform Generator
This is used to create a time domain signal for transient analysis. This generator will
work in both SIMetrix and SIMPLIS1 modes of operation. To place one of these
devices, select menu Place|Voltage Sources|Waveform Generator for a voltage source
or Place|Current Sources|Waveform Generator for a current source.
To specify the signal for the source, select then choose the popup menu Edit Part... or
press F7. This will bring up the dialog box shown below:

Select the wave shape on the right hand side then enter the parameters as appropriate.
The following notes provide details on some of the controls.

Damping describes an exponential decay factor for sinusoidal wave-shapes. The

decay is governed by the expression:

Off until delay if checked specifies that the signal will be at the Initial value until
the delay period has elapsed.

e-damping*t

1.

54

SIMPLIS is available with the SIMetrix/SIMPLIS product

Chapter 3 Getting Started

Note that some parameters can be specified in more than one way. For example
both frequency and period edit controls are supplied. Changing one will cause the
other to be updated appropriately. The same applies to duty and width and the
vertical controls in the lower half.

A Cosine wave-shape combined with a positive delay and with Off until delay
checked, will only function correctly in SIMPLIS mode.

PWL Source
This device can be used to describe a piece wise linear source. A PWL source can
describe any arbitrary wave shape in terms of time-voltage or time-current pairs. To
place a PWL source select menu Place|Voltage Sources|PWL Source or Place|Current
Sources|PWL Source.
To edit the device, select it and press F7 or Edit Part... popup menu. This will open the
Edit PWL Dialog which allows you to enter time and voltage/current values.
As well as entering values individually, you can also paste them from the Windows
clipboard by pressing the Paste button or control-V. The values can be copied to the
clipboard using a text editor. The values may be separated by spaces, tabs, commas or
new lines.
PWL sources may be used in both SIMetrix and SIMPLIS modes. When defined in
this way PWL sources are limited to 256 points. In SIMetrix mode, much larger PWL
sources may be defined. See the Analog Device Reference in the Simulator
Reference Manual for more information.

Power Supply/Fixed Current Source

Select menu Place|Voltage Sources|Power Supply or Place|Current Sources|DC Source
to place a fixed voltage or current source. These devices work in both SIMetrix and
SIMPLIS modes.

AC Source
The small signal analysis modes, AC sweep and Transfer Function, require AC sources
for their input stimulus. In SIMPLIS mode, POP (Periodic operating point) also
requires an AC source for its input.
To place an AC source select menu Place|Voltage Sources|AC Source (for AC
analysis) or Place|Current Sources|AC Source.

Universal Source
All of the sources described above can be used in both SIMetrix and SIMPLIS modes
of operation. In SIMetrix mode there is also a Universal source which provides the
function of transient, AC and DC sources all in one device. In addition, the Universal
source may be used to create a random noise source.
To place a universal source, select menu Place|Voltage Sources|Universal Source or
Place|Current Sources|Universal Source.

55

Users Manual
To edit a universal source, select the device and press F7 or popup menu Edit Part....
This will display the following dialog box:

Pulse, sine, noise and DC waveforms may be specified using the tab sheets of the same
name. You can also specify a Piece wise linear source, exponential source or a single
frequency FM source. To enter one of these select the Text tab and enter the
appropriate syntax for the source. Please refer to Voltage source in the Simulator
Reference Manual for more information on these sources. The AC sheet is for AC
analysis only.
With the universal source, you can specify transient, AC and DC specifications
simultaneously. This is not possible with any of the other sources.

Other Sources
Sine Tone Burst
Generates a sequence of sinusoidal bursts with a user defined number of cycles per
burst, burst frequency and tone frequency.
Use menu Place | Voltage Sources | Sine Tone Burst then place device in the usual
way. Editing the device will bring up a dialog with 6 parameters:

56

Chapter 3 Getting Started

Parameter

Description

Burst Freq.

Burst frequency

Tone Freq.

Frequency of the sinusoidal tone

Num Tone Cycles

Number of sinusoidal cycles in each burst

Peak

Peak voltage

Offset

Offset voltage

Points Per Cycle

Minimum number of time steps in each sinusoidal

cycle. Increasing this number will improve the
accuracy of the simulation at the expense of
simulation speed

Swept Sinusoid
Generate a sinusoidal signal with linearly increasing frequency.
Use menu Place | Voltage Sources | Swept Sine then place in the usual manner. Editing
the device will bring up a dialog with 6 parameters:

Parameter

Description

Start Frequency

Starting frequency

End Frequency

Frequency at the end of the ramp

Interval

Time taken to ramp from start frequency to end

frequency

Peak

Peak voltage

Offset

Offset voltage

Points Per Cycle

Minimum number of time steps in each sinusoidal

cycle. Increasing this number will improve the
accuracy of the simulation at the expense of
simulation speed

Bidirectional Pulse
Generates a symmetrical bidirectional pulse waveform.
Use menu Place | Voltage Sources | Bidirectional Pulse then place device in the usual
way. Editing the device will bring up a dialog with 3 parameters:

57

Users Manual

Parameter

Description

P-P Voltage

Peak to peak voltage

Frequency

Pulse frequency

Delay

Delay after start

Analysis Modes
Overview
In this section we explain how to setup the most commonly used analysis modes in
both SIMetrix and SIMPLIS (SIMetrix/SIMPLIS product only)
For more comprehensive details on analysis modes, see Analysis Modes on
page 170 for SIMetrix and SIMPLIS Analysis Modes on page 202 for SIMPLIS .

Using the Choose Analysis Dialog

Analysis mode is setup by selecting the menu Simulator|Choose Analysis.... In
SIMetrix mode this displays the following dialog box:

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To set up the analysis, first check the box on the right according to which analysis you
wish to perform. You can select more than one, but usually it is easier to do just one at
a time.
The following describes the most commonly used modes and how to set one up.
Transient
The most useful and general mode. First the bias point is found. Then the circuit is
simulated over a fixed time interval in steps of varying size according to circuit
activity. The circuit may contain any number of time varying voltage and current
sources (stimuli see Circuit Stimulus on page 54) to simulate external signals, test
generators etc.
Usually you only need to specify the Stop time specified at the top of the dialog box.
For information on the remaining options see Transient Analysis on page 172.
DC Device Sweep
A DC device sweep will sweep a specified device over a defined range and compute
the DC operating point of the circuit at each point. This allows, for example, the DC
transfer function of the circuit to be plotted. Note that all reactive elements are ignored
in DC sweep.
To set up a DC Sweep, select the DC Sweep check box at the right and the DC tab at the
top. You will need to enter some values in the Sweep Parameters section:

The analysis will sweep the device you specify in the Device name box over the range
specified by Start value, Stop value and Number of points or Points per decade if you
select a decade sweep.
The entry in the Device name box is the component reference of the device to be swept
and for DC sweep would usually be a voltage source, a current source or a resistor.
Device sweep is just 1 of 5 modes available with DC sweep. The Define... button
allows you to specify one of the others. See DC Sweep on page 182 for details.

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AC Frequency Sweep
An AC Frequency Sweep calculates the small signal response of a circuit to any
number of user defined inputs over a specified frequency range. The small signal
response is computed by treating the circuit as linear about its DC operating point.
There must be at least one input source for AC analysis for the results to be
meaningful. Connect a voltage or current source to the circuit, select it then press F7.
In the dialog box select the Enable AC check box. On the circuit, an AC input voltage
source will look something like this:
AC 1 0
V1

To set up an AC Frequency Sweep, select the AC check box at the right and the AC tab
at the top. You will need to enter some values in the Sweep Parameters section:

The analysis will sweep the frequency over the range specified by Start frequency, Stop
frequency and Number of points or Points per decade if you select a decade sweep.
Frequency sweep is just 1 of 6 modes available with AC sweep. The Define... button
allows you to specify one of the others. See AC Sweep on page 184 for details.
Noise Frequency Sweep
Like AC analysis, Noise analysis is a small signal mode. Over a user defined frequency
range, the circuit is treated as linear about it's DC operating point and the contribution
of all noisy devices to a designated output is computed. The total noise at that output is
also calculated and optionally the noise referred back to an input source may also be
computed.
To set up a Noise Frequency Sweep, select the Noise check box at the right and the
Noise tab at the top. You will need to enter some values in the Sweep Parameters
section:

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The analysis will sweep the frequency over the range specified by Start frequency, Stop
frequency and Number of points or Points per decade if you select a decade sweep.
You will also need to enter some additional parameters:

An entry in the Output node box is compulsory. It is the name of the circuit node as it
appears in the netlist. Usually the schematic's netlist generator chooses the node names
but we recommend that when running a noise analysis that you assign a user defined
name to your designated output node. You can do this using a terminal symbol
(Place|Connectors|Terminal) To find out more see Finding and Specifying Net
Names on page 80.
An entry in the Ref node box is optional. It is the node to which the output node is
referenced. If omitted it is assumed to be ground.
An entry in the Source name box is optional. If specified the noise referred back to it
will be calculated. Enter the component reference of the voltage or current source that
is used as the input to your circuit.
Frequency sweep is just 1 of 6 modes available with Noise Analysis. The Define...
button allows you to specify one of the others. See Noise Analysis on page 185 for
details.
DC Operating Point
To specify a DC operating point analysis, check the DCOP box on the right of the
Choose Analysis Dialog.
Note that the DC operating point is calculated automatically for all the other analysis
modes described above although for noise analysis the results are not stored.
After a DC operating point has been completed, you can annotate your schematic with
markers to display the voltages at each node. Press control-M on the schematic to place
a single marker or select the popup menu Bias Annotation|Auto Place Markers to

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automatically place markers on all nodes. See Viewing DC Operating Point Results
on page 263 for full details.
Other Analysis Modes
Real-time noise

An extension of transient analysis which enables noise

generators for noisy devices using the same equations used for
small signal noise analysis. See Real Time Noise on page 189.

Transfer function

Similar to AC but instead of calculating the response to a

(usually) single input, it calculates the response from all signal
sources to a single output. See Transfer Function on page 190.

Sensitivity

Calculates the sensitivity of a specified output to device and

model parameters. See Sensitivity on page 193.

Pole-zero

Calculates the poles and zeros of the circuit. See Pole-zero on

page 193.

Multi-step Analyses Transient, AC, DC, Noise and Transfer Function analyses can
be run in an auto-repeat mode while stepping a user-defined
parameter. See Multi-step Analyses on page 196.
Monte Carlo Analysis See Monte Carlo Analysis on page 316.

Setting Up a SIMPLIS Simulation

SIMPLIS analyses are setup using the same menu as SIMetrix but you must first set
the schematic to SIMPLIS mode. See Simulation Modes - SIMetrix or SIMPLIS on
page 51 for details.
Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis... . You will see the following dialog box:

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SIMPLIS has three analysis modes, namely Transient, Periodic Operating Point (POP)
and AC. Transient is similar to SIMetrix transient analysis. POP is a unique analysis
mode that finds the steady state of a switching circuit. AC finds the small signal
response of a periodic system.
Transient Analysis
To setup a basic transient analysis:
1.

Check the Transient box in the Select analysis section.

2.

Enter an appropriate stop time under Analysis parameters.

3.

Enter an appropriate selection under Save Options. Its usually best to select All.
This will instruct SIMPLIS to save all data for subsequent plotting.

In most cases the above is all you need to do. For information on the remaining
transient analysis settings, see Transient Analysis on page 172.

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Periodic Operating Point Analysis (POP)

To setup a POP analysis:

1.

Select Periodic Operating Point sheet.

2.

Check the POP box under Select analysis.

3.

Check the Use "POP Trigger" Schematic Device box. You will need to place a POP
trigger device on your schematic. See below

4.

In the Max. period box, enter a value that is larger than the largest possible value
of your circuits switching period.

You must place on your schematic a POP trigger device. Select menu Place|Analog
Functions|POP Trigger. After placing the device, connect its input to a switching
frequency signal. You do not need to connect the output of this device. Select the
trigger device then press F7. Enter suitable values for Ref. Voltage and Hysteresis so
that it will always reliably trigger on the switching waveform. If you don't use the
output, there is no need to change the other parameters.
AC Analysis

To setup an AC analysis:

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Chapter 3 Getting Started

1.

Select AC sheet.

2.

Check the AC box under Select analysis.

3.

Enter parameters in Sweep Parameters section. These have the same meaning as
the equivalent SIMetrix analysis.

Manual Entry of Simulator Commands

The analysis mode selected using Simulator|Choose Analysis... is stored in text form in
the schematic's simulator command window. If you wish, it is possible to edit this
directly. Users familiar with the simulator's syntax may prefer this approach. Note that
the text entered in the simulator command window and the Choose Analysis dialog
box settings remain synchronised so you can freely switch between the two methods.
To open the simulator command window, select the schematic then press the F11 key.
It has a toggle action, pressing it again will hide it. If you have already selected an
analysis mode using the Choose Analysis dialog box, you will see the simulator
controls already present.
The window has a popup menu selected with the right key. The last item - Edit file at
cursor - will open a text editor with the file name pointed to by the cursor or selected
text item if there is one.
The simulator command window can be resized using the splitter bar between it and
the schematic drawing area.
If you have SIMetrix/SIMPLIS you should use the .SIMULATOR control to mark
SIMetrix and SIMPLIS entries. If .SIMULATOR SIMetrix is encountered, all
following lines will only work in SIMetrix mode and will be ignored by SIMPLIS.
Conversely, any lines following .SIMULATOR SIMPLIS will only be accepted by
SIMPLIS and will be ignored by SIMetrix. All lines before any occurrence of
.SIMULATOR or after .SIMULATOR DEFAULT will be accepted by both simulators.

Running the Simulator

SIMetrix
To run simulator, select the Simulator|Run menu item, press F9 or select the run button
in the Simulator|Choose Analysis... dialog box. A dialog box will show the status of
the simulation.
You can pause the simulation by selecting the Pause button on the simulator status
dialog box. To restart select the Resume button (the Pause button changes name when
simulation pauses) or the Simulator|Resume menu item. There is no obligation to
resume a simulation that has been paused. If you start a new run after having paused
the previous one, you will be asked whether you wish to abandon the pending
simulation run.

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Notes
1.

There is no need to specify in advance of the simulation what voltages, currents

and/or powers you wish to look at. By default everything except signals internal
to some device models are stored in a disk file. You can decide after the run is
complete what you wish to look at.

2.

It is recommended that any schematics are saved before a run is commenced

especially if the run is expected to take a long time.

SIMPLIS
If the schematic is in SIMPLIS mode, the procedure described above will start the
SIMPLIS simulator. A window showing the progress of the SIMPLIS simulation will
be displayed. Please refer to the SIMPLIS Reference Manual for more information
about this display.
SIMPLIS can be aborted by pressing the Abort button in the progress window.
SIMPLIS, cannot however, be paused and resumed.

Plotting Simulation Results

Overview
SIMetrix provides two methods of creating plots of simulated results.
The first approach is to fix voltage or current probes to the schematic before or during
a run. SIMetrix will then generate graphs of the selected voltages and/or currents
automatically. The probes have a wide range of options which allow you to specify for example - how the graphs are organised and when and how often they are updated.
The second approach is to randomly probe the circuit after the run is complete. (You
can also do this during a run by pausing first). With this approach, the graph will be
created as you point the probe but will not be updated on a new run.
You do not need to make any decisions on how you wish to probe your circuit before
starting the run. You can enter a circuit without any fixed probes, run it, then randomly
probe afterwards. Alternatively, you can place - say - a single fixed probe on an
obvious point of interest, then randomly probe to investigate the detailed behaviour of
your circuit.
Fixed schematic probes are limited to single ended voltages and currents and
differential voltages. The random probing method allows you to plot anything you like
including device power, FFTs, arbitrary expressions of simulation results and X-Y
plots such as Nyquist diagrams. It is possible to set up fixed probes to plot arbitrary
expressions of signals but this requires manually entering the underlying simulator
command, the .GRAPH control. There is no direct schematic support for this. For
details of the .GRAPH control see the Command Reference chapter of the Simulator
Reference Manual.

Fixed Probes
There are several types of fixed probe. Three of the commonly used probes are:

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1.

Voltage. Plots the voltage on a net.

2.

Current. Plots the current in a device pin.

3.

Differential voltage. Plots the voltage difference between two points.

They are simply schematic symbols with special properties. When you place a fixed
probe on the schematic, the voltage or current at the point where you place the probe
will be plotted each time you run the simulation. The probes have a wide range of
options which can be set by selecting the probe then pressing F7. These options are
covered in detail in section Fixed Probes on page 215.
There are more fixed probes available in addition to those described above. See Fixed
Probes on page 215 for details.
Fixed Voltage Probes
You can place these on a schematic with the single hot key B or with one of the
menus
Probe|Place Fixed Voltage Probe...
Place|Probe|Voltage Probe
schematic popup Probe Voltage
Hint
If you place the probe immediately on an existing schematic wire, SIMetrix will try
and deduce a meaningful name related to what it is connected to. If you place the probe
at an empty location, its name will be a default (e.g. PROBE1-NODE) which won't be
meaningful and you will probably wish to subsequently edit it.
Fixed Current Probes
You can place these on a schematic with the single hot key U or with one of the
menus
Probe|Place Fixed Current Probe...
Place|Probe|Current Probe
schematic popup Probe Current
Current probes must be placed directly over a component pin. They will have no
function if they are not and a warning message will be displayed.
Fixed Differential Voltage Probes
These can be placed using one of the menus
Probe|Place Fixed Diff. Voltage Probe...
Place|Probe|Differential Voltage Probe

Random Probes
Most of the entries in the schematic's Probe menu are for random probing. You can
probe, voltage, current, differential voltage, device power, dB, phase, Nyquist

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diagrams and much more. You can also plot arbitrary expressions of any circuit signal
and plot signals from earlier simulation runs. Just a few of the possibilities to get you
started are explained below. For a full reference see Random Probes on page 219.
Random Voltage Probing
1.

Select the schematic menu item Probe|Voltage...

2.

Using the mouse, place the cursor over the point on the circuit you wish to plot.

3.

Press the left mouse button. A graph of the voltage at that point will be created.
The new curve will be added to any existing graph if the X-axis has the same
units. Otherwise, a new graph sheet will be created.

Random Voltage Probing - On New Graph Sheet

1.

Select the schematic menu item Probe|Voltage (New Graph Sheet)...

2.

Using the mouse, place the cursor over the point on the circuit you wish to plot.

3.

Press the left mouse button. A graph of the voltage at that point will be created. A
new graph sheet will be created for it unconditionally.

Random Current Probing

1.

Select the schematic menu item Probe|Current...

2.

Using the mouse, place the cursor at the device pin whose current you wish to
plot.

3.

Press the left mouse button. A graph of the current at that point will be created.
The new curve will be added to any existing graph if the X-axis has the same
units. Otherwise, a new graph sheet will be created.

Random Current Probing - On New Graph Sheet

1.

Select the schematic menu item Probe|Current in Device Pin (New Graph
Sheet)...

2.

Using the mouse, place the cursor at the device pin whose current you wish to
plot.

3.

Press the left mouse button. A graph of the current at that point will be created. A
new graph sheet will be created for it unconditionally.

Probing dB and Phase for AC Analysis

In AC analysis you will probably want to plot signals in dB and you may also want to
plot the phase of a signal.

68

1.

Select the schematic menu item Probe AC/Noise|db - Voltage... for dB or

Probe AC/Noise|Phase - Voltage... .

2.

Using the mouse, place the cursor over the point on the circuit you wish to plot.

3.

Press the left mouse button. The new curve will be added to any existing graph if
the X-axis has the same units. Otherwise, a new graph sheet will be created.

Chapter 3 Getting Started

Probing dB and Phase for AC Analysis - On New Graph Sheet
1.

Create an empty graph sheet by pressing F10 or selecting menu

Probe|New Graph Sheet

2.

Proceed as in above section.

Differential Voltage Probing

The schematic menu Probe|Voltage Differential... allows you to plot the voltage
difference between two points. When you select this menu click on the schematic
twice. The first is the signal node and the second the reference node.
Advanced Probing
The menu Probe|More Probe Functions... provides many more probing functions
selectable from a tree structured list. More advanced plotting can be achieved with the
menu Probe|Add Curve.... This opens a dialog box allowing you to enter any
expression and which also provides a range of options on how you wish the graph to be
plotted.

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Chapter 4 Schematic Editor

Schematic Windows and Sheets
The schematic editor window is shown below. It can display multiple sheets arranged
like a notebook with tabs. It is also possible to have multiple windows allowing
schematic to be compared.
Creating Schematic Windows and Sheets
To Open a new schematic window - select menu File|New Schematic Window
To Open a new schematic sheet, select menu File|New Schematic Sheet. This will
create a new sheet in the selected window. If no schematic is open, one will be created.
Selecting Simulator Mode
If you have SIMetrix/SIMPLIS and you wish to enter a schematic for simulation with
SIMPLIS, you should select SIMPLIS simulator mode.
To do this select menu File|Select Simulator then select SIMPLIS.

Schematic Editor Window

Cut
File Operations

Undo

Duplicate

Function of left
mouse button

70

Rotate/Mirror/Flip Zoom box/out/in

Select wiring mode

Relative zoom level

Popup menu - open using
right mouse click

Place components

Chapter 4 Schematic Editor

Editing Operations
To Place a Component
If it is a simple device which only needs a value such as a resistor or capacitor, select
the appropriate symbol from the tool bar or Parts menu. For other devices that require a
part number, it is easiest to use the parts browser. Select menu Place|From Model
Library and select your desired device.
Once the symbol has been selected, using the mouse, move the image of the
component to your desired location then press the left mouse button. This will fix the
component to the schematic. Depending on preference settings (command shell menu
File|Options|General... schematic tab), you may now be presented with another copy of
the symbol for placement. Use left key as before to place, press right key to cancel.
Selecting a Single Component
Most operations require items to be selected. When an item (component or wire) is
selected, it changes colour to blue.
To select a single component, just left click it.
Selecting an Area
To select all items within a rectangular area of the schematic press the left mouse key
in an empty area of the sheet and hold down while dragging mouse to opposite corner
of rectangle. A rectangular box should be drawn as you move the mouse. (Note that if
the initial cursor position is too close to a wire junction or component, a move
operation will be carried out instead of selection.)
To Change Value or Device Type for a Component
First select it then select schematic popup Edit Part... or press F7. Alternatively, you
can just double click the device. (Note that the double click behaviour is new for
version 5.1 and may be disabled for backward compatibility. See Using the Options
Dialog on page 330 for details). A dialog box appropriate for the type of component
will be displayed. For devices requiring a model name, a list of available types will
appear
To Rotate, Mirror or Flip a Component
Use the rotate toolbar button
or key F5 to rotate a component. You can repeat
pressing this button/key until the desired orientation is reached. (It sequences through
all 8 possible orientations).
This operation can be performed while a component is being placed or while a block is
being moved or copied (see below).
You can also select a component or block then press the rotate button/key to rotate in
situ.

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To mirror a component or block through the y-axis, press the mirror toolbar button or
F6 key.
To flip a component or block (mirror about x-axis), press Flip button or press shift-F6.
Wiring
See Wiring on page 75 below
Deleting Wires
Select the wire by placing cursor over it clicking left button. Press
delete key.

button or press

Disconnecting Wires
Press the shift key, then select area enclosing the wire or wires to be deleted. Press
delete button.
To Move a Single Component
Place the cursor within it and then drag it using the left mouse key. You can
rotate/flip/mirror the component (see above) while doing so.
To Move More Than One Item
Select items as described above. Place cursor within any of the selected items then
drag the items to the desired location. You can rotate/flip/mirror the items (see above)
while doing so.
To Move Items Disconnected
Select items as described above. Select schematic menu Edit|Detach menu item. Move
items to desired location then press left mouse key. You can rotate/flip/mirror the items
(see above) while doing so.
To Move Property Text (Labels)
SIMetrix provides the ability to move property labels simply by dragging them with
the mouse but this method is disabled by default. To enable, use menu File | Options |
General... then in Schematic sheet select Enable GUI property edits in the Property
editing box.
Although this is of course a convenient method for moving property labels, our
recommendation is that this method is kept switched off. Our philosophy is that it is
better to move the symbol so that the label is clearly visible rather than move the label
itself. That way the label will always be in a consistent location with respect to the
symbol and there will be no confusion about which symbol a label refers to. By not
having GUI editing enabled, there can be no conflict with other interactive functions
such as drawing wires or moving symbols. See Notes on Property Text Position on
page 75 for a discussion.

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You can also move a components value, by pressing control-F7 and its reference using
control-F8. To move any other property select device then popup Properties|Move... .
To Duplicate Items
Select items as described above. Press the button on the toolbar
. Move the items
to your desired location then press left key to fix. You can rotate/flip/mirror the items
(see above) while doing so.
To Copy Across Schematics
Select block you wish to copy. Choose menu Edit|Copy. In second schematic choose
Edit|Paste.
To Delete
Select items as described above. Press the cut button
key.

on the toolbar or the delete

Multiple Selection
Individual items which do not lie within a single rectangle can be selected by holding
down the control key while using the mouse to select the desired items as described
above.
Selecting Wires Only
Hold down shift key while performing select operation.
Holding Down the ALT Key...
... while selecting will limit component selection to only devices that are wholly
enclosed by the selection box.
Unselecting
Place the cursor in an empty area and press left mouse key.
Unselect Items Within a Rectangle
You can unselect an area of schematic enclosed by the selection box. Use menu
Edit|Unselect|Rectangle.
To Increment/Decrement a Component Value
Select component then press shift-up or shift-down respectively. This only works with
resistors, capacitors and inductors.

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To Change a Component Reference
Select component(s) then press F8 or select schematic menu Edit|Change Reference.
Enter new reference.
To Correct a Mistake
Press the Undo button
. By default you can backtrack up to ten operations (but
this can be changed with File|Options|General...). If you want to undo the undo
operation, select the schematic popup or fixed menu Edit|Redo menu item.
To Add Text To a Schematic
Select the popup menu item Edit|Add Free Text.... This opens a dialog box prompting
you for the text to be entered. After entering text and closing box you can then position
the text where you require using the mouse.
To Change Text Already Entered
Select the text then press F7 and enter the new text.
To Hide A Component Value
Select popup menu item Hide/Show Value
Zoom Area
Press

button on schematic. Drag mouse to zoom in on selected area.

Zoom Full (Fit to Area)

Select popup Zoom|Full or press HOME key to fit whole schematic in current window
size.
Zoom Out
Press

button or F12 or popup Zoom|Out to zoom out one level.

Zoom In
Press

button or shift-F12 or popup Zoom|In to zoom in one level.

Panning
Use the scroll bars to pan schematic. You may also use the left, right, up and down
cursor keys to pan the schematic one grid square in the relevant direction and the Page
up, Page down, control left cursor, control right cursor to pan the schematic 10 grid
squares. Also the schematic will auto pan if either of the left or right mouse keys is
held down when the cursor enters the a region of the schematic less than one grid

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square from the window edge. It is only possible to pan the schematic when scroll bars
are visible.
Notes on Property Text Position
The SIMetrix schematic editor has been designed using a basic principle that it is better
to move the component to make its property text visible rather than move the property.
That way the component's value and other properties will always have a consistent
location relative to the symbol body and there will be no confusion as to which
component it belongs.
If you have a situation where some device label (=property text) clashes with another,
your first thought will probably be to move the label. We ask you instead to think about
moving the component that owns the label; its nearly always a better way. In situations
where the label is very long, it might be better to hide it altogether.
If you find that moving the label is the only way then you should be aware of how the
positions of property text are defined.
In SIMetrix, property positions can be defined in one of two ways namely Auto and
Absolute. Most of the standard symbols have their properties defined as Auto. This
means that SIMetrix chooses the location of the property on a specified edge of the
symbol and ensures that it doesn't clash with other properties on the same edge. Auto
properties are always horizontal and therefore easily readable. The position of
Absolute properties is fixed relative to the symbol body regardless of the orientation of
the symbol and location of other properties. When the symbol is rotated through 90
degrees, absolute text will also rotate. Absolute properties are intended for situations
where the precise location is important, such as in a title block.
When a visible property on a symbol is moved by the method described above, it and
all other visible properties on that symbol are converted to Absolute locations. This is
the only way that the positions of all properties can be preserved. This means that once
you move a single property on a component, it and all other properties will rotate with
the symbol. For this reason, it is better not to move property text until the orientation of
the symbol has been finalised.

Wiring
Overview
SIMetrix offers both manual and smart wiring methods. In smart mode, you select the
start and end points and SIMetrix will find a suitable route. In manual mode, you place
each wire segment individually in exactly the locations you require. You dont need to
change global settings to select the mode you desire; the procedures for each mode are
different and so you can freely switch between them from one wiring operation to the
next.
However, in most applications you wont need to use the manual wiring method. The
smart wiring method can still be used to enter wire segments one by one, simply by
selecting start and end points that have an obvious straight line route. The fundamental
difference between smart and manual is that smart mode will always route around
obstacles such as existing wire terminations or whole symbols. In manual mode the

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wire will always go exactly where you take it even it crosses existing connections or
passes through existing symbols.
Smart Wiring Procedure
1.

Initiate smart wiring by bringing the mouse cursor close to either an unselected
symbol pin or an unselected wire end. As you do this you will notice that the
cursor changes shape to depict a pen symbol.

2.

Click the left button (press and release), to mark the starting point of the wire
connection.

3.

Move, the cursor to the destination point. This may be anywhere on the
schematic, not just at a wire end or symbol pin.

If there is a viable route from the start point to the destination point, SIMetrix will
locate it and draw the wire route.
Smart Wiring Notes
The smart wiring algorithm use an heuristic algorithm that finds as many routes as
possible then chooses the best one based on a number of criteria. The criteria used in
the selection include the number of corners, the number of wires crossed, the number
of property labels crossed and its overall length. It attempts to find the most
aesthetically pleasing route, but as this is somewhat subjective, it may not necessarily
find the route you may have chosen manually. However, in our tests, we have found
that it usually finds the best route for situations where there are no more than 2 or 3
corners required. In developing the algorithm we paid particular attention to common
scenarios found in analog design such as routing the output of an opamp back to its
inverting input and you should find that these common scenarios work well.
Smart Wiring Options
There is two option to control the smart wiring algorithm. Firstly, you can disable the
smart wiring algorithm altogether, in which case the smart wiring procedure will place
wires in a similar fashion to the manual wiring methods.
Secondly, there is an option that controls whether or not the smart wiring algorithm is
allowed to route wires through existing wires that are connected to the start and end
points. By default this option is on, i.e. the smart algorithm is allowed to route through
connected wires. If the option is off, the algorithm will not allow any wires in the route
to connect to any existing wire regardless of what it is connected to. In general, we
recommend that the option is left switched.
To change the smart wiring options, select menu File | Options | General... . The two
wiring options are in the section titled Wiring.
Manual Wiring Procedure
If you have a three button mouse you can start a wire by clicking the middle button.
Clicking the middle button a second time will complete the wire and start a new one.
Click the right button to terminate wiring.

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If you have a two button mouse you can start a wire by pressing F3 or double clicking
the left button. Single clicking the left button will complete the wire and start a new
one. Click the right button to terminate wiring.
. You can start a wire by single
Alternatively, press the Wire button on the toolbar
clicking the left button, otherwise continue as described above. Press the Wire button
again to cancel this mode.

Edit Modes
SIMetrix has three alternative edit modes that affect how wires are treated during move
operations and also the behaviour when superimposed connecting pins are separated.
These are:
1.
Classic. This is a basic rubberbanding mode where wires are fixed at one end and
follow the component at the selected end. When superimposed pins are
separated, no wire is created between them. This is the method used for all
SIMetrix version up to and including release 5.2 hence the name classic.
2.

Grow wire. The wire editing is the same as for classic but when superimposed
pins are separated, a wire is created to maintain the electrical connection.

3.

Orthogonal. As grow wire but wires are edited in a manner so that they are kept at
right angles as much as possible.

The default setting is Classic. To change to a new setting, proceed as follows:

1.

Select command shell menu File | Options | General...

2.

In schematic tab in the Edit Mode section select the mode of your choice. Note
that this change will not affect currently open schematic sheets

Bus Connections
SIMetrix provides the Bus Ripper symbol to allow the connection of busses.
To Add a Bus Connector
1.

Select the menu Place|Connectors|Bus Ripper... or popup

Connectors|Bus Ripper.... This will display dialog:

Enter a bus name if you require it.

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2.

Start index and end index define the wires within the bus that you wish to connect
to. Suppose you were connecting to a data bus called DATA and it was 16 bits
wide. If you wish to make a connection to the 4 bits from DATA8 to DATA11,
you would enter 8 and 11 for the start and end index respectively. The bus ripper
doesn't care about the size of the bus to which it is connecting.

3.

Choose an appropriate style. This only affects the appearance of the symbol not
its functionality.

4.

Press OK then place the symbol on your schematic.

To Draw Busses
There is no special method of drawing busses. Simply wire up bus rippers as you
would any other component. As soon as you connect to the bus pin of a bus ripper, the
colour and thickness of the wire will automatically change to signify that it is a bus.
To Increase/Reduce the Connections to a Bus
If you wish to add connections to or delete connections from a bus ripper, select the
ripper device and press F7 or popup menu Edit Part.... The same dialog as above will
be displayed. Adjust the start and end indexes appropriately then close the box.
Connecting Busses in a Hierarchy
See Connecting Busses in a Hierarchy on page 83

Copying to the Clipboard

To copy schematics to the clipboard, select the entire schematic then choose menu
Edit|Copy. If you wish the schematic to be copied in black white select
Edit|Copy Monochromatic. It is recommended that you zoom the schematic to fill the
window prior to copying to the clipboard.
After copying to the clipboard, the schematic can be pasted into another application
such as a word processor.

Annotating a Schematic
You can add a caption or free text to a schematic. The only difference between them is
the font style and justification. Captions use a heavy font and are centre justified. Free
text use a smaller font and are left justified. To place a caption or free text use the
popup or fixed menus:
Edit|Add Caption... or
Edit|Add Free Text...
respectively. Note, you can use the enter key to add a new line. The actual fonts used
can be changed with File|Options|Font.... Note the fonts are global and not stored with
the schematic.

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Assigning Component References

Standard Behaviour
As you place components on a schematic, they are automatically assigned a component
reference (R1, Q42, C11 - etc.). These references are assigned in sequence and breaks
in the sequence are reused. So if you place resistors on the schematic R1, R2, R3 and
R4 then delete R2, the next resistor placed will use the reference R2 that has become
available.
Setting Start Value
By default, auto assigned references start at 1. You can change this using the
AnnoMinSuffix option variable (see page 336). For example, type this at the command
line:
Set AnnoMinSuffix=100
Auto assigned component references will now begin with 100.
Assigning By Position
You can reassign component references so that they are allocated by their position on
the schematic. To do this select menu Edit | Assign References By Position.

Checking the Schematic

The schematic menu Simulator|Check performs a number of checks. First, a netlist of
the circuit is created. During this process the following potential errors will be
reported.

Unconnected pins.

Dangling wires.

Implicit connections (e.g. two terminal symbols with the same name)

Name translations. This is for busses with different names connected together.
One name has to win.

Next the netlist is read in by the simulator but the simulation is not started. This will
identify any devices for which models have not been found.

Schematic Preferences
Component Toolbar
The default toolbar show a selection of symbols useful for either CMOS IC design
(Micron versions) or discrete circuit design (all other versions). There are however
many more buttons available and these can be added as desired. To do this select the
schematic menu View|Configure Toolbar... . This will display a dialog box allowing
full customisation of the component buttons on the schematic toolbar. Note that the
toolbar configuration in SIMetrix mode is independent of the configuration in
SIMPLIS mode.

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Further customisation of all toolbars is possible using script commands. You can also
define your own toolbars and buttons. Full details may be found in the Script Reference
Manual
Component Placement Options
You can specify whether or not you prefer multiple or single placement of components.
By default, placement of components from the schematic tool bar is repetitive while
placement of components from the menus is done one at a time. This can be changed.
Select the command shell menu File|Options|General.... In the schematic sheet, the
options available are presented in the Placement box.

Adding and Removing Worksheets

A number of standard sizes of worksheet are included. See menu Place|Worksheets.
The worksheet menus automatically protect the worksheet after it has been placed.
This prevents it from being selected. To delete a worksheet, use the
Place|Worksheet|Delete Worksheet menu. You should avoid placing a worksheet from
the Place|From Symbol Library menu as it will not be protected if you do this.

Finding and Specifying Net Names

When a simulation is run, a netlist of the schematic is created and this is delivered to
the simulator. The netlist generator automatically assigns names to every net (or node)
of the circuit. There are some situations where you need to find the name of a net. For
example, in noise analysis (see page 185) you must specify an output node. In these
situations you can either find the name of the net that the netlist generator assigned or
alternatively you can specify a name of your choice.
To Find an Assigned Net Name
Place the mouse cursor on the net of interest. You will see the name appear in the fifth
entry of the status box at the base of the schematic window in the form NET=
netname. Note that the schematic must have been netlisted for this to work. Netlisting
occurs when you run a simulation for example, but you can force this at anytime by
selecting the menu Simulator | Check.
To Specify a User Defined Name
User defined net names can be specified using either the Terminal symbol or the Small
Terminal symbol. Select menu Place|Connectors|Terminal or Place|Connectors|Small
Terminal. To specify the net name select the terminal then press F7 and enter your
choice of name.

Hierarchical Schematic Entry

Schematics can be organised into multiple levels in a hierarchy. Typically the top level
would contain a number of blocks, each of which represents an underlying child
schematic. Each of the child schematics can in turn contain more blocks.
You can create a hierarchical schematic in one of two ways:

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Top-down method

Blocks are created first to make a functional diagram. The

underlying schematic for each block is created afterwards.

Bottom-up method

Schematics are designed first then blocks are created to use with
them.

From version 4.1, the schematic and its symbol can be stored within the same file. The
combined element is known as a component and is usually given the file extension
.SXCMP. In earlier versions, the symbol (or block) had to be stored in the symbol
library while the schematic was stored as a separate file. This method is still supported
but we recommend using the component method for all new designs.
All the methods for creating hierarchical schematics described in this section use
components.

Top-Down Method
Creating Component Symbol
Select schematic menu Hierarchy|Create New Symbol... . This will open the graphical
symbol editor. See page 89 for details. Note that the symbol you create must be given a
Ref property typically with the initial value U? and a Model property which must
have the value X.
Placing Symbol
If the schematic containing the block has never been saved (untitled in caption bar)
you must save it now. This is so that the schematic has a title. This step is only
necessary if the schematic has never been saved before.
Select either Hierarchy|Place Component (Full Path)... or Hierarchy|Place Component
(Relative Path)... . The first references the component file using a full file system path
name while the second uses a path relative to the parent schematic. SeePlacing - Full
vs Relative Path on page 82 for more details. Select the .SXCMP file you used to save
the symbol in the above paragraph. Note that you will see the warning message
Component module ports in underlying schematic do not match symbol pins
displayed in the command shell. This warning may be ignored at this point.
Creating Schematic for Block
1.

Select the symbol whose schematic you wish to define then select schematic
menu Hierarchy|Descend Into. Note the symbol must have been saved as a
component as described above.

2.

A new schematic sheet will be opened with a number of module port symbols
already placed. These will be named according to the pin names of the block.
You must use these to make connections to the outside world.

Bottom-up method
Creating Schematic
1.

Open or draw schematic. It must have at least one Module Port symbol on it. To
place a module port, use schematic menu Hierarchy|Place Module Port.

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2.

Save the schematic as a component. Select menu Save As... then select
Components from Save as type: list.

Creating Symbol for Schematic

1.

Select Hierarchy|Open/Create Symbol for Schematic...

2.

A graphical symbol editor window will be opened with a default symbol

generated from the number, orientation and names of the module ports on the
schematic.

3.

The symbol created can be saved straight away or you can edit it to suit your
requirements. To save it, in the symbol editor window, select the menu
File|Save... . You will not usually need to change any of the settings in the dialog.
Just press Ok to close.

Navigating Hierarchical designs

There are a number of means of navigating hierarchical designs. You can go up or
down one level or you can jump straight to the top level (or root).
Descending into a Block
1.

Select the block then either press Control-E or select Hierarchy|Descend Into.

2.

If schematic attached to the block is already open, it will be brought into view. If
it isn't it will be opened. Note that the schematic will now be associated with the
block that you entered. This is important if you have more than one block
attached to the same schematic and you intend to plot curves from it after a
simulation. This is explained more fully in the section on simulating hierarchical
designs.

Ascending to Parent Schematic

1.

Select Hierarchy|Ascend

2.

If schematic is open, it will be brought into view. if it isn't, it will be opened.

Placing - Full vs Relative Path

Components can be placed using their full path or a relative path.
When placed with a full path, the component file is referenced using its full file system
path name (e.g. C:\Projects\Proj123\amplifier.sxcmp). This allows the schematic file
that uses the component to be freely moved as long as the component file stays in the
same place. However if the component file is moved the schematic will no longer be
able to locate it.
When placed with a relative path, the component file is referenced with a file system
path name relative to the schematic that uses it. Most likely the component file will be
in the same directory (or folder) as the schematic and will therefore be referenced by
its file name alone. (E.g. amplifier.sxcmp). This allows the schematic file and
component file to be moved together to any location but they may not be moved
individually.

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Which is used depends on the application. If files are always kept in the same directory
location, it doesn't matter which you use.
To place a component using its full path
Select schematic menu Hierarchy|Place Component (Full Path)... . Select a component
file then place in the normal way.
To place a component using its relative path
Select schematic menu Hierarchy|Place Component (Relative Path)... . Select a
component file then place in the normal way.
Using symbolic constants
SIMetrix has a facility to define path names using symbolic constants. This system
allows absolute locations for files to be defined using a single value and thus making it
easy to change that location. See Symbolic Path Names on page 324 for further
details.
Windows/Linux Interoperability
From version 5.5, paths are stored on each schematic instance using the UNIX
directory separator, that is the forward slash /. This allows schematics created using a
windows version to be used with a Linux version which was not possible in earlier
versions that used a back slash.

Connecting Busses in a Hierarchy

Overview
Bus connections can be passed through a hierarchy in much the same way as normal
single wire connections. Bus connections are defined by the underlying schematic. The
symbol representing the schematic does not require any special treatment.
Creating Bus Connections Using the Bottom Up Method
1.

Enter the schematic in the usual way.

2.

To define a bus connection, place the part Hierarchy|Place Module Bus Port
instead of the usual Module Port. Select the device and press F7 to define the port
name and bus size (i.e. the number of wires in the bus).

3.

Save schematic as a 'Component'

4.

Select menu Hierarchy|Open/Create Symbol for Schematic...

5.

Edit symbol if required then save

Changing the Bus Offset in the Parent Schematic

The bus connection in the parent schematic has a size that is determined by the module
port in the child schematic. However, the offset - that is the first wire it connects to in
the bus in the parent - can be changed on a per instance basis. To do this, proceed as
follows:

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1.

Select the label next to the bus pin. This will be of the form [A..B] where A is the
start wire (default is 0) and B is the final wire. Note that if you edited an existing
symbol to add a bus connection, you may not see this label. If so select the
component then menu Hierarchy|Update Bus Connections.

2.

Press F7 then enter the new offset and OK. You will see the label change
accordingly. For example, suppose the bus has 8 wires as defined in the child
schematic. To begin with the label will be [0..7] and will therefore connect to bus
wire 0 to 7. If you change the offset to, for example, 4, the label will change to
[4..11] meaning that the connection will now be made to wires 4 to 11.

Changing a Non-bus Connection to a Bus Connection

1.

In the child schematic change the Module Port to a Module Bus Port and edit as
appropriate.

2.

In the parent schematic, select the block then menu Hierarchy|Update Bus
Connections. This will update the schematic to show the bus connection on the
hierarchical block.

Changing the Size of a Bus Connection

1.

In the child schematic, select the appropriate Module Bus Port

2.

Press F7 and enter the new size as required.

3.

In the parent schematic, select the block then menu Hierarchy|Update Bus
Connections

Global Nets
You can access any net at the top level of a hierarchy using a terminal symbol and
prefixing the name with '#'.
For example, suppose you have a net at the top level called VCC. You can access this
net at any level of the hierarchy without having to pass the connection by connecting a
terminal symbol (Place|Connectors|Terminal) and then assigning it the name #VCC.

Global Pins
Supposing you have two instances of a hierarchical block which you wish to connect to
different supply rails. To do this you would need to connect the supplies - say VCC - to
pins at the top level with explicit (i.e. non-global) connections at the lower levels. So
every child schematic at lower levels would also need VCC pins.
However, it is sometime convenient to hide these connections. When there is only one
supply for an entire design, this can be done using global nets. However, in the
scenario we described above, there are two versions of VCC so we would not be able
to use a global net in this case.
A solution to this is to use a feature of SIMetrix called Global Pins. Global pins are
defined during symbol definition. Once a pin is defined as global, a net of the same
name will be available in all child schematics at all levels without the need for it to be
explicitly passed.

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Example

12
V5

5
V3
VCC

block1.sxsch
U1

VCC

In Out
VEE
Sine(0 1 1k 0 0)
V1

block1.sxsch
U2

In Out
VEE
1K
R1

1K
R2
12
V4

5
V2

Top level schematic

1K
In

Pin0
Pin1

R1

block2.sxsch
U1

Out

Block 1
v cc

1u

Q1
N1

Pin0
L1

Pin1

VEE

Block 2
In the above example, VCC and VEE connections have been made in block2 without
them having to be passed via the parent block1.
The above trivial example is supplied as an example. See Examples\Hierarchy\Global
Pins.
Creating Global Pins
To define a global pin. select the symbol editor menu Property/Pin|Global Pins... .
Double click on the pin you wish to assign as global and select Yes.

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Passing Parameters Through a Hierarchy

To pass parameters through a hierarchy, assign a PARAMS property then give it a
value to assign each parameter you wish to pass (e.g. PARAM1=10 PARAM2=57).
See supplied example in folder Examples\Hierarchy\Passing Parameters.

Missing Hierarchical Blocks

When a hierarchical schematic is opened, SIMetrix needs to locate the component files
that contain the symbols used for each hierarchical block. If, however, the file for a
particular component is missing or is in the wrong location, then SIMetrix will not be
able to display that components symbol. Unlike library symbols, component symbols
are not stored locally in the schematic file.
In order to make it possible to resolve the problem, SIMetrix instead puts a place
holder symbol in place of the missing symbol. The place holder symbol is a diagonal
cross.
Repairing Missing Components
If a component is missing you can either edit the schematic to identify the new location
of the component, or you can move files around so that the components are once again
in the expected locations.
To edit the schematic, select the place holder symbol then menu Hierarchy|Replace
Component... .
To relocate files, use the systems file handling tools to move the component files, then
select menu Hierarchy|Update Symbols.

Highlighting
The schematic highlighting features will work through a hierarchy. The menus Edit |
Highlight by Net and Edit | Highlight Net by Name... will highlight a selected net
within the displayed schematic and any connected nets in other schematics in the same
hierarchy. But note the following:

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1.

In very large hierarchies, it is possible that the mechanism that traces through the
hierarchy to identify connected nets can noticeably slow down the time taken to
descend into a new schematic. Hierarchical highlighting can be disabled if this
becomes a problem. See menu File | Options | General... then check Disabled
under Hierarchy Highlighting

2.

Connectivity information in SIMetrix schematics is normally only generated

when a netlist is created. For this reason it is possible for highlighting to be
incomplete if a schematic has been edited since a simulation was last run. The
highlighting algorithms seeks to minimise this problem by running the netlister at
certain times, but for performance reasons does not netlist the whole hierarchy.
You can use the menu Edit | Refresh Hierarchical Highlights to resolve this
problem. This will netlist the complete hierarchy and rebuild the highlights from
scratch.

Chapter 4 Schematic Editor

Printing
Printing a Single Schematic Sheet
1.

Select menu File|Print...

2.

If there is a graph window currently open (See Graphs, Probes and Data
Analysis on page 213) you can choose to plot the schematic alongside the graph
on the same sheet. Select your choice in the Layout section.

3.

In the Schematic box select an appropriate scale. Fit area will fit the schematic to
a particular area relative to the size of paper. If multiple sheets are chosen, a
small overlap will be included. Fixed grid means that the schematics grid will be
mapped to a fixed physical size on the paper. The sizes are in inches (1 inch=
25.4mm). So 0.3 means that 1 grid square on the displayed schematic will be 0.3
inches or 7.5mm on the printed sheet.

Printing a Hierarchical Schematic

1.

Select menu File|Print Hierarchy...

2.

You will be presented with a complete list of schematics used in the current
hierarchy. Select the schematics you wish print and Ok.

3.

Select options as appropriate then Ok.

File Operations
Saving
For normal save operations use the File|Save or File|Save As... menus.
To save all the sheets currently open use File|Save All.

Exporting Schematic Graphics

You may export schematic graphics to other applications such as word processors or
drawing programs. You can do this via the clipboard (windows only, see Copying to
the Clipboard on page 78) or by writing out to a file. To export schematic graphics to
a file, select the schematic menu File | Save Picture... then select the format of your
choice using the Save as type: drop down box. The choices are:
1.

Windows Meta File (.EMF and .WMF). This is only available in Windows
versions. Nearly all windows applications that support graphics import will
accept this format. Note that this is a scalable format and therefore suitable for
high resolution printing.

2.

Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg). This is a relatively new format and is not
supported by many applications. However, it is the only scalable format available
in Linux.

3.

Bitmap - default image size (.png, .jpg, .bmp) These are available on all
platforms, are widely supported by graphics applications but these are not
scalable formats and so do not offer good quality when printed using high

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resolution printers. PNG is the default format if you do not choose a file
extension and generally this is the format that provides the best image quality/file
size trade off. To choose JPG (JPEG format) or BMP (windows bitmap format)
you must explicitly enter .jpg or .bmp file extensions respectively. With this
option the image size will match the image size currently displayed on screen. If
you wish to specify a different image size, use next option.
4.

Bitmap - specify image size (.png, .jpg, .bmp). As 3 above but you must
explicitly define the image resolution in pixels. You will be prompted for this
when you close the file selection dialog box. Note that schematics always
maintain their aspect ratio so the final image size may differ from what you
specify. The actual image will always fit within the X and Y values you give.

Exporting to Earlier Versions of SIMetrix

Schematics created with SIMetrix version 5.3 or earlier can be read by all SIMetrix
versions from and including version 4.1. But note that changes in symbol design do
introduce some difficulties that may need special treatment. In particular capacitor and
inductor symbols used in version 4.2 and later do not work correctly with version 4.1
without modification.
To export to versions 2.5 to 4.0, select the menu File|Save As... then in the Save as type
box select Schematic Release 2.5-4.0 Format.

ASCII format
SIMetrix schematics are usually saved in a binary format. This is fast, compact and can
be read by earlier versions.
From version 5.0 a new ASCII format was introduced. The format used is fully
documented allowing the development of translators to other formats. Also there are
some editing operations that are easier performed on an ASCII file than with the
graphical editor. For example, changing a symbol name is very difficult with the
schematic editor as you have to delete and replace all instances. But this is a simple
task with a text editor operating on the ASCII file.
Saving in ASCII Format
To save a schematic in the ASCII format use the menu File|Save Special... then select
ASCII format.
Opening ASCII Schematics
No special procedure is needed. Just open the schematic in the usual way. SIMetrix
will detect that it is in the ASCII format automatically.
File Format
Documentation for the install CD may be found at
cd-drive-letter:\Docs\File-Formats\schematic-ascii-format.pdf (Windows) or
/cd-mount-point/Docs/File-Formats/schematic-ascii-format.pdf (Linux)

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Important
The schematic will be saved in binary format as long as the following are satisfied:
1.
The ASCII format check box is not checked if using the Save Special... menu.
2.

The file being saved does not already exist OR the file does exist and is not
already a SIMetrix ASCII schematic.

So, if you have an ASCII schematic and wish to convert it to binary, the only method is
to open it normally then save to a new file.

Autosave
When enabled, SIMetrix will automatically save all open schematics at regular
intervals.This system does not write to the schematic's normal file but to a backup
location.If SIMetrix closes unexpectedly due perhaps to a power failure, you will be
asked whether you would like to recover the auto-saved schematics when you restart
SIMetrix.
To enable auto saving and to set the auto-save interval, select menu File | Options
| General.... See the Auto-save interval section in the Schematic sheet.

Creating Schematic Symbols - Overview

A large variety of schematic symbols are supplied with SIMetrix which should cover
many uses. However, there will be occasions when you wish either to define your own
new symbol - perhaps to implement a hierarchical block or subcircuit - or to modify
one of the standard symbols. This section describes how this can be done.
There are actually three different methods to create symbols:
1.

Use the graphical symbol editor (see page 94)

2.

Use the symbol generator (see page 89)

3.

Create manually with a script

For most applications, using the graphical symbol editor is the most appropriate
method. The symbol generator was originally developed for a very early version of
SIMetrix as a temporary measure before a full graphical editor became available. It
isnt as flexible as the graphical editor, but with practice, it is possible to create
symbols very rapidly with this tool. For that reason the symbol generator continues to
be available.
The manual approach using a script is described in the Script Reference Manual.

Symbol Generator
Select menu item Symbol Editor|Symbol Generator.... This will open symbol generator
dialog as shown below.

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To Create a New Symbol

1.

Select the New... button.

2.

Enter a description for symbol as you wish it to appear in the dialog opened with
the schematic popup All Symbols.... The symbol also requires a unique name
which may not contain spaces. This name is used internally by SIMetrix.

3.

Enter a catalog. You can use an existing one or create a new one.

4.

Select OK

5.

Proceed with entering symbol specification - see below

To Create a New Symbol From an Existing One

1.

Select symbol to use as base from description box. Note that only symbols
originally created with the symbol generator and not subsequently edited with the
graphical editor will be listed.

2.

Select Copy... Button

3.

Proceed as for creating new described above

Symbol Shape
Select Rectangle or Triangle. A triangle shape converges to a point on the right.
Triangle symbols may only have one pin defined on the right.

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Pins
Select Pin Definition tab.
1.

Enter pin name. This can be anything but may not have spaces. Also, avoid pin
names with arithmetic characters such '+' and '-'. This isn't an error but will
introduce restrictions if plotting currents into a pin of the symbol on a schematic.

2.

Select where you want the pin to be put on the symbol with the Left, Right, Top
and Bottom radio buttons

3.

If you want the name of the pin to be shown on the symbol, ensure the Name
Visible? check box is checked.

4.

Press Add. The pin description will appear in the list box.

5.

Repeat for all pins.

Netlist Order
Each time you enter a new pin the Netlist Order box will increment. Each pin must
have a unique netlist order value and the values must be contiguous. If you are creating
a symbol to be used as a hierarchical block, the netlist order is unimportant - SIMetrix
uses the pin name to match block pins to schematic module ports. If you are creating a
symbol to use with an existing subcircuit - from say, a model library- the netlist order
must match the order in which the pins are defined for the subcircuit definition.

Symbol Pin Order

The up down arrow keys allow you to modify the symbol pin order. This is the relative
position on the symbol that the pins will appear. Pins higher up the list will appear
higher on the symbol if defined as left or right or to the left if defined as top or bottom.

Modifying Pins
1.

Select pin in list box

2.

Change the characteristic you wish to modify. Note that SIMetrix will not allow
you to change the netlist order to a value that is already used.

3.

Press Modify

Properties
Properties defined for a symbol are actually the initial properties present when the
symbol is first placed on a schematic. These can be changed afterwards.
1.

To edit properties proceed as follows.

2.

Press Properties Tab

The following will be displayed

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3.

All schematic symbols must have a component reference (ref property), and a
value (value property). Additionally simulator symbols should also have a model
property. For subcircuits, this should have the value X. Hierarchical blocks do
not need a value property.

4.

Enter required properties. See below for more information. For each property,
select the location for the text of the property. You may also choose to have the
property not visible. This is usual for the model property

5.

Press Add

Properties You Need to Add

Full documentation on properties is given in Properties on page 103. The following
describes the properties you need when making a symbol to use as a simulator
primitive, subcircuit or hierarchical block.

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Property name

Function

Ref property

This is the component reference e.g. U1, R3 etc. This

would conventionally be a letter or letters followed by a
question mark ('?'). When you place the component on
the schematic, the question mark will be replaced
automatically by a number that makes the reference
unique. If you don't specify a Model property (see below),
the first letter of the reference is important as it defines
the type of device. This is explained in more detail below.

Value property

This is the device's value or model name including any

additional parameters. For a resistor this might be 12k for
an op-amp, LM324, or for a bipolar transistor, Q2N2222.
The value property must be present on a symbol at the
definition stage but its initial value is not important as it
would usually be changed after the symbol is placed on a
schematic.

Model property

This property usually has a value that is a single letter

that specifies the type of device. For sub-circuits and
hierarchical blocks this letter must be 'X'. For other types
of device refer to the table in Summary of Simulator
Devices on page 123. If this property is not present, the
first letter of the ref property will be used to identify the
device.
For information only: The value of this property and a '$'
symbol are prefixed to the ref property to obtain the first
word of the device line in the netlist hence complying with
SPICE syntax. (This won't be done if the first letter of the
Ref property is already the same as the value of the
model property as this would be unnecessary.)

Simulator property This is only required for the SIMetrix/SIMPLIS product. It

declares which simulator the symbol is compatible with.
This is only for the purpose of advising the user if a
component may not work with a particular simulator. It
does not affect the functionality of that component for any
simulator.
This property can have one of three values:
SIMetrix Symbol compatible with SIMetrix simulator
only.
SIMPLIS Symbol compatible with the SIMPLIS simulator
only
Dual
Symbol compatible with both SIMetrix and
SIMPLIS

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Placing Symbol on Schematic

After symbol definition is complete, press OK. The symbol will now be in the master
library and you will see it listed in the Place|From Symbol Library dialog box.

Graphically Editing Generated Symbols

You can subsequently edit a generated symbol with the graphical editor but once you
have done so you will not be able to modify it in the symbol generator. In practice this
is not usually a cause for concern. The graphical editor can - say - add a pin or change
the pin order as quickly as the symbol generator. Only if you wish to vastly change the
pin configuration of a symbol will it be advantageous to use the symbol generator.

Graphical Symbol Editor

Notes
The graphical symbol editor shares much in its operation and layout with the schematic
editor. For this reason, it is recommended that, before learning how to use the symbol
editor, you become competent in the operation of the schematic editor. In some parts of
the following sections the explanations assume that you are already familiar with the
schematic editor.

Symbol Editor Window

The following diagram shows the main elements of the symbol editor
Undo Duplicate Cut Rotate/Mirror/Flip

Zoom Box/out/in

Enter draw
segment mode

Minor grid point. Lines,

arcs and circles snap to
these. More minor grid
points come in to view with
higher magnifications

Major grid point.

Device pins always
snap to these

Current mouse
mode

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The Elements of a Symbol

Schematic symbols are composed of a combination of the following elements. All
symbols that represent an electrical device would comprise all of these elements.
Symbols used purely for annotation would not need pins and may not need one or other
of the remaining elements either. The schematic caption, for example, is a symbol that
consists purely of properties.

Segments. These make up the visible body of the symbol. They include straight
line segments and arc segments.

Pins. These define electrical connections to the device.

Properties. Properties have a name and a value and are used to define the
behaviour of the device represented by the symbol. They can also be used for
annotation, for example, a label or a caption.

Creating a New Symbol

Select the command shell menu File|Symbol Editor|New Symbol. This will open a
symbol editor window as shown above. Now create the elements of the symbol as
described above. Details are provided in the following sections.

Editing an Existing Symbol

Select the command shell menu File|Symbol Editor|Symbol Manager... and select the
symbol you wish to edit. See Symbol Library Manager on page 115 for details.
If you wish to edit a symbol that is placed on an open schematic, select the symbol on
the schematic then choose popup menu Edit Symbol....

Drawing Straight Line Segments

Drawing straight line segments in the symbol editor is very similar to drawing wires in
the schematic editor. You can do one of the following:
1.

Select Draw Segment Mode by pressing the

button. You can now draw
segments using the left and right mouse buttons. Press the button again to revert
to normal mode.

2.

If you have a three button mouse, the middle button will start a new segment. The
left button will complete a segment and terminate the operation, while the right
button will terminate without completing the current segment.

3.

Enter Draw Segment Mode temporarily by pressing F3.

4.

Double click the left button to start a new segment.

Drawing Arcs, Circles and Ellipses

The basic method of drawing each of the curved elements is the same for each case.
Before drawing starts, you must define the start-finish angle and, for ellipses, the ratio
of height to width. The drawing operation itself defines the start and finish points. For
full circles and ellipses the start and finish points are on opposite sides.

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Dedicated menus are supplied for starting a full circle, half circle and quarter circle.
For everything else use Arcs|Ellipse/Arc... .
When you have initiated the operation, the cursor will change to a shape showing a
pencil with a small circle. You can now draw the curved segment by dragging the
mouse with the left key. When you release the mouse button the operation will be
complete and the mouse mode will revert to normal select mode.
It is easier to demonstrate than explain. You may wish to experiment with
arc/circle/ellipse drawing to gain a feel of how the system operates.
You will note that full circles are displayed with a small filled square on opposite sides.
These are the select points. You can pick either one and drag it to resize the circle.

Placing and Defining Pins

Placing a Single Pin
To place a single pin, select Property/Pin|Place Pin... . Place this on the sheet by left
clicking the mouse at your desired location. Note that pins always snap to major grid
points. (See diagram in section Symbol Editor Window on page 94).
The first pin you place on the sheet will be called *pin. The * signifies that the pin
name will not be visible when the symbol is placed on a schematic.
Editing Pin Attributes
To edit the attributes of the pin, (e.g. to change its name or visibility) select either the
pin or its label with the left mouse key then press F7 or select popup menu
Edit Property/Pin/Arc... . This will display the following dialog:

Pin name
Must be unique within the symbol and may not contain spaces.

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If the symbol is to be used as a hierarchical block, the pin name must match the names
of the module ports on the schematic which it represents.
If the symbol is to be used for an existing sub-circuit from - say - a model library, the
pin names are not important and you can choose any suitable name. The pin names do
not need to match the node names in the sub-circuit definition.
Text Location
Justification

If the pin name is visible this specifies its alignment

Hidden

Check this box if you do not wish the pin name to be visible on
the schematic

Vertical

The pins label will be displayed vertically if this is checked

Attributes
Font style

Select font style to use for a visible pin name. There is a choice
of 8 styles. Schematic fonts are explained on page 352.

Placing Multiple Pins

To place more than one pin select menu Property/Pin|Place Pin (repeated).... You will
be prompted to supply a Base pin name which will be used to compose the actual pin
name. SIMetrix will append a number to this name to make the pin name unique. The
first number used will be '0' unless you append the Base name with a number in which
case your appended number will be used as the starting point. For example, if you
supplied a Base name of DATA, the first pin placed will be called DATA0, the second
DATA1 etc. assuming there aren't already pins of that name on the sheet. If you
supplied a base name of DATA2, the first pin you place will be called DATA2, the
second DATA3 etc.
Editing Multiple Pins
You can only edit the names of pins one at a time, but you can edit the attributes of a
group of pins in a single operation. First select all of the pins you wish to edit.
Selecting is done in the same manner as for the schematic except note that you can
select the pins themselves or the pin names; either will do. Now press F7 or select
popup menu Edit Property/Pin/Arc.... You can change any of the pins attributes except
its name and the change will be applied to all selected pins.
Moving Pins or Pin Names
Moving any item in the symbol editor is done the same way as in the schematic. Note,
however that pin names are attached to the pins. If you move a pin, its name moves
with it. You can move the name on its own by making sure that only the name is
selected and not the pin.
Defining Pin Order
The symbol's pin order is important if you are defining a symbol for use with a subcircuit or primitive simulator device. If it is a sub-circuit, the symbol's pin order must

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match the order in which the corresponding nodes are defined in the .SUBCKT
control. If the symbol is a primitive device, then it must follow the order defined in
section Summary of Simulator Devices on page 123. Pin order is unimportant for
hierarchical blocks.
To define the symbol's pin order select menu Property/Pin|Edit Pin Order.... Use the up
and down buttons to reorder the pins as appropriate.
Adding XSpice Pin Attributes
Some XSPICE devices support vector connections and/or variable type connections.
These are designated in the netlist with the characters '[', ']' and '%' and are explained in
the Digital Simulation chapter of the Simulator Reference Manual. You can add
these to a symbol by prefixing the appropriate pin name with the same characters as
required in the netlist. E.g. to start a vector connection at a pin named IN1 enter the pin
name [IN1. To close a vector connection at pin IN3 use pin name IN3].
Similarly to change a connection whose default type is v (i.e. a single-ended voltage)
to a differential current (type%id), prefix the first pin name with%id and a space. E.g.
pin name VIN would become %id VIN.
Examples of the use of vector connections in symbols can be found with any of the
digital gate symbols.

Defining Properties
Properties define the behaviour of the symbol. For full documentation on the use of
properties, see section Properties on page 103. In this section, the methods of adding
and editing properties in the symbol editor are described.
Adding a Single Property
To add a property to a symbol, select Property/Pin|Add Property.... You will see the
following dialog box:

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This box allows you to define the name, value and attributes of the property. Note that
if the property is not protected, the value and attributes can be changed after the
symbol has been placed on a schematic using the schematic popup Edit Properties....
Name
Name of property. This would usually be one of the special properties documented in
Properties on page 103. You can, however, add any property name you wish to
display as text or to provide a special function that you define in a custom script. The
only restriction is that the name must not contain spaces.

Value
The property's value. (Don't confuse this with the Value property). You can insert a
new line by pressing the ENTER key. But be careful that if you press the ENTER key
accidentally intending to close the dialog that you must delete the erroneously entered
new line.
Text location
Define the position of the property's value text on the schematic.
Auto/Absolute

When auto is selected, the property's value text is positioned

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automatically outside the symbol's border according to the
options specified in Normal and Rotated. When absolute is
selected, the property is placed at a fixed position relative to the
symbol body. You can define the location interactively with the
mouse. When auto is selected, the text is always horizontal,
when absolute is selected, the text is vertical when the symbol is
at a 90 degree rotation.
Normal

When auto is selected, this specifies which side of the symbol

the text is located when the symbol is in normal orientation.

Rotated

When auto is selected, this specifies which side of the symbol

the text is located when the symbol is rotated 90 degrees.

Justification

Defines the reference point on the text when absolute is

specified. See diagram below for meaning of options. The
reference point is always at a fixed location with respect to the
symbol body. The position of the remainder of the text may vary
with zoom level or font size.

Centre
Top

Base line

Property Text

Hidden

The property's value text will not be displayed in the schematic.

Vertical

If checked, the property will be displayed vertically. This option

is only available if absolute location is selected.

Property Attributes

100

Font style

Select one of eight font styles. The actual font definition is

defined by the Font dialog box. See page 352 for details.

Selectable

If checked, the instance of the symbol owning the property can

be selected by clicking in the property text. It is recommended
that this option is off unless the symbol has no body e.g. a pure
text item.

Protected

If checked, it will not be possible to edit or delete the property

on a schematic instance of the symbol.

Linear

When this is not checked, the size of the font is adjusted for best
readability and does not necessarily scale exactly with the zoom
magnification. When the box is checked, the font size follows
the magnification in a linear fashion.

Show Name

If selected the name of the property as well as its value will be

displayed

Resolve symbolic

The value may contain expressions enclosed by { and },

keywords enclosed by < and > and property names enclosed

Chapter 4 Schematic Editor

by %. These items will each be substituted with their resolved
value to obtain the property text that is actually displayed.
Expressions may contain the usual arithmetic operators and may
also use functions as defined in the script reference manual.
Property names enclosed with % are substituted with that
propertys value. Keywords may be <date>, <time>, <version>,
<if>, <ifd> and <t>. <date>, <time> resolve to date and time in
local format and <version> resolves to an integer value which is
incremented each time a schematic is saved. The keywords <if>,
<ifd> and <t> behave in the same manner as the TEMPLATE
property keywords of the same name. See Template Property
on page 106 for details.
Note that, like template properties, the resolution is performed
in two passes with the property values being substituted first.

Adding Standard Properties

Select menu Property/Pin|Add Standard Properties.... This prompts you for values for
the ref, value and model properties. These properties are usually specified for all
symbols, with the exception of hierarchical blocks which do not require a Value
property. If you are using the SIMetrix/SIMPLIS product, you will also be prompted to
supply a value for the SIMULATOR property. See Properties You Need to Add on
page 92.
Editing a Property
To edit a property, select it then press F7 or select popup menu
Edit Property/Pin/Arc.... This will open a dialog box very similar to the one described
above but without the option to enter a property name. Make the appropriate changes
then press OK.

Saving Symbols
To save the current symbol, select menu File|Save... . The following dialog will be
displayed:

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Define Symbol - User Name

Enter the name as you wish it to be displayed in the dialog box opened with the
schematic menu Parts|All Symbols... .
Define Symbol - Internal Name
For a new symbol, an internal name will automatically be entered when you type the
User Name. In most cases you can leave it at that. However, the internal name must be
unique across the whole model library so there may be situations where you will need
to change it.
Define Symbol - Category
Enter a category to determine how the symbol will be listed in the dialog box opened
with the schematic menu Place|From Symbol Library.... Sub-categories are separated
using a semi-colon. Note that you can easily move symbols to different categories
using the symbol library manager . So if you are unsure at this stage what category to
use, you can place it in a temporary category and move it later.
Define Symbol - All references to symbol automatically updated
If this is checked, any changes you make to a symbol will automatically be applied to
any instance of it in existing schematics whether they are open or not.
If it is not checked, instances of the symbol will not be updated until the Update
Symbols menu is selected in the schematic. Copies of all symbols used by a schematic
are stored locally within the schematic and that local version will only be updated if
this box is checked.
See How Symbols are Stored on page 122 for further details.

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Save to - Library File
Saves the symbol to the library file specified in the File box. This would usually have a
.SXSLB extension.
Save to - Component File
Saves the symbol as a component to the file specified in the File box. This would
usually have the extension .SXCMP. Component files are used for hierarchical
schematics and contain a schematic and a symbol representing it in the same file.
When you save a symbol to a component file, only the symbol portion of it will be
overwritten. If it contains an embedded schematic, that schematic will remain
unchanged. See Hierarchical Schematic Entry .
Save to - Current Schematic Only
The symbol will be saved to the currently selected schematic only and will not be
available to other schematics.
File
Library or component file name - see above. Press Browse to select a new file.

Creating a Symbol from a Script

In very early versions of SIMetrix, this was the only method of creating schematic
symbols. With the introduction of the graphical symbol editor, this method is no longer
needed except for specialised applications such as automatic symbol creation. This
technique is employed for some of the schematic's functional blocks and also for parts
such as transformers.
For full documentation on how to create a symbol from a script, refer to the Script
Reference Manual. This is available as a PDF file on the install CD and can also be
downloaded from our web site.

Properties
Overview
Properties are one of the schematic editor's most important concepts. They are actually
used for a number of purposes but the most importantly they are used to determine how
a schematic device behaves during simulation. A property tells the simulator what type
of device it is (resistor, BJT, sub-circuit etc.), another property specifies a device's
value or model name and, for a hierarchical block, a property specifies the file location
of the underlying schematic.
For most applications, you only need to understand the meaning of ref, value and
model properties. These are explained below but also in Properties on page 91. It is
also useful, but not essential, to understand the schematic_path property used in
hierarchical blocks.

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What is a Property?
A Property is an item of text that is attached to a schematic component to specify some
circuit parameter such as a component reference (e.g. R23), value (e.g. 2.2K) or model
name (e.g. BC547).
All properties have a name, a value and a number of attributes. A property's value may
be displayed on the schematic. The attributes determine how the value is displayed
with the exception of the protected attribute which determines whether a property is
allowed to be modified.
A property can have any name (as long as does not have spaces in it) and any value.
However, certain property names have a special meaning and impart a particular
functionality on the component that owns it. These special properties are described in
the following table.

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Property name Function

ref

Component reference. (E.g. R23) All circuit devices must

have this property and its value must be unique.

value

Component value or model name. (E.g. BC547). All circuit

devices must have this property. (This may be confusing.
What is described here is a property of name value not the
property's value.)

model

Single letter to signify type of device. For list of signifying

letters for each device supported by simulator see
Summary of Simulator Devices on page 123. If absent
the first letter of the component reference will be used
instead (as for SPICE) For example, a device with a
model property of value 'Q' will always be a BJT
regardless of its component reference. model properties
of 'X', 'H' and 'F' have a special significance as follows:
X

Subcircuit instance. pinnames specifier will be

added to inform simulator of the devices pin
names. The simulator will then choose names
for device current vectors which will allow crossprobing of currents from the schematic.

Current controlled current source. The standard

SPICE CCCS is a two terminal device which
uses a separate voltage source for the
controlling current. SIMetrix provides the facility
to use a single four terminal device with pins 3
and 4 for the controlling current and pins 1 and
2 for the output. Any symbol with four terminals
and a model property of 'F' will be treated as a
such a device. An additional voltage source will
be created by the netlist generator and
connected to pins 3 and 4 to be used as the
controlling current.

Current controlled voltage source. As 'F' above

but has a voltage output

For a list of valid device types and their signifying letters

see Summary of Simulator Devices on page 123.
(In some respects, the special behaviour of model
property values X, F and H is legacy from the past. The
recommended method of customising netlist output is to
use the template property, but this was not supported in
very early versions of SIMetrix.)

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Property name Function

netname

If this property is present on a symbol, all nets connected

to any of its pins will be named according to the value
property. The netname property is used by the Terminal
component in the Symbols menu. The Terminal
component forces the net to which it is attached to have a
user specified name. (The value of the netname property
will be used in the absence of a value property).

scterm

Identifies the component as a Module Port. These identify

connections in hierarchical blocks.

tol, lot, match

These are used for Monte Carlo analysis to specify

tolerances. See page .

schematic_path

Path of schematic in hierarchical designs

mapping

Rearranges pin order. This is a sequence of numbers

each representing a symbol pin order. The order of the
numbers in the mapping is the order in which the
schematic symbol pins placed on the netlist.
For example the LMC6762B comparator in the library is
assigned a mapping of 1,2,5,3,4. The output on the
comparator symbol is pin 5 but the model requires this to
be the third node in the netlist entry.

params

Additional parameters for device appended to value. If

model property is X the keyword params: prefixes the
params property value.

template

Specifies a customised netlist entry for the device. See

Template Property on page 106 below for full details.

valuescript

Specifies a script to be called when F7 or equivalent menu

is selected.

incscript

Script to be called when the shift-up key is pressed. This

is to increment a component's value. Currently used for
potentiometers and some passive devices.

decscript

As incscript but for shift-down to decrement a device.

handle

This property is automatically allocated to every instance

and always has a unique value. Because it is
automatically added, it is the only property that every
schematic component is guaranteed to possess. This
property is protected and therefore cannot be edited

simulator

Determines simulator compatibility. See Properties You

Need to Add on page 92

Template Property
This is the subject of its own section. See below.

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Editing Properties in a Schematic

Unprotected properties of a symbol placed on a schematic may be edited using the
popup menu Edit Properties.... This first opens a dialog listing all properties owned by
the device. After selecting the property to edit a dialog box similar to the box described
in Defining Properties on page 98. If the property you select is protected, the dialog
box will still open but you will not be able to change any of the settings.

Restoring Properties
This is a method of restoring an instance's properties to the values and attributes of the
original symbol. This is especially useful in situations where a symbol has been edited
to - say - add a new property and you wish that new property to be included on existing
instances of that symbol.
To restore instances properties follow the instructions below.
1.

Select the instances whose properties you wish to restore.

2.

Select popup menu Restore Properties...

3.

There are two options:

New Properties Only will only add new properties to the selected instances. That
is any property that is present on the symbol definition but not on the schematic
instance of it will be added. All other properties will remain intact.
All Properties will restore all properties to that of the symbol definition. This
includes deleting any instance properties that are not in the symbol definition. In
effect this will restore the symbol as if it had just been placed using the
Place|From Symbol Library menu. Note that REF properties will be
automatically annotated to make them unique. This option must be used with
care. Don't use it unless you are very clear about what it will do.

This function will restore properties according to the local symbol definition stored in
the schematic. This won't necessarily be the same as the global definition in the symbol
library. For more information see How Symbols are Stored on page 122

Template Property
Overview
The template property provides a method of customising the netlist entry for a
schematic component. Normally a single line is created in the netlist for each
schematic component (except 'F' and 'H' devices which are defined by two lines). The
line is created according to the values of various properties most importantly the ref,
model, and value properties. If, however, a template property is specified this system is
bypassed and the netlist entry is defined by the value of this property.
The template property value can contain a number of special keywords and characters
that will be substituted during the netlist creation. Values that can be substituted
include node names, pin names and the value of any property.

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There are three template keywords, new for version 4, that define multiple lines to
implement series or/and parallel combinations, ladder networks or arrays of devices.

Template Property Format

The netlist entry for a device with a template property will be the literal text of the
template property's value with certain special characters and words substituted. Text
enclosed by '<' and '>' are keywords and have a special meaning. Text enclosed with
'%' is substituted with the value of the property whose name is enclosed by the '%'
character. Finally text enclosed by curly braces, '{' and '}' will be treated as an
expression and will be evaluated. Each of these is described in more detail in the
following sections.
Property Substitution
Any text enclosed with '%' is substituted with the value of the property whose name is
enclosed by the '%' character. So %REF% would be substituted with the value of the
ref property.
Expressions
Text enclosed by curly braces, '{' and '}' will be treated as an expression and will be
evaluated. Note that property substitutions are performed before expressions are
evaluated, so the result of an expression can depend on any combination of property
values.
If the attempt to evaluate the expression fails the result will be empty. No error
message will be reported.
Keywords
Any text enclosed by '<' and '>' represents a keyword. The keyword along with the '<'
and '>' will be substituted according to the keyword as defined in the following table.
There are two types of keyword: simple and compound. Simple keywords are just a
single word whereas compound keywords consist of sequence of names and values
separated by colons (':'). Compound keywords are used to generate multiple netlist
lines for applications such as creating series and parallel combinations.
How Template Properties are Evaluated
Template properties are processed in two passes. In the first pass the property names
enclosed by '%' are substituted, while keywords and expressions pass through
untouched. In the second pass, keywords and expressions are processed and the '%'
character is treated literally.
This makes it possible to use property values in expressions and the control values for
the multi line keywords. For example:
%MODEL%$%REF% <nodelist> %VALUE% L=%L% W=%W% AD={%W%*0.5u}

if L=1u, W=0.5u, MODEL=M, REF=Q23 and VALUE = N1, this would resolve to the
following after the first pass:
M$Q23 <nodelist> N1 L=1u W=0.5u AD={0.5u*0.5u}

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The second pass would then be able to evaluate the expression and resolve <nodelist>
(see below). The value of AD will be calculated according to whatever W is set to.
This is an alternative method of setting MOSFET area and perimeter values. (The
method used with the standard symbols is different in order to remain compatible with
earlier versions).
Note that if the property value contains any of the special characters ('<', '>', '{', '}',
'%'), these will be treated literally. So if for example a property value was {tailres}, no
attempt would be made to evaluate {tailres} in the second pass.
Keyword Summary
The keywords available are summarised in the following table and explained in detail
below.

Keyword

Description

nodelist

Substituted with full list of nodes for device.

pinlist

Substituted with full list of pin names for symbol

node[n]

Substituted for individual node

mappednode

As node but order defined by mapping property if

present

pinnames

Equivalent to pinnames: <pinlist> except that no

substitution takes place if the /nopinnames switch is
specified for the Netlist command.

mappedpinnames

As pinnames but order is altered according to mapping

property if present

nodename

This is not replaced by any text but signifies that the item
following is a node name. The netlist generator must be
able to identify any text that is a node so that it can
correctly substitute the name when required.

repeat

Start of compound keyword to create a general purpose

repeating sequence

series

Start of compound keyword to create a series

combination

parallel

Start of compound keyword to create a parallel

combination.

step

Used by series and parallel to return sequence number.

if

Conditional on the result of an expression

ifd

Conditional on whether a property is defined

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Keyword

Description

join, join_pin,
join_num

Returns information about a connected device. Used for

current probes.

sep

Returns separator character. (Usually '$')

ref

SPICE compatible component reference

inode

Generates an internal node.

Substitutes a property value treating it as a template

NODELIST

<NODELIST>
Replaced by the nodes connected to the device's pins.
PINLIST

<PINLIST>
Replaced by the symbols pin names.
NODE

<NODE[n]>
Replaced by the individual node identified by n starting at 1. So node[1] is node name
connected to the first pin on the symbol.
PINNAMES

<PINNAMES>
Equivalent to PINNAMES: <PINLIST> except that no substitution takes place if the
/nopinnames switch is specified for the Netlist command.
NODENAME

<NODENAME>
This is not replaced by any text but signifies that the item following is a node name.
The netlist generator must be able to identify any text that is a node so that it can
correctly substitute the name when required. For example, the following is the
template definition of the N-channel MOSFET with bulk connected to VSS:
%model%$%ref% <nodelist> <nodename>vss %value%

If VSS were actually connected to ground, the netlist generator would replace all nodes
called VSS with 0 (meaning ground). If the <nodename> keyword were not present in
the above the netlist generator would not be able to determine that VSS is a node and
the substitution would not take place.

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SEP

<SEP>
Returns separator character used to separate the device letter and component reference.
This defaults to '$' but can be changed at the Netlist command line. See Netlist
command syntax in the Script Reference Manual.
REF

<REF>
Returns the component reference of the device using the same rules that are used when
the template property is not present. The rules are:

if MODEL property is blank

OR
MODEL is a single character
AND
first letter of REF property equals MODEL property
<ref> %REF%
otherwise
<ref> %MODEL%<sep>%REF%
Where <sep> is the separator character. This is usually '$' but can be changed at the
netlist command line. See Netlist command syntax in the Script Reference Manual.
If <REF> is used for a series or parallel repeat sequence, it will be appended with:
<SEP><STEP>
where <STEP> is the sequence number for the series/parallel function. See below.
REPEAT

<REPEAT:var_name:num:<line>>
Repeats line num times. var_name is incremented on each step. var_name may be used
in an expression to define device or node names.
The following example creates a subcircuit that define an RC ladder circuit with a
variable number of sections defined by the property NUM. The resistance of each
section is defined by the property RES and the capacitance by the property CAP. Note
that, as explained above, templates are resolved in two passes. In the first pass the
property names enclosed by '%' are substituted with their values while expressions and
keywords are left untouched. In the second pass the keywords and expressions are
processed.
.subckt ladder 1 {%NUM%+1} gnd
<repeat:idx:%NUM%:<X{idx} {idx} {idx+1} gnd section;>>

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.subckt section in out gnd
R1 in out %RES%
C1 out gnd %CAP%
.ends
.ends

var_name in the above is set to idx. If NUM were set to ten, the line:
X{idx} {idx} {idx+1} gnd section;

would be repeated 10 times with idx incrementing by one each time. Note the semicolon at the end of the line. This signifies that a new line must be created and is
essential. The end result of the above with NUM=10, RES=1k and CAP=1n is
.subckt ladder 1 11 gnd
X1 1 2 gnd section
X2 2 3 gnd section
X3 3 4 gnd section
X4 4 5 gnd section
X5 5 6 gnd section
X6 6 7 gnd section
X7 7 8 gnd section
X8 8 9 gnd section
X9 9 10 gnd section
X10 10 11 gnd section
.subckt section in out gnd
R1 in out 1k
C1 out gnd 1n
.ends
.ends

Although it is legal to nest REPEAT keywords, we recommend avoiding doing so as it

can lead to unexpected results. You can always use subcircuit definitions to each multidimensional repeats and these are usually easier to understand.
The above example has multiple lines. These can be entered using the Edit Properties
dialog box. The best way to define multiple line templates is to first enter them in a text
editor and then copy and paste to the Edit Properties dialog.
SERIES

<SERIES:num:<line>>
Creates a series combination of the device described in line. For example:
<series:%series%:<<ref> <nodelist> %VALUE%>>

Creates a series combination of components. The number in series is determined by the

property SERIES. Note that the REF keyword returns the component reference
appropriately modified by the MODEL property and appended with the sequence
number. If SERIES=5, REF=R1, VALUE=1k and MODEL=R and the device is
connected to external nodes R1_P and R1_N, this is the end result.

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R1$1
R1$2
R1$3
R1$4
R1$5

R1_P 1 1k
1 2 1k
2 3 1k
3 4 1k
4 R1_N 1k

If the num element is empty - e.g. in above example if SERIES property were empty or
missing - then no output will be made at all.
The example above can be used for any two terminal component. There must however
be a SERIES property present on the symbol.
PARALLEL

<PARALLEL:num:<line>>
Creates a parallel combination of the device described in line. For example:
<parallel:%parallel%:<<ref> <nodelist> %VALUE%>>

creates a parallel combination of components. The number in parallel is determined by

the property PARALLEL. Note that the REF keyword returns the component reference
appropriately modified by the MODEL property and appended with the sequence
number. If PARALLEL=5, REF=R1, VALUE=1k, MODEL=R and the device is
connected to external nodes R1_P and R1_N, this is the end result.
R1$1
R1$2
R1$3
R1$4
R1$5

R1_P
R1_P
R1_P
R1_P
R1_P

R1_N
R1_N
R1_N
R1_N
R1_N

1k
1k
1k
1k
1k

If the num element is empty - e.g. in above example if PARALLEL property were
empty or missing - then no output will be made at all.
The example above can be used for any two terminal component. There must however
be a PARALLEL property present on the symbol.
STEP

<STEP>
Used with SERIES and PARALLEL keywords. Returns sequence number.
IF

<IF:test:action1[:action2]>
If test resolves to a non-zero value action1 will be substituted otherwise action2 will be
substituted. Typically test would be an expression enclosed in curly braces. ('{' and '}').
For example, the following implements in a somewhat complex manner a series
connection of resistors. (This should actually all be on one line)

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<REPEAT:line:%SERIES%:<%REF%$R{line} <if:{line==
1}:<<NODE[1]>>:$%REF%${line}> <if:{line==
%SERIES%}:<<NODE[2]>>:$%REF%${line+1}> %VALUE%;>>

Note that usually each action should be enclosed with '<' and '>'. They can be omitted
if the action does not contain any keywords. If in doubt, put them in.
IFD

<IFD:propname:action1[:action2]>
If propname is present and not blank, action1 will be substituted otherwise action2 will
be substituted.
Example
<ifd:value:<%value%>:1>

In the above, if the property value is present it will be substituted otherwise the value
1 will be substituted.
JOIN

<JOIN:prop_name[:index]>
This can only be used with instances of symbols with one and only one pin. Returns
the value of prop_name on an instance attached directly to the single pin of the device.
For example in the following:
R1-P
1K
R1

<JOIN:REF> on the probe (R1-P) would return R1 as this is the value of the REF
property of the resistor. In situations where more than one instance is connected to the
pin, index may be used to specify which one. index may have a value between 0 and 1
less than the number of devices connected. Use <join_num> to determine how many
devices are connected.
Note that the pin of the device must be directly connected i.e. with pins superimposed
and not by wires.
<JOIN> is intended to be used for current probes.
JOIN_NUM

<JOIN_NUM>
Only valid for single pin instances. Returns number of joined devices. See <JOIN>
above for details.
JOIN_PIN

<JOIN_PIN[:index]>
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Chapter 4 Schematic Editor

Only valid for single pin instances. Returns connected pin name for another device
connected to this device's only pin. This can be used in conjunction with <JOIN> to
return the current vector for a component. E.g.
<JOIN:REF>#<JOIN_PIN>

for the probe device in:

R1-P
1K
R1

would return R1#p.

In situations where more than one instance is connected to the pin, index may be used
to specify which one. index may have a value between 0 and 1 less than the number of
devices connected. Use <join_num> to determine how many devices are connected.
T

<T:prop_name>
Does the same as %prop_name% except that the properties value is evaluated as if it
were a template itself. With %prop_name% the literal value of the property is always
used. Note that recursive properties will simply be substituted with nothing. E.g.
<T:TEMPLATE> will return empty if used in a template property called TEMPLATE.
Further Information
To put a new line in the netlist entry you can use a ';'. Literal new lines are also
accepted.
To put a literal < >; {} or % character in the text, use two of them. So '<<' will become
'<'.

Template Scripts
It is also possible to write a script to compile the line generated by the netlist generator.
Such scripts are called Template Scripts. With this approach, you enjoy the full
power of the scripting language and very complex devices can be created in this
manner. For full details of this approach, please refer to the Script Reference Manual.

Symbol Library Manager

The symbol manager is a comprehensive system for managing symbols and the
libraries that store them. To open the symbol library manager, select command shell
menu File|Symbol Editor|Symbol Manager.... The dialog shown below will be
displayed.

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Note that the box can be resized in the usual way.

The symbols available to the schematic editor are stored in library files which
conventionally have the extension .SXSLB . Only symbols in installed libraries are
available for placing a new part. Note, however, that once a symbol is placed on a
schematic a copy is stored locally, so you can still view a schematic that uses symbols
that are not installed.
The symbols in each file are grouped into categories using a tree structure as shown
above in the Symbols box.
The manager allows you to install or uninstall library files, to move symbols between
files or categories, to delete symbols, to copy symbols and to create new categories.
You can also create new empty symbols ready for editing with the symbol editor.

Operations
Installing Libraries
Select the Add... button and select a library file to install. Note that if you have the
PSpice translator option you can install PSpice symbol libraries (.SLB files) directly.
See PSpice Schematics Translation on page 118 for more details.
Pressing the Add... button will open a file select dialog box but note that it has two
additional buttons at the top left called User and System. Pressing these buttons will
take you straight to the user symbols directory and the system symbols directory
respectively.

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Uninstalling Libraries
Select the library file you wish to uninstall from the Library Files box then press the
Remove button. Note that this does not delete the file.
Changing Search Order
When searching for a particular symbol, the library files are searched in the order in
which they are listed in the Library Files box. To change the order, use the Up and Down
buttons.
Moving Symbols
To move an individual symbol to a new category, simply pick it up with the mouse and
drop it onto the new category. You can move a symbol to a new library by dropping the
symbol onto a library file in the Library Files box.
You can move more than one symbol at a time by picking up a complete category.
Copying Symbols
To copy a symbol within a library, select the symbol in the Symbols box then press the
Copy... button or use the right click menu Copy Symbol... . Enter a new user name for
the symbol. It isn't usually necessary to change the internal name.
To copy symbols to a new library, use the same drag and drop procedure as for moving
but hold the control key down while doing so. You can do this for a single symbol or
for an entire category. Note that when copying to a new library, the symbol retains its
user name and internal name. There will therefore be duplicates installed unless they
are renamed.
Deleting Symbols
To delete a symbol, select it then press Delete or the right click popup menu of the
same name. You can also delete an entire category in the same way.
Renaming Symbols
Select a symbol then press F2 or the right click popup menu Rename. You can also
rename a category in the same way.
Note that this only renames the user name of the symbol. There is no method of
changing the internal name other than making a copy with a new name, then deleting
the original.
Creating a New Category
To create a new category, select the parent category where you wish it to be placed,
then press Create... or the popup menu of the same name. In the dialog that opens,
select the Category button and enter the new name.

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Creating a New Symbol
Select the category where you wish the symbol to be placed, then press Create... or the
popup menu of the same name. Enter the desired user name. An internal name will be
automatically entered as you type in the user name. This can usually be left alone.
The symbol created will be empty. Use the symbol editor to define it. You can call this
directly by pressing the Edit button. Note that this will close the library manager dialog
box.
Placing Symbol
If a schematic sheet is open, you can place a symbol on it directly from the library
manager by pressing the Place button. Note that this will close the dialog box.

Editing System Symbol Libraries

The system symbol libraries are listed in the file SystemLib.sxlst located in the symbol
libraries folder. The libraries are treated specially when written to - e.g. when editing
any symbol in the library.
System symbol libraries are protected from being edited directly. You can still edit the
system symbols, but the changes are stored separately in an ASCII file located in a
directory in the application data area. This scheme protects such changes from being
lost when the system symbol libraries are updated during a service update.
The system symbol libraries are stored in a directory defined by the SymbolsDir option
variable (see page 345). On Windows this is typically located at C:\Program
Files\SIMetrixXX\support\symbollibs and on Linux
/usr/local/simetrix_xx/share/symbol-libs. The directory where system library edits are
stored is defined by the UserSystemSymbolDir option variable (see page 347).

PSpice Schematics Translation

An optional extra feature of SIMetrix is the ability to read schematic files created by
the PSpice Schematics program. Note that it cannot read Orcad Capture files.

Configuring the Translator

Before using this facility, it must be configured. This is simply a matter of specifying
the location of the PSPICE.INI file which PSpice uses to store symbol library
locations. Proceed as follows:
1.

Select menu File|Options|General...

2.

Select File Locations tab

3.

Double click the item PSpice inifile

4.

Locate the file PSPICE.INI. This is usually at the root folder for PSpice e.g.
C:\Program Files\Orcad\PSpice\PSPICE.INI. Press Open when you have found
the file.

The above assumes you are using version 9 of PSpice. Earlier versions stored their
settings in a similar manner but the file name was different and in a different location.

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For example MSIM.INI located in the windows directory. Note we have only tested
version 9.2 and the evaluation version 8.0. Some earlier versions used different inifile
section names and in these cases the file will need to be manually edited. For more
information see the on-line help topic Schematic Editor >> PSpice Schematics
Translation.

If you don't have PSpice

If you do not have PSpice on your system then you will need to create a PSPICE.INI
file that contains the location of the PSpice symbol libraries. Note that PSpice
schematics do not contain local copies of their symbols (unlike SIMetrix) so the
symbol libraries are essential to perform any schematic translation. For information see
the on-line help topic Schematic Editor >> PSpice Schematics Translation.

Reading PSpice Schematics

Once the translator has been configured, simply open the PSpice schematic in the same
way as you would one created by SIMetrix.

Installing PSpice Libraries for Use with SIMetrix

You can install PSpice symbol libraries in the same way as SIMetrix symbol libraries.
This will make the symbols available for use with SIMetrix. Note that the schematic
translator only uses symbols in the PSpice libraries specified using the procedure
described above.

What the Translator will do

1.

The translator will convert symbols, parts and wires and display them in a
manner that is as close as reasonably possible to the original schematic.

2.

It will convert any TEMPLATE properties to the SIMetrix format while

preserving the original PSpice template under a different name.

3.

It will copy where possible any simulator commands to the F11 window.

4.

Hierarchical symbols will be appropriately converted but the underlying

schematics need to be converted separately and saved in SIMetrix format.

5.

Translated symbols will be copied to PSPICE.SXSLB in the SymbolLibraries

directory. By default this library is not installed. If you do install it (see Symbol
Library Manager) these symbols can then be used in SIMetrix schematics.

Limitations
The translator has the following limitations:
1.

It cannot convert busses.

2.

Boxes, text boxes, free text and embedded graphics are not supported.

3.

Pin attributes are not supported.

4.

Hierarchical blocks are not supported but hierarchical symbols are. To use
hierarchical blocks, use PSpice to convert them to symbols.

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5.

The template properties are converted to the SIMetrix format but with one
limitation. References to properties that are themselves templates are not
supported. These are used in some of the standard ABM blocks supplied with
PSpice. These will need to be manually converted by editing the template
property.

6.

You will not normally be able to cross probe current into a device converted from
PSpice. The current into the device will be available but the schematic crossprobing mechanism won't work without manually editing the symbols and
template property.

7.

PSpice Schematics allows the placement of symbol pins, parts and wires off-grid.
The translator will convert these correctly and SIMetrix will display them
correctly but they can cause problems if attempting to edit them subsequently.
(SIMetrix itself does not permit the user to place off-grid items). If off grid parts
are identified, they will be highlighted and a warning will be displayed. Off-grid
symbols will also resulting in a warning. If possible we recommend that these are
corrected within the PSpice environment before reading the file into SIMetrix.

Using Schematic Editor for CMOS IC Design

MOSFET Symbols
4 MOSFET symbols are supplied for use in CMOS IC design. These are:
Q2
N-channel 3 terminal bulk to VSS
nmos_a3_vss_new
W=1u
L=1u
Q1
N-channel 4 terminal
nmos_a_new
W=1u
L=1u
Q3
P-channel 3 terminal bulk to VDD
pmos_a3_vdd_new
W=1u
L=1u
Q4
P-channel 4 terminal
pmos_a_new
W=1u
L=1u

In the Micron versions of SIMetrix, these will by default be available from the
component toolbar. These symbols have the model name N1 for the N-channel types
and P1 for the P-channel types. These names can of course be changed after being

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placed on the schematic, but this would be time consuming to have to do each time. To
avoid having to do this, you can do one of the following:

Modify your SPICE model files so the devices are always called N1 and P1

Modify the standard symbol so the model name corresponds to your SPICE
models.

Create a new set of symbols for each process you use.

The best course of action is probably to create a new symbol for each process. Once
you have created the new symbols, you can modify the toolbar buttons so that they call
up your new symbols instead of the standard ones. You must do this using the
DefButton command which redefines toolbar buttons. To make permanent changes the
DefButton command should be put in the startup script. Here is the procedure:
1.

Select command shell menu "File | Scripts | Edit Startup...". If you are using
Linux, you might first need to define a suitable text editor for this menu to work.
(The default is gedit)

2.

Enter a DefButton command for each toolbar button you wish to redefine. For the
MOS symbols the commands will be one or more combinations of the following:
DefButton NMOS4 "inst /ne your_nmos4_symbol"
DefButton PMOS4 "inst /ne your_pmos4_symbol"
DefButton NMOS3IC "inst /ne your_nmos3_symbol"
DefButton PMOS3IC "inst /ne your_pmos3_symbol"
Replace your_nmos4_symbol, your_pmos4_symbol etc. with the internal names
of your new symbols.

Automatic Area and Perimeter Calculation

In the Micron versions of SIMetrix, you can edit device length, width and scale factor
using the popup menu Edit MOS Length/Width or by pressing alt-F7. These menus
alter the symbol properties W, L and M for width, length and multiplier.
The symbols described above have been designed in a manner such that additional
parameters such as AS, AD, PS, PD, NRS and NRD may be automatically calculated
from width and length. To use this facility append the VALUE property with the
parameter definitions defined as expressions. E.g.:
N1 AD={2*%W%+0.8u}

The above device will have an AD parameter calculated from 2*width+0.8u. Note
that the formula is enclosed in curly braces ({, }) and width and length expressed as
%W% and %L% respectively. You can use similar expressions for any other
parameter.
As an alternative, you can define AS, AD etc. as a parameter expression in a subcircuit. See Subcircuits on page 151 for more details.

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Editing the MOS Symbols

You may wish to create your own MOS symbols for each process you use. We suggest
that you always make a copy of the standard symbols and save them with a new name
in your own symbol library.
Once you have your copied version, you can edit it to suit your IC process. In most
applications, you will probably only need to edit the VALUE property. See next
paragraph.
Editing VALUE property
The VALUE property defines the model name and all the devices parameters except
length, width and the multiplier M. The standard VALUE property defines just the
model name and this defaults to N1 for NMOS devices and P1 for PMOS devices. You
should edit these to match the model name used in your process.
In addition (as described in Automatic Area and Perimeter Calculation above) you
can append the VALUE property with other parameters such as AD, AS etc. and define
these as expressions relating width (using %W%) or/and length (using %L%.)
To Edit the Default Values of L and W
Edit the L and W properties as appropriate.
To Edit the Hidden Node for 3 Terminal Devices
The hidden bulk node for three terminal devices is defined by the BULKNODE
property. This defaults to VSS for NMOS devices and VDD for PMOS devices.

Further Information
How Symbols are Stored
When a symbol is placed on a schematic, a copy of that symbol definition is stored
locally. This makes it possible to open the schematic even if some of the symbols it
uses are not available in the symbol library. However, if you edit a symbol definition
for a schematic that is saved, when you open that schematic, it has a choice between its
local copy of the symbol or the copy in the library. Which it chooses depends on an
option chosen when the symbol is saved. When saving the symbol with the graphical
editor, you will see the check box All references to symbols automatically updated. If
this is checked then the schematic editor will always use the library symbol if present.
If not, it will use its local copy.
If a schematic is using a local copy and you wish to update it to the current library
version, select the symbol or symbols then select the popup menu Update Symbol.
Note that all instances of the symbol will be updated. It is not possible to have two
versions of a symbol on the same schematic.

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Important Note
Note, that only the symbol geometry, pin definitions and protected properties of a
schematic instance will be changed when its symbol definition is edited.
Unprotected properties will remain as they are. For example, the standard NPN bipolar
transistor symbol has an initial value property of Q2N2222 so when you place one of
these on the schematic from the Place menu or tool bar, this is the value first displayed.
This can of course be subsequently changed. The initial value of Q2N2222 is defined
in the NPN symbol. However, if you edit the symbol definition and change the initial
value to something else - say - BC547, the value of the value property for any instances
of that symbol that are already placed will not change.
You can use the popup menu Restore Properties... to restore properties to their symbol
defined values. For more information, see Restoring Properties on page 107
If you wish a property value to always follow the definition in the symbol, then you
must protect it. See Defining Properties on page 98 for details.

Summary of Simulator Devices

The following information is needed to define schematic symbols for the various
devices supported by the simulator.
In order to be able to cross-probe pin currents, the pin names for the schematic symbol
must match up with those used by the simulator. So for a BJT (bipolar junction
transistor) the simulator refers to the four pins as b, c, e and s for base, collector,
emitter and substrate. The same letters must also be used for the pin names for any
schematic BJT symbol. The simulator device pin names are listed below.
The model property is the schematic symbol property which describes what type of
device the symbol refers to. SPICE uses the first letter of the component reference to
identify the type of device. The SIMetrix netlist generator prefixes the model property
(and a '$' symbol) to the component reference to comply with this. This makes it
possible to use any component reference on the schematic.

Device

Model
Pin no. Pin
Pin function
property
names

XSPICE device

Arbitrary Sources

1
2

p
n

Bipolar junction transistors

1
2
3
4

c
b
e
s

Capacitor

1
2

p
n

Collector
Base
Emitter
Substrate

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124

Device

Model
Pin no. Pin
Pin function
property
names

Current Controlled Current

Source (2 terminal)

1
2

p
n

Current Controlled Current

Source (4 terminal)

1
2
3
4

p
n
any
any

Current Controlled Voltage

Source (2 terminal)

1
2

p
n

Current Controlled Voltage

Source (4 terminal)

1
2
3
4

p
n
any
any

+ output
- output
+ control
- control

Current Source

1
2

p
n

+
-

Diode

1
2

p
n

Anode
Cathode

GaAs FETs

1
2
3

d
g
s

Drain
Gate
Source

Inductor

1
2

p
n

Junction FET

1
2
3

d
g
s

Drain
Gate
Source

MOSFET

1
2
3
4

d
g
s
b

Drain
Gate
Source
Bulk

Resistors

Transmission Line

T
(lossless)
O (lossy)

1
2
3
4

p1
n1
p2
n2

Port 1 Term 1
Port 1 Term 2
Port 2 Term 1
Port 2 Term 2

Voltage Controlled Current

Source

1
2
3
4

p
n
cp
cn

+ output
- output
+ contol
-control

+ output
- output
+ control
-control

Chapter 4 Schematic Editor

Device

Model
Pin no. Pin
Pin function
property
names

Voltage Controlled Switch

1
2
3
4

p
n
cp
cn

Switch term 1
Switch term 2
+ control
- control

Voltage Controlled Voltage

Source

1
2
3
4

p
n
cp
cn

+ output
- output
+ control
-control

Voltage Source

1
2

p
n

+ output
- output

Subcircuits

Pins can be given any name.

Numbering must be in the order that
pins appear in the .subckt control
which defines the subcircuit.
SIMetrix uses a special extension of
the netlist format to tell the simulator
what the pin names are.

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Chapter 5 Components
Overview
In this chapter we describe the components available at the schematic level. Broadly
speaking components fall into two categories namely numbered and generic.
Numbered components are devices that have a manufacturers part number and are
described by a model either supplied with SIMetrix or by the manufacturer itself.
Generic components are devices that are defined by one or more parameters that are
entered by the user after the component has been placed on the schematic.
A transistor like a 2N2222 or BC547 is an example of a numbered component and a
resistor is probably the simplest example of a generic component.
There are some components that have characteristics of both types. CMOS IC
designers would use MOSFETs defined by a model but will then customise it with
length and width parameters. Saturable inductors have an underlying model to describe
the core's characteristics but a number of user defined parameters to define the
geometry and air gap.
Numbered components need a model which is usually stored in the model library.
Refer to Device Library and Parts Management on page 159 for details.
This chapter is concerned only with devices at the schematic level. Many of these
devices are implemented directly by the simulator. For example the simulator has a
bipolar transistor model built in and such devices can be defined with a set of simulator
parameters. However, not all devices are implemented directly by the simulator. It does
not, for example have a operational amplifier device built in. These components are
constructed from a number of other components into a subcircuit.
The devices built in to the simulator are described in the Simulator Devices chapter
of the Simulator Reference Manual.

Numbered Components
Numbered components may be accessed via the Parts Browser. Select menu
Place|From Model Library to open it. This is what you will see:

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Select the appropriate category on the left then the part number on the right. If you are
not sure what category the component is in, select the * All Devices * category which
you will find at the bottom of the category list.
If you are looking for a part that you installed (as opposed to a part supplied with
SIMetrix) then you will find it in the * All User Models * category as well as the *
All Devices * category. If installed within the last 30 days, you will also find it under
* Recently Added Models *.
To reduce the number of devices displayed to a manageable level, you can specify a
filter. You can use the wild-cards '*' and '?' here. '*' will match 1 or more of any
character while '?' will match any single character. So, '*' on its own will match any
string and so all devices will be displayed. But 'IRF*' will display any device that starts
with the three letters 'IRF'. 'IRF???' will display any device beginning with IRF and
followed by three and only three characters.

Numbered Components in SIMPLIS

This section applies only to the SIMetrix/SIMPLIS product.
SIMPLIS works in a quite different way to SIMetrix (SPICE) and as a result its models
for semiconductor devices are completely different. For that reason the selection of

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devices available from Place|From Model Library when in SIMPLIS mode will not be
the same as in SIMetrix mode.
However, SIMetrix is able to convert some SPICE models for use with SIMPLIS. This
conversion operation is performed behind the scenes and you don't necessarily need to
know what is happening. However, it is very useful to understand the process that is
being performed in order to understand the devices behaviour under SIMPLIS. This
conversion process is described in the next section.

SPICE to SIMPLIS Conversion

SIMetrix is able to convert the following SPICE models types to SIMPLIS models:

Type

Supported SPICE
Implementation

Conversion Method

Diode

Primitive model

Parameter translation

Zener Diode

Primitive model or
subcircuit

Simulated parameter extraction

BJT

Primitive model

Parameter translation

MOSFET

Primitive model or
subcircuit

Simulated parameter extraction

Supported SPICE Implementation refers to the way the SPICE model must be
implemented for the conversion operation to be supported. SPICE models can be either
primitive models using the .MODEL control or can be sub-circuits using .SUBCKT.
.ENDS.
Conversion Method describes the method used to perform the conversion. Parameter
translation is a simple process whereby the .MODEL parameters are read from the
model and used to compile a SIMPLIS model using a knowledge of the SPICE device
equations. Simulated parameter extraction is a more sophisticated and general purpose
method that can be applied to any primitive model or subcircuit. In this method the
SPICE device is measured using the SIMetrix simulator in a number of test circuits.
The results of these tests are then analysed and used to derive the final SIMPLIS
model.
SPICE to SIMPLIS conversion takes place when you place the device on the
schematic. If Simulated parameter extraction is being used, the message Extracting
SIMPLIS model for ???. Please wait. will be displayed. For MOSFETs this process
usually takes less than about 0.5 seconds on a 1.5G P4 machine but can be much
longer. Note that Simulated parameter extraction is not guaranteed to succeed and can
fail if the SPICE model is faulty or badly designed.
Additional Parameters
Semiconductor devices converted for SIMPLIS operation have some additional
parameters that may be edited after the device is placed. This is done using the popup
menu Edit Additional Parameters.... In general each device has two types of additional
parameter. These are LEVEL parameters which define the complexity of the model

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Chapter 5 Components
used and LIMIT parameters which define operating limits for the device. The latter are
used to work out suitable coordinates for the piece wise linear approximation needed
for SIMPLIS devices. Model complexity defined by LEVEL parameters trade off
accuracy for speed.
The following table explains the meaning of the parameters for each device:

Device

Parameters

Diodes

Maximum current
This should be set to the maximum current rating
of the device. The conversion process needed to
create the SIMPLIS model is often able to look up
this value in a database. If not you will be prompted
to enter a suitable value

BJTs

Model level
This may be set to 1 or 2. 1 runs faster while 2
provides more accurate results. See diagrams
below for model structures used.
Max. Collector Current
Set to specified maximum collector current for
device

MOSFETs

Peak Operating current

This should be set to the peak operating current
expected during circuit operation. The parameter
extraction process will work out a suitable value
which is often satisfactory
Model level
Values are '0001', '0011', '1032'. '0001' is the
simplest and fastest while '1032' provides the
greatest detail and is the slowest

Zener Diodes

Maximum Power
Set this to the maximum rated power for the
device. The conversion process needed to create
the SIMPLIS model is often able to look up this
value in a database. If not you will be prompted to
enter a suitable value

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SIMPLIS Models
D

S1
D1

LEVEL 0001 MOSFET

D

LEVEL 0011 MOSFET

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Chapter 5 Components
D

LEVEL 1032 MOSFET

C

S1

B
!RBE

LEVEL 1 BJT Model

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C

RC

i=alphaF X I(!RBE)
FCB

!RBC

B
RB
i=alphaR X I(!RBC)
FEB

!RBE

RE

LEVEL 2 BJT Model

Generic Components
As explained in the overview generic components are devices that are defined by one
or more parameters entered by the user after the component is placed. The following
generic components are available:

132

Device

SIMPLIS
support?

Page

Saturable Inductors and Transformer

No

134

Ideal Transformer

Yes

136

Inductor

Yes

138

Capacitor

Yes

138

Resistor

Yes

138

Potentiometer

Yes

140

Transmission Line (Lossless)

No

140

Transmission Line (Lossy)

No

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Chapter 5 Components

Device

SIMPLIS
support?

Page

Infinite capacitor

No

139

Infinite inductor

No

139

Voltage source

Yes

141

Current source

Yes

141

Voltage controlled voltage source

Yes

141

Voltage controlled current source

Yes

141

Current controlled voltage source

Yes

141

Current controlled current source

Yes

141

Voltage controlled switch

No

141

Voltage controlled switch with Hysteresis

Yes

142

Device

Page

Non-linear transfer function

145

Laplace transfer function

146

Non-linear resistor

148

Non-linear capacitor

148

Non-linear inductor

148

Analog-Digital converter

142

Digital-Analog converter

142

Digital counter

143

Digital shift register

143

NAND/NOR/OR/AND gates

143

Digital bus register

143

SIMPLIS Primitive Components

The following components are only available with the SIMetrix/SIMPLIS product and
when in SIMPLIS. They can all be found under the menu Place|SIMPLIS Primitives.
For full details, see the SIMPLIS Reference Manual.

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Device
Comparator
Set-reset flip-flop
Set-reset flip-flop clocked
J-K flip-flop
D-type flip-flop
Toggle flip-flop
Latch
Simple switch - voltage controlled
Simple switch - current controlled
Transistor switch - voltage controlled
Transistor switch - current controlled
VPWL Resistor
IPWL Resistor
PWL Capacitor
PWL Inductor

Saturable Inductors and Transformers

SIMetrix is supplied with a number of models for inductors and transformers that
correctly model saturation and, for most models, hysteresis. As these components are
nearly always custom designed there is no catalog of manufacturers parts as there is
with semiconductor devices. Consequently a little more information is needed to
specify one of these devices. This section describes the facilities available and a
description of the models available.
Core Materials
The available models cover a range of ferrite and MPP core materials for inductors and
transformers with any number of windings. The complete simulation model based on a
library core model is generated by the user interface according to the winding
specification entered.
Placing and Specifying Components
1.

134

Select the menu Place|Magnetics|Saturable Transformer/Inductor... You will see

the following dialog box:

Chapter 5 Components

2.

Specify the number of windings required for primary and secondary in the
Configuration section. If you just want a single inductor, set primary turns to 1 and
secondaries to 0.

3.

Specify turns ratios in the Define Windings section. You can select the winding to
define using the Select Winding drop down box then enter the required ratio to
primary 1 in the edit box below it.

4.

Specify the number of turns for the primary and coupling factor. The coupling
factor is the same for all windings. You can define different coupling factors for
each winding by adding ideal inductors in series with one or more windings. In
some instances it may be necessary to add coupled inductors in series. This is
explained in more detail in Coupling Factor on page 137

5.

Specify the core characteristics in the Define Core section. A number of standard
core sets are pre-programmed and can be selected from the Select Core Type list
at the top. If the part you wish to use is not in the list or if you wish to use a
variant with a - say - different air gap, you can manually enter the characteristics
by clicking on the Manual Entry check box.

The values you need to enter are

Ae

Effective Area

Le
Ue
Core Material

Effective Length
Relative Permeability

Model Details
The models for saturable components can be found in the file cores.lb. Most of the
models are based on the Jiles-Atherton magnetic model which includes hysteresis
effects. The MPP models use a simpler model which does not include hysteresis. These
models only define a single inductor. To derive a transformer model, the user interface

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generates a subcircuit model that constructs a non-magnetic transformer using
controlled sources. The inductive element is added to the core which then gives the
model its inductive characteristics.
The model does not currently handle other core characteristics such as eddy current
losses nor does it handle winding artefacts such as resistive losses, skin effect, interwinding capacitance or proximity effect.

Ideal Transformers
Ideal transformers may be used in both SIMetrix and SIMPLIS modes. Note that
SIMPLIS operation is more efficient if the coupling factors are set to unity.
To define an ideal transformer, select the menu Place|Passives|Ideal Transformer....
This will open the following dialog box:

Configuration
Specify the number of primaries and secondaries. You can specify up to ten of each.
Define turns ratio
Select Winding

Lists all windings except primary 1.

Ratio to Primary 1

Enter the turns ratio with respect ratio primary 1.

Inductance and coupling

136

Primary 1 Inductance

Self-explanatory

Inter-primary coupling

Coupling factor between primaries.

Inter secondary coupling

Coupling factor between secondaries

Primary-secondary coupling

Coupling factor from each primary to each

secondary

Chapter 5 Components
This method of implementing an ideal transformer is not totally general purpose as you
cannot arbitrarily define inter winding coupling factors. If you need a configuration not
supported by the above method, you can define any ideal transformer using ideal
inductors and the Mutual Inductance device. The SIMetrix version is explained in the
next section. For the SIMPLIS equivalent, see the SIMPLIS reference manual.

Coupling Factor
The standard user interface for both saturable and ideal transformers provide only
limited flexibility to specify inter-winding coupling factor. In the majority of
applications, coupling factor is not an important issue and so the standard model will
suffice.
In some applications, however, the relative coupling factors of different windings can
be important. An example is in a flyback switched mode supply where the output
voltage is sensed by an auxiliary winding. In this instance, best performance is
achieved if the sense winding is strongly coupled to the secondary. Such a transformer
is likely to have a different coupling factor for the various windings.
You can use external leakage inductances to model coupling factor and this will
provide some additional flexibility. One approach is to set the user interface coupling
factor to unity and model all non-ideal coupling using external inductors. In some
cases it may be necessary to couple the leakage inductors. Consider for example an Ecore with 4 windings, one on each outer leg and two on the inner leg. Each winding
taken on its own would have approximately the same coupling to the core and so each
would have the same leakage inductance. But the two windings on the centre leg
would be more closely coupled to each other than to the other windings. To model this,
the leakage inductances for the centre windings could be coupled to each other using
the mutual inductor method described in the next section.

Mutual Inductors
You can specify coupling between any number of ideal inductors, using the mutual
inductor device. There is no menu or schematic symbol for this. It is defined by a line
of text that must be added to the netlist. (See Manual Entry of Simulator Commands
on page 65). The format for the mutual inductance line is:

Kxxxx inductor_1 inductor_2 coupling_factor

Where:
inductor_1

Component reference of the first inductor to be coupled

inductor_2

Component reference of the second inductor to be coupled

coupling_factor

Value between 0 and 1 which defines strength of coupling.

Note
If more than 2 inductors are to be coupled, there must be a K device to define every
possible pair.
Examples
** Couple L1 and L2 together
K12 L1 L2 0.98

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** Couple
K12 L1 L2
K23 L2 L3
K13 L1 L3

L1, L2 and L3
0.98
0.98
0.98

Resistors, Capacitors and Inductors

Resistors
Resistors may be used in both SIMetrix and SIMPLIS modes. Note that in SIMetrix
mode a number of additional parameters may be specified. These will not work with
SIMPLIS and must not be specified if dual mode operation is required.
Select from Place|Passives menu.
To edit value use F7 or select popup menu Edit Part... menu as usual. This will display
the following dialog for resistors.

You can enter the value directly in the Result box or use the Base and Decade up/down
controls.
Additional Parameters
Press Parameters... button to edit additional parameter associated with the device such
as temperature coefficients (TC1, TC2). Refer to device in the Simulator Reference
Manual for details of all device parameters.
Capacitors and Inductors
Capacitors and inductors may be used in both SIMetrix and SIMPLIS modes. Note that
in SIMetrix mode a number of additional parameters may be specified. These will not
work with SIMPLIS and must not be specified if dual mode operation is required.
The following dialog will be displayed when you edit a capacitor or inductor:

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Chapter 5 Components

The device value is edited in the same manner as for resistors. You can also supply an
initial condition which defines how the device behaves while a DC operating point is
calculated. For capacitors you can either specify that the device is open circuit or
alternatively you can specify a fixed voltage. For inductors, the device can be treated
as a short circuit or you can define a constant current.
Important note to experienced SPICE users
The initial condition values above do not require the UIC (or Skip DC bias
point) option to be set. This implementation of initial condition is a new feature
not found in standard SPICE. If an initial condition for a capacitor is defined, it
will behave like a voltage source during the DC operating point calculation.
Similarly an inductor will behave like a current source if it has an initial
condition defined.

Infinite Capacitors and Inductors

The infinite capacitors and inductors are often useful for AC analysis.
To place an infinite capacitor, select menu Place | Passives | Infinite Capacitor
To place an infinite inductor, select menu Place | Magnetics | Infinite Inductor
The infinite capacitor works as follows:
1.

During the DC bias point calculation, it behaves like an open circuit, just like a
regular finite capacitor.

2.

During any subsequent analysis it behaves like a voltage source with a value
equal to the voltage achieved during the the DC bias point calculation.

The infinite inductor behaves as follows:

1.

During the DC bias point calculation, it behaves like a short circuit, just like a
regular finite inductor.

2.

During any subsequent analysis it behaves like a current source with a value
equal to the current achieved during the the DC bias point calculation.

These components allow you to close a feedback loop during the DC bias point then
open it for any subsequent analysis.

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The infinite capacitor is a built in primitive component and is actually implemented by
the voltage source device. The infinite inductor is a subcircuit using an infinite
capacitor and some controlled sources.

Potentiometer
The potentiometer may be used in both SIMetrix and SIMPLIS modes. To place, select
the menu Place|Passives|Potentiometer. This device can be edited in the usual manner
with F7/Edit Part... popup. This will display:

Enter Resistance and Wiper position as required.

Check Run simulation after position change if you wish a new simulation to be run
immediately after the wiper position changes.
The potentiometer's wiper position may also be altered using the shift-up and shiftdown keys while the device is selected. Edit Inc/dec step size to alter the step size used
for this feature.

Lossless Transmission Line

Select from menu Place|Passives|Trans. Line (Lossless) or press hot key T. Editing in
the usual way will display:

Enter the Characteristic Impedance (Z0) and Delay as indicated.

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Chapter 5 Components

Lossy Transmission Line

Select from menu Place|Passives|Trans. Line (Lossy RLC). Editing in the usual way
will display:

Lossy lines must be defined in terms of their per unit length impedance characteristics.
Currently only series losses are supported.
Enter parameters as indicated. The absolute tolerance and relative tolerance parameters
control the accuracy/speed trade-off for the model. Reduce these values for greater
accuracy.

Fixed Voltage and Current Sources

See Circuit Stimulus on page 54.

Controlled Sources
There are four types which can be found under menu Place|Controlled Sources:
Voltage controlled voltage source or VCVS
Voltage controlled current source or VCCS
Current controlled voltage source or CCVS
Current controlled current source or CCCS
These have a variety of uses. A VCVS can implement an ideal opamp; current
controlled devices can monitor current; voltage controlled devices can convert a
differential signal to single ended.
They require just one value to define them which is their gain. Edit value in the usual
way and you will be presented with a dialog similar to that used for resistors,
capacitors and inductors but without the Parameters... button.

Voltage Controlled Switch

This is essentially a voltage controlled resistor with two terminals for the resistance
and two control terminals. Place one on the schematic with Place|Analog
Functions|Switch. Editing using F7 or equivalent menu displays:

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If On Voltage > Off Voltage

If control voltage > On Voltage
Resistance = On Resistance
else if control voltage < Off Voltage
Resistance = Off Resistance
If Off Voltage > On Voltage
If control voltage > Off Voltage
Resistance = Off Resistance
else if control voltage < On Voltage
Resistance = On Resistance
If the control voltage lies between the On Voltage and Off Voltage the resistance will
be somewhere between the on and off resistances using a law that assures a smooth
transition between the on and off states.

Switch with Hysteresis

An alternative switch device is available which abruptly switches between states rather
than following a continuous V-I characteristic. This device can be used with both
SIMetrix and SIMPLIS although the behaviour is slightly different in each. The
switching thresholds are governed by an hysteresis law and, when used with the
SIMetrix simulator, the state change is controlled to occur over a fixed time period
(currently 10nS).
This device can be placed on a schematic with the menu Place|Analog
Functions|Switch with Hysteresis.

Generic ADCs and DACs

Generic data conversion devices are available from the menus Place|Digital
Generic|ADC... and Place|Digital Generic|DAC...

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Chapter 5 Components

These devices are implemented using the simulator's ADC and DAC models. For
details of these refer to the chapter Digital/Mixed Signal Device Reference in the
Simulator Reference Manual.
The controls in these boxes are explained below.
Number of bits
Resolution of converter. Values from 1 to32
Convert time (ADC)
Time from start convert active (rising edge) to data becoming available
Max conversion rate (ADC)
Max frequency of start convert. Period (1/f) must be less than or equal to convert time.
Output slew time
Whenever the input code changes, the output is set on a trajectory to reach the target
value in the time specified by this value.
Offset voltage
Self-explanatory
Range
Full scale range in volts

Generic Digital Devices

A number of generic digital devices are provided on the Place|Digital Generic menu.
Each will automatically create a symbol using a basic spec. provided by your entries to

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a dialog box. Functions provided are, counter, shift register, AND, OR, NAND and
NOR gates, and bus register.

Functional Blocks - Overview

The simulator supports a number of devices that are arbitrary in nature and which are
used to define a device in terms of its function or behaviour. Functional blocks have a
number of uses. Here are two examples:
1.

System level simulation. You are investigating the viability or characteristics of a

complete system before actually considering its implementation detail. Your
system may consist of a number of interconnected blocks each with an easily
defined function.

2.

Device model implementation. Functional models can be used to actually create

device models. Suppose you wish to use an op-amp for which no model is
available. The only characteristic that affects the performance of your circuit is
its gain bandwidth product. So instead of creating a detailed model you simply
use a differential voltage amplifier with the appropriate GBW.

SIMetrix provides functional modelling at both the schematic and simulator levels.
The schematic provides a convenient user interface to the functional devices provided
by the simulator.
The simulator provides three devices that can be defined in a completely arbitrary
manner. These are defined in the following table. See the Simulator Reference Manual
for full details on these devices.

Device

Description

Arbitrary non-linear source

or B device

Analog non-linear device. Can express single

voltage or current in terms of any number of
circuit voltages and currents including its own
output.

S-domain Transfer Function Linear block with single input and output each
Block
of which may be single ended or differential,
voltage or current. Specified in terms of its Sdomain or Laplace transfer function.
Arbitrary Logic Block

Digital device. Implements any digital device,

combinational, synchronous or asynchronous
using a descriptive language.

Schematic support for functional blocks is provided by a number of devices under the
menus Place|Analog Behavioural, Place|Digital Generic. Devices currently provided
are shown in the following table.

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Chapter 5 Components

Device

Description

Non-linear Transfer Function

Based on the arbitrary non-linear

source. This will create a schematic
symbol with your specified inputs and
outputs. You enter the equation to
relate them.

Laplace Transfer Function

Based on the S-domain transfer

function block. This will create a
schematic symbol with specified input
and output. You enter an s-domain
transfer function.

Non-linear Transfer Function

Select menu Place|Analog Behavioural|Non-linear Transfer Function. This displays:

Specify the number of input voltages and currents you require. All voltage inputs are
single-ended and all input currents are differential. In the expression box, you must
specify an equation relating the output to the inputs. In the equation, currents are
referred to by the label I(Vn) where n identifies the actual current input. 1 is the first
(top most on the symbol), 2 is the second and so on. Voltages are referred to by the
label V(Nn). Again n identifies the actual voltage input in the same manner as for
current. In the example above, the expression shown - (V(n1)-V(n2))*I(V1) multiplies a voltage and current together. This could be used to monitor the power in a
two terminal device as shown in the following schematic.:

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(V(n1)-V(n2))*I(V1)
ARB2
I(V1)
V1
Pulse(0 1 0 1m 1m)

1
R1

N1
N2

OUTP

ARB2-OUTP

OUTN

In the above, ARB2 is the device created from the Non-linear Transfer Function menu.
ARB2-OUTP will carry a voltage equal to the power dissipation in R1.

Laplace Transfer Function

Selecting the menu Place|Analog Behavioural|Laplace Transfer Function brings up the
following dialog

The operation of the various controls is described below.

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Chapter 5 Components
Definition
Enter an expression using the 'S' variable to define the frequency domain transfer
function. The above shows the example of a second order response. See Laplace
Expression below for details of the expression syntax.
Frequency scale factor
Multiplier for frequency
Device type
Transfer function

Expression defines output/input

Impedance V/I

Two terminal device, expression defines voltage/current

Admittance I/V

Two terminal device, expression defines current/voltage

Input
Input configuration for transfer function
Output
Output configuration for transfer function
Laplace Expression
When you close the box, a symbol will be created according to the selections you make
for device type, input and output.
As seen in the above examples, the transfer function of the device is defined by the
model parameter LAPLACE. This is a text string and must be enclosed in double
quotation marks. This may be any arithmetic expression containing the following
elements:
Operators
+-*/^
^ means raise to power. Only integral powers may be specified.
Constants
Any decimal number following normal rules. SPICE style engineering suffixes
are accepted.
S Variable
This can be raised to a power with '^' or by simply placing a constant directly
after it (with no spaces). E.g. s^2 is the same as s2.
Filter response functions
These are described in the following table:

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Function Syntax

Filter Response

BesselLP(order, cut-off)

Bessel low-pass

BesselHP(order, cut-off)

Bessel high-pass

ButterworthLP(order, cut-off)

Butterworth low-pass

ButterworthHP(order, cut-off)

Butterworth high-pass

ChebyshevLP(order, cut-off,
passband_ripple)

Chebyshev low-pass

ChebyshevHP(order, cut-off,
passband_ripple)

Chebyshev high-pass

Where:
order

Integer specifying order of filter. There is no maximum

limit but in practice orders larger than about 50 tend to
give accuracy problems.

cut-off

-3dB Frequency in Hertz

passband_ripple

Chebyshev only. Passband ripple spec. in dB

Arbitrary Non-linear Passive Devices

Each of these will place a component which looks exactly like its linear counterpart.
The difference is that when you try and edit its value with F7 or menu Edit Part... you
will be prompted to enter an expression. In the case of the resistor and capacitor, this
relates its value to the applied voltage and for inductor the expression relates its
inductance to its current. For resistors and capacitors, the terminal voltage is referred in
the equation as V(N1) and for inductors the device's current is referred to as I(V1).

Creating Models
Overview
SIMetrix version 5.1 introduced a new soft recovery diode model for use in power
electronics circuits. As this model is not a SPICE standard, there are no models
available from device manufacturers or other sources. So, we therefore also developed
a soft recovery diode parameter extractor that allows the creation of soft recovery
diode models from data sheet values.
The parameter extraction tool works directly within the schematic environment and
may be used in a similar manner to other parameterised devices such as the
parameterised opamp. However, there is also an option to save a particular model to
the device library and so making it available as a standard part.

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Chapter 5 Components

Creating Soft Recovery Diode Models

1.

Select menu Place|Create Model|Soft Recovery Diode... . You will see this dialog
box:

2.

Enter the required specification in the DC Forward bias spec, Reverse recovery
specification and Capacitance sections. See below for technical details of these
specifications.

3.

Select Save to schematic symbol if you wish to store the specification and model
parameters on the schematic symbol. This will allow to you to modify the
specification later. If you select Save to model library, then the definition will be
written to a library file and installed in the parts library. This will make the new
model available as a standard part, but you will not be able to subsequently
modify it other than by re-entering the specification manually. If you choose this
option, you must specify a device name in the box below.

4.

Press Ok to place diode on the schematic. If you selected Save to model library,
the model file for the device will also be created at this point. The file will be
saved in your user models directory. On windows this is located at My
Documents\SIMetrix\Models and on Linux it is at $HOME/simetrix/Models.

Soft Recovery Diode Specification

The parameter extractor allows the specification of three important characteristics of
the diode. These are the DC forward bias voltage, reverse recovery and capacitance.
Currently, reverse leakage and breakdown characteristics are not modelled.
To specify the forward bias characteristics, simply enter the coordinates of two points
on the graph showing forward drop versus diode current which is found in most data
sheets. You should choose values at the extremes. The low current value will

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essentially determine the value of the IS parameter while the high current value defines
the series resistance of the device.
The reverse recovery characteristics are explained in the following diagram.
Tr

IF

dIf/dt
IRM * 37%

IRM

The values quoted in data sheets vary between manufacturers. The value given for Tr is
sometimes taken from the reverse peak rather than the zero crossing. If this is the case
you can calculate the time from the zero crossing to the reverse peak using the values
for IRM and dIf/dt and so arrive at the value of Tr as shown above.
Some data sheets do not give the value of IRM. In these cases the best that can be done
is to enter an intelligent guess.
Capacitance is the measured value at zero bias. Unfortunately this is not always quoted
in data sheets in which case you can either enter zero (which may speed simulation
times) or enter an estimated value. Of course an alternative would be to measure the
capacitance of an actual device.
Notes of Soft Recovery Diode Model
The soft recovery diode does not use the standard SPICE model but a new model based
on work at the University of Washington. Full details of the model can be found in the
Simulator Reference Manual.

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Chapter 5 Components

Subcircuits
Overview
Subcircuits are a method of defining a circuit block which can be referenced any
number of times by a single netlist line or schematic device. Subcircuits are the method
used to define many device models such as op-amps. It is also the underlying
mechanism of the hierarchical schematic entry system.
You don't need to know anything about subcircuits unless you wish to define you own
device models, perhaps to build up a library of tested blocks for general distribution. If
you just wish to enter your circuit in a modular manner, hierarchical schematic entry is
probably the more appropriate method. See Hierarchical Schematic Entry on
page 80 for details.
This section explains how to create a subcircuit from a schematic and how to reference
one in netlist or schematic. For the .SUBCKT control syntax see the Command
Reference chapter of the Simulator Reference Manual.

Creating a Sub-circuit from a Schematic

Subcircuits must be defined in text form as a netlist. However the schematic editor can
be used to generate the netlist. To create a sub-circuit from a schematic, you need to
identify which nodes are to be connected externally. This is done using the same
Module Port symbol used for hierarchical schematic entry (see Hierarchical
Schematic Entry on page 80)
The procedure for defining a subcircuit is as follows:
1.

Draw circuit using schematic editor including module port symbols to identify
external connections.

2.

Create netlist for circuit.

To describe the procedure, we will use an example.

Stage 1 - Draw Schematic
This is circuit of a simple op-amp. In fact it is the circuit of our fictitious SXOA1000
op-amp used in Tutorial 3 (See page 47)

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VSP
Q6
P1

Q5
P1
Q7
P1
Q1
N1

100
R1
INP
INN

10p
C1

1K
R2
1K
R3

Q3
N1

D1
D1

Q4
N1

I1
100u
D3
D1

OUT

D2
D1
Q2
P1
I2
100u

VSN

The five terminal symbols, e.g.

VSN

are the connections to the outside world. This is a module port symbol which can be
found in the schematic menu Hierarchy|Place Module Port. Important - do not use the
normal Terminal symbol.
It is recommended that any model definitions are included in the subcircuit definition.
This makes the subcircuit self-contained. If you have referenced models in the device
library, you can import them into the schematic automatically using the schematic
menu Simulator|Import Models... They will be placed in the simulator command
window which can be opened by pressing F11. Alternatively you can enter them in the
command window manually.
Stage 2 - Netlist Circuit
To create a subcircuit netlist, select schematic menu
Simulator|Create Netlist as Subcircuit... .
You will be first be prompted for a subcircuit name. This name will also be used for the
file name with extension .MOD.
After entering the name, you will be asked to specify the subcircuit pin order:

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When you close this box, the subcircuit will be created and its text will be displayed.

Calling a Sub-circuit in a Schematic

To call a sub-circuit in a schematic, you must choose or create a symbol for it. The
symbol must have the same number of pins and, ideally, it would also have the same
pin order. In other words, the order of the nodes in the .SUBCKT line would be the
same as the pin order of the symbol. The matching of .SUBCKT node order and
symbol pin order is not absolutely essential, but it makes things much easier. If they are
not the same there is method of overcoming the problem using the mapping property.
This is explained in the section Properties on page 103.
Creating symbols for the schematic is covered in Creating Schematic Symbols Overview on page 89. The symbol must have the following properties (see page 103)

Property
name

Property value

Purpose

Model

Ensures netlist line starts with X.

Identifies component as a
subcircuit. Should be hidden and
protected

Value

subcircuit_name

Name used to reference

subcircuit definition. Can be
changed by user after placing on
schematic.

Ref

component_reference E.g. U?. Automatically allocated

when placing symbol on
schematic.

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Most symbols possess these properties anyway, the important fact is that the model
property must be set to X. When defining a symbol from scratch, these properties can
be defined in one go in the graphical symbol editor with
Property/Pin|Add Standard Properties... .
To use the sub-circuit definition, SIMetrix must be able to find it. There are various
places where it can be put and means of telling SIMetrix of the location. These are the
choices.
1.

Place the definition directly in the simulator command - or F11 - window (see
Manual Entry of Simulator Commands on page 65). If placed at that location,
it will be read in unconditionally and SIMetrix will not need to search for it.

2.

Put in a separate file and pull in to the schematic with .INC control (see
Simulator Reference Manual) placed in simulator command (F11) window. As 1.,
this will be read in unconditionally.

3.

Put in a library file and reference in schematic with .LIB control (see Simulator
Reference Manual) placed in simulator command (F11) window. Similar to 2. but
more efficient if library has many models not used in the schematic. Only the
devices required will be read in.

4.

Put in a library file and install it using the procedure described in Full Model
Installation Procedure on page 160. This will make the device globally available
to all schematics. You can also install it into the parts browser system. These
topics are covered in Device Library and Parts Management on page 159 and
are also the subject of Tutorial 3.

To place the device on the schematic, find the symbol in schematic popup
All Symbols... and place in the normal way. After it is placed, select the device and
press shift-F7 and enter the subcircuit's name.
If you installed the device into the parts browser system, as mentioned in choice 4
above, you will be able to place the device by pressing control-G and selecting the
device from the appropriate category. The parts browser system also provides a simple
to use means of overcoming the problem mentioned above that occurs if the symbol's
pin order does not match the subcircuit's node order. This is explained Associating
Multiple Models with Symbols on page 163.
Passing Parameters
You can pass parameters to a subcircuit. This subject is covered in detail in the
Simulator Reference Manual. To specify the parameters for a sub-circuit device in a
schematic, you must enter the values manually using shift-F7 and placing a ':' between
the sub-circuit name and the parameter list. E.g. suppose you wished to specify the
parameters: FREQ=12k Q=15. To enter these, select the sub-circuit, press shift-F7
and append the sub-circuit name with:
: FREQ=12k Q=15

Note for information about passing parameters to a hierarchical block, please refer to
Passing Parameters Through a Hierarchy on page 86

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Special Components
Initial Conditions
Initial conditions force a node to a fixed voltage or current during the calculation of the
DC bias point. There are two types of initial condition namely soft and hard. Soft
initial conditions apply a voltage through a fixed resistance. Hard initial conditions,
apply a voltage directly without any resistance.
To Place a Soft Initial Condition
1.

Select menu Place|Connectors|Initial Condition

2.

Place device at the desired location then select and press F7. Enter a suitable
voltage

To Place a Hard Initial Condition

1.

Select menu Place|From Symbol Library

2.

Select device ConnectionsIcs and NodesetsInitial Condition (Hard)

3.

Place device at the desired location then select and press F7. Enter a suitable
voltage

Notes
Soft initial conditions are implemented using the .IC control and will also correctly
apply an initial condition when Skip DC bias point is specified for a transient analysis.
The driving resistance for a soft initial condition is 1 by default but can be altered
using the ICRES simulator option. To do this, add .OPTIONS ICRES=nnn to the F11
window (see Manual Entry of Simulator Commands on page 65).
Hard Initial conditions are implemented using a voltage source with the DCOP
parameter specified. This feature is proprietary to SIMetrix and is not compatible with
other SPICE simulators. Refer to the Simulator Reference Manual for more
information on voltage sources and the DCOP parameter.

Nodesets
Nodesets are used to help convergence and also to coerce a particular state for circuits
that have more than one possible DC solution. More information about nodesets is
given in the Simulator Reference Manual.
To Place a Nodeset
1.

Select menu Place|Connectors|Nodeset

2.

Place device at the desired location then select and press F7. Enter a suitable
voltage

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Keeps
Keeps form part of a system to limit the amount of data that is output during a
simulation. For some designs the data output can be too great to fit in the available disk
space and in these situation, the data output needs to be restricted. For non-hierachical
designs, the default is for all voltages and currents at the top level (i.e. not in a subcircuit) to be output. For hierarchical designs, data for all signals for the whole circuit
are output. To restrict the output you can use the .KEEP control in the F11 window (see
Manual Entry of Simulator Commands on page 65) to restrict what data is output.
E.g.
.KEEP /noi /top

will result in only top level voltages and digital signals being output.
.KEEP /nov /noi /top

will prevent all data except digital signals and the reference vector (time, frequency
etc.) from being output.
With some or all data output inhibited using .KEEP as described above, you can add
keep symbols to the schematic to select specific voltages or currents to be saved. For
information on the comprehensive features of .KEEP, please refer to the Simulator
Reference Manual.
To Add a Voltage Keep to a Schematic
1.

Select menu Place|From Symbol Library

2.

Select device ConnectionsKeepsVoltage Keep

3.

Place device on desired schematic net.

To Add a Current Keep to a Schematic

1.

Select menu Place|From Symbol Library

2.

Select device ConnectionsKeepsCurrent Keep

3.

Place device directly on a device pin

Parameters and Expressions

You can specify both device and model parameters using an arithmetic expression
containing user defined variables. The variables may be defined using the .PARAM
simulator control, which must be placed in the netlist, or globally in a script using the
Let command. A variable may also be swept using the parameter sweep mode for the
swept analyses and stepped for multi-step analyses. Complete documentation on this
subject can be found in the Simulator Devices chapter of the Simulator Reference
Manual. Below are brief details of how to use expressions with a schematic based
design. We explain this with an example.

Example

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Chapter 5 Components
{ C1 }
C1
{ 2/(2*PI*f req * C1 * alpha) }

{ 2/(2*PI*f req * C1 * alpha) }

R1

R2

AC 1 0
V1

1
VOUT

E1
{ C1*alpha*alpha/4 }
C2

The above circuit is that of a two pole low-pass filter. C1 is fixed and R1=R2. The
design equations are:
R1=R2=2/(2*pi*f0*C1*alpha)
C2=C1*alpha*alpha/4

where freq is the cut off frequency and alpha is the damping factor.
Expressions for device values must be entered enclosed in curly braces ('{' and '}'). To
enter expressions for components we recommend that you use shift-F7 not F7 as for
normal value editing - and remember the curly braces. shift-F7 provide literal editing
of a devices value and bypasses the intelligent system employed by F7 and the Edit
Part... menu.
Before running the above circuit you must assign values to the variables. This can be
done by one of three methods:
1.

With the .PARAM control placed in the netlist.

2.

With Let command from the command line or from a script. (If using a script you
must prefix the parameter names with global:)

3.

By sweeping the value using the parameter mode of a swept analysis (page 178)
or multi-step analysis (page 196).

Expressions for device values must be entered enclosed in curly braces ('{' and '}').
Suppose we wish a 1kHz roll off for the above filter.
Using the .PARAM control, add these lines to the netlist (using the F11 window - see
Manual Entry of Simulator Commands on page 65)
.PARAM f0 1k
.PARAM alpha 1
.PARAM C1 10n

Using the Let command, you would type:

Let f0=1k
Let alpha=1
Let C1=10n

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If you then wanted to alter the damping factor to 0.8 you only need to type in its new
value:
Let alpha=0.8

then re-run the simulator.

To execute the Let commands from within a script, prefix the parameter names with
global:. E.g. Let global:f0=1k
In many cases the .PARAM approach is more convenient as the values can be stored
with the schematic.
Example passing parameters to subcircuits
If the filter example above was implemented as a subcircuit, different values of the
parameters freq, alpha and C1 could be passed to each instance of the subcircuit.
This allows several filters with differing roll-off frequencies and damping factors to be
quickly drawn.
{ C1 }
C1

IN

{ 2/(2*PI*f req * C1 * alpha) }

{ 2/(2*PI*f req * C1 * alpha) }

R1

R2

{ C1*alpha*alpha/4 }
C2

1
OUT

E1

You can set the values of the parameters for each instance of the above subcircuit by
appending the expressions to the value property of the symbol in the main circuit
separated by a ':'. E.g.:-

U?

Filter : C1=10n alpha=1 freq=10k

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Chapter 6 Device Library and Parts Management

Chapter 6 Device Library and Parts Management

Overview
The electrical characteristics for semiconductor devices such as transistors and for
more complex devices such as operational amplifiers are not built in to the simulator
program but are defined in separate library files. These are text files containing
.MODEL and .SUBCKT controls. Some libraries have been supplied with SIMetrix
but you can obtain others from device manufacturers (usually at no cost) and other
model vendors. You can also create them yourself using a text editor.
Many vendor libraries may be downloaded from the Internet. Our World Wide Web
site carries a page with links to vendor sites. URL is
http://www.simetrix.co.uk/site/support/models.html
This section explains how to use, install and manage parts libraries.
Important: The library and parts management systems described in this chapter work
with discrete devices defined using subcircuits and .MODEL statements. It currently
does not support process corner selection and process binning used by many models
supplied by integrated circuit process foundries. See Using Schematic Editor for
CMOS IC Design on page 120 for details on how to handle such libraries.

Using Parts Browser

The parts browser provides a convenient method of selecting a component. Parts are
arranged in categories to allow for rapid searching.
To open parts browser select schematic menu Place|From Model Library.... All devices
for which models have been installed will be displayed and listed under an appropriate
category.
If you can't find a device under the expected category, select the * All Devices *
category. Every single device currently installed will be displayed here. (Note for large
libraries you may have to wait a second or two to see the list of devices when selecting
this category).
If you have installed your own models (see Parts Management - Installing Models
below) you will always find them listed under the category * All User Models * and,
if installed within the last 30 days, under * Recently Added Models *.
If you select a part under * All User Models * or * Recently Added Models * you
may be presented with the Associate Model dialog box. This will happen if SIMetrix is
unable to determine what symbol to use for the model. This is explained in Placing
New Model on Schematic on page 162.

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Parts Management - Installing Models

Overview
The process of installing third party SPICE models has always been a fundamentally
tricky one.
The difficulty has been associating the SPICE model - which is the electrical definition
of the device - with the schematic symbol - which is the pictorial representation of it.
A model provides an electrical description of the device but not what schematic
symbol to use nor what category it should be in the parts browser. SIMetrix is able to
determine this for itself if the device is implemented using a .MODEL control as all
.MODELs refer to a particular type of device (NPN, NMOS, Diode etc.). Devices
implemented as subcircuits however remain a problem as there is nothing in a
.SUBCKT definition which tells SIMetrix what the device is. For example a three
terminal regulator and a power MOSFET use identical syntax - SIMetrix can't tell the
difference from the syntax alone. To resolve this SIMetrix is shipped with a database of
known part numbers providing a named schematic symbol, component category and if
relevant a pin mapping order. If the part is in the database, no further action is required
by the user and the part will appear in the browser under the correct category and select
the correct symbol.
If the model is not in the database and has 2 or 3 terminals, then SIMetrix will attempt
to determine the type of device by performing some tests on the model using
simulation.If this process is successful, SIMetrix will choose an appropriate schematic
symbol without further action required.
If SIMetrix cannot determine what the device is then, in order to use the device on a
schematic, you will need to provide the association information. You will be prompted
for this information when you place a part on the schematic for the first time and this is
often the most convenient method. However, there is also a method of providing the
association information in bulk which is advantageous in many cases.

Procedure
There are two stages to installing SPICE models.
1.

Install the model itself so that the program knows where to look for it. This is
simply a matter of dropping files or folders on the command shell. See Installing
Electrical Model below.

2.

Associate the model(s) with a schematic symbol. This process is often automatic
and you dont need to do anything - see explanation in the Overview above. If
this is necessary, you will be prompted for the information required. See Placing
New Model on Schematic below.

Full Model Installation Procedure

The following is the full procedure for installing models including association if
required.

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Installing Electrical Model
1.

Open a suitable file manager program such as windows explorer in Windows

systems or Konqueror in KDE. Locate the folder where your model files are
located.

2.

Select the items you wish to install. You can also install a single file, multiple
files an entire folder or multiple folders. You only thing you can't do is install
files and folders at the same time.

3.

Make sure that the SIMetrix command shell is visible. If it is obscured, you can
bring it to the surface by pressing the spacebar with a schematic or graph
selected.

4.

Pick up the items selected in 2. above and drop them into the message window of
the command shell.

5.

If you installed individual files, you will see a message box asking you to
confirm that you wish to continue. Just click OK. The model files are now
installed.

6.

If you drop folders a search will be made in those folders for SPICE models. The
Add/Remove Models dialog will then be displayed as shown below:

Select the items you wish to install in the lower box and transfer them to the
upper box by pressing the Add button. You can also change the order of the items
in the upper box. This affects the search order when a simulation is run. Press Ok.

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You will see a message displayed in the command shell Making Device Catalog.
This may take some time, please wait.... When finished the message
Completed will be displayed. The electrical model or models are now installed.
Placing New Model on Schematic
1.

You can now place models installed using the parts browser. Select schematic
menu Place | From Model Library... . You will see a dialog box similar to that
shown on page 127.

2.

On the left hand side select category * Recently Added Models * or if the
models were installed more than 30 days ago, select * All User Models *. You
should see the models you have installed listed on the right hand side. Select the
device you wish to place the press Place.

3.

At this point, one of two things will happen. Either

A schematic symbol will appear (possibly after a short delay) for you to place on
the schematic sheet. If so, no further action is needed after placing the symbol.
OR
If SIMetrix is unable to identify a suitable schematic symbol for the model, the
associate models and symbols dialog box will open. See next step

4.

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The following dialog box will be displayed:

Chapter 6 Device Library and Parts Management

5.

Enter a suitable category for the part under Choose Category for xxx (where xxx is
your model name). You can create a new category if desired by pressing New
Category...

6.

Using the drop down box under Define Symbol for xxx, select a suitable symbol
for your model. An image of the symbol will be displayed so you can check if it
is appropriate. If no suitable symbol is available, press Auto Create Symbol and
one will automatically be created. You can edit this symbol later if required.

7.

If you selected an existing symbol, you must check that the pin order matches
that of the model itself. The model text is displayed under Electrical Model - xxx.
If the pin order needs changing, use the up and down arrow keys to rearrange the
pins as appropriate.

8.

Press Ok then place symbol as usual.

Steps 4 to 8 above only need to be done once for each model.

Note
If the message
Unknown file type xxx

is displayed when you drop a file, it means that no valid SPICE models were found in
the file. It does not mean the file has the wrong extension. SIMetrix will accept any
extension for model files with the exception of the extensions used for schematic or
graph files (sch, sxsch and sxgph).

Removing Model Libraries

Select Model Library|View/Remove Libraries... . A dialog box similar to that shown
above will be displayed but with the Available Libraries box empty. Select the devices
you wish to remove from the Selected Libraries box.

Parts Management - Advanced Topics

Associating Multiple Models with Symbols
The procedure for installing model libraries above (Full Model Installation
Procedure on page 160) explains how to install the library and then, if required,
associate each model individually as you place the device on the schematic.
In some situations you might wish to perform the association process in bulk, that is
for many devices at once. To so this, use the File | Model Library | Associate Models
and Symbols... menu. This is what you will see:

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Associate Model dialog box

In the top left hand group you select the device or devices that you wish to associate.
The drop-down box at the top has a list of categories. Usually you would select a
device or devices in the *** Unknown *** category but you can also edit the
association of known devices in other categories.
Once the category has been selected, a list of devices in that category will be displayed
in the list box below. You should then select a device or devices to associate. To select
multiple devices hold the control key down while selecting. Note that you will not be
allowed to select multiple devices that have different numbers of pins. To help you
determine what type of device it is, its electrical model is displayed in the window that
covers most of the lower half of the dialog box. You must now define the Category,
symbol and, if necessary, the pin order for the device. This is done using the top right
hand group of controls titled Choose Symbol/Category. Select an appropriate category
and symbol. Note that only compatible symbols that have the same number of pins as
the selected device will be shown. If an appropriate symbol is not available, you
instruct SIMetrix to create one for you by pressing the Auto Create Symbol button. The
symbol created will be functionally correct but of course its design and labelling may
not be exactly what you would like. You can edit the pin names of the new symbol by
pressing Edit Pin Names... . If other changes are required, you can edit the symbol
using the graphical symbol editor at a later time.

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The next list box allows the pin order to be changed. If you used the auto create symbol
described in the above paragraph, you will not need to change the pin order. Even if
you used an existing symbol from the drop down box you probably won't need to
change the default as most devices such as opamps and MOSFETs use a de-facto
standard pin order. Usually you can check the pin order from the Electrical Model
display at the bottom of the dialog box. Many subcircuit definitions are preceded by
text which identifies each connection to the sub circuit. This must correspond exactly
to the pin order of the symbol. (The names of symbol pins and the names used for the
subcircuit terminations do not need to match; only the order is important). If the pin
order does not match you can change it using the up and down arrow buttons. Simply
select a pin in the list box then move it up or down the list. Note that the change will
only apply to the device(s) you are currently editing; other devices associated with the
same symbol will be unaffected.
Once you have finished selecting the category, symbol and pin mapping you must
select the Apply Changes button. Your edits will be lost if you don't, but you will be
warned about this before closing the box.

Embedded Association
It is possible to embed association information within the model file itself. This is
useful if you wish to prepare a model to distribute to other users and wish to spare them
the burden of performing the association process themselves. Models with embedded
association can be installed by dropping their files in the command shell with no other
action being required.
Only subcircuit devices may receive embedded association information. The
information is placed in a specially formatted comment line after the .SUBCKT line
but before the first device or command. The line is in the form:

*#ASSOC Category=category Symbol=symbol [Mapping=mapping]

category

Category for part. If it has spaces this must be enclosed in

double quotation marks

symbol

Internal symbol name to be used for part

mapping

Mapping information. This changes the mapping between the

subcircuit terminals and the symbol pin order. Usually, its
easiest simply to arrange the subcircuit pin order to match the
symbol pin order in which case this is not required. If however
there is some reason why rearranging the subcircuit pins is not
desirable, you can instead specify the pin order using the
mapping value.
The mapping value is a list of symbol pin numbers that match to
the corresponding subcircuit terminal. So a mapping value of
2,3,1 says that the first subcircuit terminal connects to pin 2 of
the symbol, the second subcircuit terminal connects to pin 3 and
the third to pin 1.

Example
.SUBCKT IRF530 D G S
*#ASSOC Category=NMOS Symbol=nmos_sub

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...
.ENDS

Priorities
Its possible that association information could be provided from multiple sources in
which case the possibility of conflict arises. If this is the case the following priorities
apply:
1.

User supplied association (e.g. using the associate symbols and models dialog)
takes precedence over embedded association

2.

Embedded association takes precedence over pre-defined association. Predefined association is what is stored in the ALL.CAT catalog file supplied with
SIMetrix

Catalog Files
The data for model and symbol associations are stored in catalog files. There are three
catalog files as follows:

ALL.CAT

USER_V2.CAT

OUT.CAT

Resides in SIMetrix root directory. Stores catalog

data supplied with SIMetrix. SIMetrix never modifies
this file.
Resides in the application data directory (see
Application Data Directory on page 328). Stores
catalog data supplied by the user. Data in this file
overrides data in ALL.CAT. The Associate Models
dialog box writes to this file. In SIMetrix versions 5.2
and earlier this file was called USER.CAT. SIMetrix
will automatically import data from USER.CAT to
USER_V2.CAT if USER.CAT is present.
Resides in application data directory (see
Application Data Directory on page 328). This is
what is actually used by the parts browser to select
and place components. It is generated by the
associate model dialog box from information in
ALL.CAT, USER_V2.CAT and installed models. It
will also be automatically created by the parts
browser if it does not already exist. You can also
force it to be rebuilt at any time by selecting menu
File|Model Library|Re-build Catalog

File Format
Catalog files are text files. Each line provides data about a single device in semi-colon
delimited fields. The fields are as follows

166

Field 1

Device name as it appears in browser. This may optionally be

followed by a comma followed by the number of terminals for
the model

Field 2

Symbol name

Field 3

Model property - X for subcircuits, as appropriate for other

Chapter 6 Device Library and Parts Management

devices. (This field is empty in ALL.CAT and USER_V2.CAT it
is determined automatically from electrical model when
OUT.CAT is built)
Field 4

Category

Field 5

Sub-category (currently not used)

Field 6

Pin mapping order

Filed 7

Path name (duplicate device names only)

When you select OK your edits will be written to the USER_V2.CAT file (see above
table). This is in the same format as ALL.CAT in the root folder. ALL.CAT is never
modified. Also another file is updated called OUT.CAT. This is the file used by the
parts browser. The process of building OUT.CAT may take a few seconds if the model
library is large.

Importing Models to a Schematic

SIMetrix provides a means to automatically import all models needed for a schematic
into that schematic. The models are placed in the simulator command window (opened
with F11 see Manual Entry of Simulator Commands on page 65). Once the models
are imported to a schematic, it will no longer be necessary for SIMetrix to locate the
models in the library when a simulation is run. This has the following benefits:

It makes the schematic completely self-contained. This is useful for archiving or

if you wish to pass the schematic to a third party.

You can edit the models locally without affecting the global library.

To import models to a schematic, select the schematic menu

Simulator|Import Models.... You will be provided with two options: Import Direct Copy
and Import by Reference. The first will import the model text directly into the
schematic. The second will put the model text into a file. This will be referenced in the
schematic's simulator command window using a .INC control. See Command
Reference chapter of the Simulator Reference Manual.

Sundry Topics
.LIB Control
The .LIB netlist control allows the local specification of model library for a particular
circuit.
Syntax:

.LIB pathname
pathname

File system path name specifying a single file or, by using a

wildcard (* or ?), a group of files. If the path name contains
spaces, it must be enclosed in quotation marks (").

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This control specifies a pathname to be searched for model and subcircuit libraries.
Any number of .LIB controls may be specified and wild-cards (i.e. * and ? ) may be
used.
If a model or subcircuit is called up by a device line but that definition was not present
in the netlist, SIMetrix will search for it in files specified using the .LIB control.
SIMetrix also supports another form of .LIB used by model files designed for
Hspice. See the Simulator Reference Manual for details.

Drag and Drop to Schematic

You can install a model file to a schematic by picking it up in windows explorer and
dropping it onto the schematic window. This will insert a .LIB control (see above) with
a path to the file you dropped. This installs the model file to be local to that schematic.

Library Diagnostics
When enabled, library diagnostics display messages showing the progress of the
location of device models. To enable/disable select File|Options|General... then Model
Library tab.

Local Models
You can also enter a model or subcircuit definition in the schematic's F11 window.
However if you enter a model in this manner it will only be available to that schematic.

Library Indexing Mechanism

This is a technique used to speed the search for models and subcircuits. It is completely
transparent and requires no action from the user. SIMetrix creates an index file for each
library specification it encounters either installed globally or referenced using .LIB.
This index files contain details of the file locations of models and subcircuit definitions
referenced by the library specification. These index files can then be used for later
simulation runs to speed the search for models and subcircuits. Index files are
automatically rebuilt if any of the library files referenced are modified. (Modifications
are detected by comparing file dates). All index files are stored in
app_data_dir\INDEXES where app_data_dir is the location of the application data
directory. See Application Data Directory for the location of this directory. The files
are named SXn.sxidx where n is some number.
Note that if you add a new model file to a directory while SIMetrix is running,
SIMetrix wont know of the new file and any relevant indexes wont be updated. In
this situation, select the menu File|Model Library|Rebuild Catalog to update the
indexes.

Duplicate Model Names

Models of some common parts are available from different sources. Sometimes these
have different names, e.g LF356 and LF356/NS - the latter available from the National
Semiconductor library. In some cases the model names from different sources are
identical. This poses a problem as models have to be uniquely identified by their name.

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Chapter 6 Device Library and Parts Management

SIMetrix has a built-in utility that can automatically rename models with duplicate
names. The devices are renamed by adding a user specified suffix to the model name.
The rename utility is not accessible via the menus but must be invoked by typing a
command at the command line. Proceed as follows:
1.

First ensure that all the model library files you wish to process are installed as
global libraries.

2.

Make backup copies of your model files. This is optional, the utility makes
backups anyway.

3.

Type at the command line (i.e. the edit box below the menu bar in the command
shell):
rename_libs

4.

A list of currently installed libraries will be displayed. Double click on any that
you wish to be processed for renaming and supply a suffix. The suffix must not
contain spaces and should start with a non-alphanumeric character such as '/' or
'-'. Note that only models found to have duplicates will be renamed. SIMetrix will
not rename unique models. If you do not supply a suffix for a library, no devices
within it will be renamed.

5.

Press OK. The operation can take a long time; possibly a few minutes if the
library is large. On completion the message:
*** RENAME COMPLETE. See ???\RENAME.LOG for details

will be displayed in the command shell. The RENAME.LOG file will contain
full details of the rename process. This includes details of all models that were
renamed.
Notes

If the device being renamed is implemented as a subcircuit, the rename utility

will copy any symbol/model association for that device with the new name.

Devices that are used locally, i.e. within the model file itself, will be excluded
from the rename procedure. These devices will not be renamed nor will they
added to the list that is searched to identify duplicate names.

You can perform a test run which creates the log file but does not actually
perform the renaming. To do this, type the command:
rename_libs_check

Note that messages output to the log file and to the command shell will report the
renaming of models but no renaming will actually take place.
Old Duplicate Name System
Older versions of SIMetrix (4.1 and earlier) were able to handle duplicate model names
directly. This system is no longer supported.

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Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Overview
In this chapter we describe the various analysis modes available and how to set them
up from the schematic editor. There is more information on analysis modes including
full details of the netlist commands to invoke them, in the Command Reference
chapter of the Simulator Reference Manual.
Most of the analyses can be setup using the Choose Analysis Dialog Box which is
opened with the schematic menu Simulator|Choose Analysis... .

Choose Analysis Dialog

You can also enter the raw netlist commands in the F11 window. The contents of this
window remain synchronised with the Choose Analysis dialog box settings so you can
freely switch between the two methods. The Choose Analysis dialog box does not
support sensitivity and pole-zero analysis so these methods must be set up using the
F11 window.

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Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Running Simulations
Overview
Once an analysis has been set up using the procedures described in this chapter, a
simulation would normally be run in synchronous mode perhaps by selecting the
Simulator|Run menu. In synchronous mode, you cannot use any part of the program
while the simulation is running.
There are also other methods of running a simulation. You can run a simulation for a
netlist directly and you can also run in asynchronous mode. These are explained in the
following sections.

Starting, Pausing and Aborting Analyses

Starting an Analysis
To start a simulation in normal (synchronous) mode, use the Simulator | Run menu,
press the F9 key or press the Run button on the Choose Analysis Dialog box shown
above. A dialog box will show the status of the simulation.
Pausing an Analysis
You can pause the simulation by selecting the Pause button on the simulator status
dialog box. To restart select the Resume button (the Pause button changes name when
simulation pauses) or the Simulator|Resume menu item.
When a simulation is paused, you can carry on using the program as if the simulation
had completed. This includes plotting results of the simulation completed so far. If you
decide you do not wish to continue the run, there is no need to explicitly abort it. You
can just start a new run in the normal way. If you do this you will be asked if you
would like to resume the pending run. If you answer No, the pending run will be
automatically aborted and the new run started.
Aborting an Analysis
There is actually never a need to explicitly abort an analysis. If you decide you do not
wish to continue a run, just pause it as described above. Pause is the same as abort
except that you have the option to change your mind and restart.
Nevertheless there is an abort facility. Simply select the Simulator|Abort menu. When
you abort a run, you will not be able to restart it.
There is just one benefit of aborting a run instead of pausing it. When an analysis is
aborted, the simulator frees up the memory it needed for the run. Note that this does
not happen after a run completes normally. If you need to free up simulator memory
after a normal run completes, type Reset at the command line. (Not available with
SIMetrix Intro).

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Running Analyses in Asynchronous Mode

In asynchronous mode, the simulation runs in the background and you are free to carry
on using the SIMetrix environment for entering schematics or viewing results from
previous analyses. Because, the simulation is running in the background, it is necessary
for the simulation process to be detached from the front end environment and for this
reason it is not possible to use .GRAPH or fixed probes to plot simulation results
during the course of the run. Also you must manually load the simulation data when
the run is complete.
Starting an Asynchronous Run
1.

Select menu Simulator|Run Asynchronous... . Note a simulation status box

appears similar to the box used for synchronous runs but with an additional
Activity box at the bottom. Any messages generated by the simulator will be
displayed here.

2.

When the simulation is complete, you must load the data manually. The name of
the file to load will be displayed in the command shell when the simulation starts.
Select menu Fil|Data|Load Temporary Data... to load data file. You will be able to
cross probe the schematic used to run the analysis in the normal manner once this
file is loaded.

Pausing and Aborting Asynchronous Runs

To pause, press the Pause button. Note that you can load the data generated so far after
pausing the run as described above.
To abort a run, press the Close button.

Running an Analysis on a Netlist

You can run an analysis on a netlist created by hand or perhaps with a third party
schematic entry program.
To run a netlist in synchronous mode, select the command shell menu Simulator|Run
Netlist... then locate the netlist file.
To run a netlist in asynchronous mode, select the command shell menu Simulator|Run
Netlist Asynchronous... then locate the netlist file. See Running Analyses in
Asynchronous Mode above for further information about running asynchronous
analyses.

Transient Analysis
In this mode the simulator computes the behaviour of the circuit over a time interval
specified by the stop time. Usually, the stop time is the only parameter that needs
specifying but there are a number of others available.

Setting up a Transient Analysis

172

1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select Transient check box on the right.

Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

3.

Select Transient tab at the top. Enter parameters as described in the following
sections.

Transient Parameters
Enter the stop time as required. Note that the simulation can be paused before the stop
time is reached allowing the results obtained so far to be examined. It is also possible
to restart the simulation after the stop time has been reached and continue for as long as
is needed. For these reasons, it is not so important to get the stop time absolutely right.
You should be aware, however, that the default values for a number of simulator
parameters are chosen according to the stop time. (The minimum time step for
example). You should avoid therefore entering inappropriate values for stop time.
Data Output Options
Sometimes it is desirable to restrict the amount of data being generated by the
simulator which in some situations can be very large. You can specify that data output
does not begin until after some specified time and you can also specify a time interval
for the data.
Output all data/Output at .PRINT step
The simulator generates data at a variable time step according to circuit activity.
If Output all data is checked, all this data is output. If Output at .PRINT step is
checked, the data is output at a fixed time step regardless of the activity in the
circuit. The actual interval is set by the .PRINT step. This is explained below.
If the Output at .PRINT step option is checked, the simulator is forced to perform
an additional step at the required interval for the data output. The fixed time step
interval data is not generated by interpolation as is the case with generic SPICE
and other products derived from it.
Start data output @
No simulation data will be output until this time is reached.
.PRINT step
.PRINT is a simulator command that can be specified in the netlist to enable the
output of tabulated data in the list file. See Simulator Reference Manual for
details of .PRINT.
The value specified here controls the interval used for the tabulated output
provided by .PRINT but the same value is also used to determine the data output
interval if Output at .PRINT step is specified. (see above).
Real Time Noise
See page 189
Monte Carlo and Multi-step Analysis
See page 196
Advanced Options
Opens a dialog as shown below

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Time Step
The simulator always chooses the time step it uses but it will not rise above the
maximum time step specified here.
If the simulator needs to use a time step smaller than the minimum specified, the
simulation will abort. Reduce this value if the simulation aborts with the message
Time step too small. This might happen for long runs on circuits that have very small
time constants.
Integration Method
Set this to Gear if you see an unexplained triangular ringing in the simulation results.
Always use Trapezoidal for resonant circuits. A full discussion on integration methods
is given in the Convergence and Accuracy chapter of the Simulator Reference
Manual.
Skip DC bias point
If checked, the simulation will start with all nodes at zero volts. Note that unless all
voltage and current sources are specified to have zero output at time zero, the
simulation may fail to converge if this option is specified.
Fast start
The accuracy of the simulation will be relaxed for the period specified. This will speed
up the run at the expense of precision.
This is a means of accelerating the process of finding a steady state in circuits such as
oscillators and switching power supplies. Its often of little interest how the steady state
is reached so precision can be relaxed while finding it.

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Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Note that the reduced precision can also reduce the accuracy at which a steady state is
found and often a settling time is required after the fast start period.

Restarting a Transient Run

After a transient analysis has run to completion, that is it has reached its stop time, it is
still possible to restart the analysis to carry on from where it previously stopped. (This
feature is not available with all versions of the product - contact sales for details). To
restart a transient run:
1.

Select the menu Simulator|Restart Transient... .

2.

In the New Stop Time box enter the time at which you wish the restarted analysis
to stop. Press Ok to start run.

See Also
.TRAN in Simulator Reference Manual.

Transient Snapshots
Overview
There is often a need to investigate a circuit at a set of circuit conditions that can only
be achieved during a transient run.
For example, you might find that an amplifier circuit oscillates under some conditions
but these conditions are difficult or impossible to create during the bias point
calculation that usually precedes a small-signal AC analysis.
Transient snapshots provide a solution to this problem. The state of the circuit at user
specified points during a transient run may be saved and subsequently used to initialise
a small-signal analysis. The saved state of the circuit is called a snapshot.
Snapshots can be created at specified intervals during a transient run. They can also be
created on demand at any point during a transient run by first pausing the run and then
manually executing the save snapshot command. So, for example, if you find your
amplifier reaches an unstable point during a transient analysis, you can stop the
analysis, save a snapshot and then subsequently analyse the small signal conditions
with an AC sweep.
An option is also available to save the DC operating point data to the list file at the
point at which snapshots are saved.
Defining Snapshots Before a Run Starts
1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

In the Transient Sheet select button Define Snapshots...

3.

You will see the following dialog

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Select either Linear sequence or List to define the time points at which the snapshots
are saved. In the Snapshot mode box select one of the three options:

Write bias info to list file. Instructs the simulator to write the DC operating point

Save state for AC/TF/Noise analysis. Instructs the simulator to save snapshot data

Write bias info and save state. Performs both operations described in 1 and 2

data to the list file. Does not save snapshot data.

only. No bias point information will be output to the list file.
above.
Creating Snapshots on Demand
You can create a snapshot of a transient run after it has started by executing the
SaveSnapShot script command. Proceed as follows:
1.

Pause the current transient analysis or allow it to finish normally. You must not
abort the run as this destroys all internal simulation data.

2.

Type at the command line (the edit box below the menu bar in the command shell
window):
SaveSnapShot

That is all that is needed. You can now start a new small signal analysis using the
snapshot created.
Applying Snapshots to a Small Signal Analysis
1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select AC, TF or Noise analysis

3.

Press Define Multi-step Analysis for the required analysis mode.

4.

Select Snapshot mode.

The analysis will be repeated for all available snapshots.

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Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Important Note
Snapshot data can only be applied to an identical circuit to the one that created the
snapshot data. So, you must make sure that any components needed for a small-signal
analysis that uses snapshot data are already present in the circuit before the transient
run starts. In particular, of course, you must make sure that an AC source is present.
An error message will be output if there are any topological differences between the
circuit that generated the snapshot data and the circuit that uses it. If there are only
component or model parameter differences, then the snapshot data may be accepted
without error but at best the results will need careful interpretation and at worst will be
completely erroneous. Generally, if you change a component that affects the DC
operating point then the results will not be meaningful. If you change only an AC
value, e.g. a capacitor value, then the results will probably be valid.
How Snapshots are Stored
The snapshot data is stored in a file which has the default name of netlist.sxsnp where
netlist is the name of the netlist used for the simulation. When using the schematic
editor, this is usually design.net so the usual name for the snapshot file is design.sxsnp.
You can override this name using the SNAPSHOTFILE OPTIONS setting although
there is rarely any reason to do this.
The snapshot file is automatically deleted at the start of every transient run. The
SaveSnapShot command always appends its data to the snapshot file so that any predefined snapshots are preserved.
When snapshot data is applied to a subsequent small-signal analysis, the snapshot file
is read and checked that it is valid for the circuit being analysed.
Applying Snapshots to a Small Signal Analysis
1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Press Define Multi-step Analysis for the required analysis mode.

3.

Select Snapshot mode

The above procedure will result in the small signal analysis being repeated for each
snapshot currently available.

Operating Point
To specify a DC operating point analysis check DCOP. Note that an operating point is
performed automatically for all analysis modes and this is only useful if it is the only
analysis specified.
Operating point analysis does not have any additional parameters so there is no tab
sheet for it.
See Also
.OP in Simulator Reference Manual.
Viewing DC Operating Point Results on page 263

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Sweep Modes
Each of the analysis modes DC, AC, AC Noise and Transfer Function are swept. That
is they repeat a single analysis point while varying some circuit parameter. There are 6
different sweep modes that can be applied to these analyses. These modes are also used
to define multi step analyses which are explained on page 196. The 6 modes are:

Device

Temperature

Parameter

Model parameter

Frequency (not applicable to DC)

Monte Carlo

As well as 6 different modes there are 3 different sweep methods

Linear

Decade

List

Dialog support for the List method is only available for the definition of Multi-step
analyses. The simulator also offers an Octal sweep method but this is not supported by
the Choose Analysis Dialog.
Not all combinations of sweep mode and analysis are available with all versions of the
product. Contact sales for details.
Each of the sweep modes is explained in more detail below.

Device Sweep
In this mode the principal value of a single device is swept. The analysis definition
must specify the component reference for the device. The following types of device
may be used.

Device

178

Value swept

Capacitor

Capacitance

Diode

Area

Voltage controlled voltage

source

Gain

Current controlled current

source

Gain

Voltage controlled current

source

Transconductance

Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Device

Value swept

Current controlled voltage

source

Transresistance

Current source

Current

JFET

Area

Inductor

Inductance

Bipolar Transistor

Area

Resistor

Resistance

Lossless Transmission Line

Impedance

Voltage source

Voltage

GaAs FET

Area

Temperature
Global circuit temperature is swept

Model Parameter
Similar to device sweep except applied to a named model parameter. Both the model
name and the parameter name must be specified.
Special Note
It is recommended that any model parameter being swept is also specified in the
.MODEL parameter list. In most cases it isn't actually necessary but there are a few
instances - such as for terminal resistance parameters - where it is necessary.

Parameter
A user named variable that can be referenced in any number of expressions used to
define model or device parameters. Here is an example. (See
Examples\Sweep\AC_Param.sxsch)

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Users Manual

10k
R3

10k
R4
Output
Probe

Q12

5V
V1

Q13

AC 1 0
V3

I1
20u
{restail}
R1

{restail}
R2

5V
V2

Q1

Q2

SUB

This is a simple long tailed pair. The above circuit resistors R1 and R2 have been given
the values {restail}. restail is a parameter that is swept in an AC sweep to plot the gain
of the amplifier vs tail resistance at 100kHz. Here is the result of the run:

Gain @ 100kHz of
simple differential amplifier
3.5

Output / V

2.5

1.5

1
100
#restail / ?

180

200

400

1k

2k

4k

10k

Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Note that this analysis mode is not available in standard SPICE or the majority of its
derivatives. Most offer parameter sweeping, but only for DC analysis.

Frequency
Sweeps frequency for the small signal analysis modes namely AC, AC Noise and
Transfer Function. In standard SPICE it is the only sweep mode available for AC and
Noise while Transfer Function can not be swept at all.

Monte Carlo
Repeats analysis point for a specified number of times with device tolerances enabled.
The following graph show the result for the same circuit as shown above but with
restail=1k and with a 1000 point Monte Carlo AC sweep. This run took 0.6 seconds
with a 1.5G P4:

Distribution of gain @ 100KHz

for 1000 samples

2.94
2.92
2.9

Output / V

2.88
2.86
2.84
2.82
2.8
2.78
2.76
0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

Count/k

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9
100/div

The graph shows the variation in gain for 1000 samples. Using the histogram feature a
statistical distribution of the above can easily be plotted.

Setting up a Swept Analysis

In the AC, DC, Noise or Transfer Function analysis sheets, select the Define... button in
the Sweep Parameters box. This will bring up the following dialog

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Select the desired mode on the left then enter the necessary parameters on the right.
The parameters required vary according to the mode as follows:

Mode

Parameters

Device

Device component reference (e.g.

V1)
Frequency (AC, Noise and TF only)

Parameter

Parameter name
Frequency (AC, Noise and TF only)

Model Parameter

Model name
Model parameter name
Frequency (AC, Noise and TF only)

Temperature

Frequency (AC, Noise and TF only)

Frequency (not available for DC)

None

Monte Carlo

Number of points
Frequency (AC, Noise and TF only)

DC Sweep
Operates in any of the sweep modes described on page 178 except Frequency. Repeats
a DC operating point calculation for the range of circuit parameters defined by the
sweep mode.

Setting up a DC sweep

182

1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select DC sweep check box on the right.

3.

Select DC tab at the top. Enter parameters as described in the following sections.

Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Sweep Parameters
Start value, Stop value
Defines sweep range stop and start values
Points per decade, Number of points
Defines sweep range. The number of points of the sweep is defined per decade
for a decade sweep. For a linear sweep you must enter the total number of points.
Device/Parameter/Model Name
The device name for a device sweep, parameter name for a parameter sweep or
the model name for a model parameter sweep may be entered here. It may also be
entered in the sweep mode dialog opened by pressing Define... .
Define...
Sets up desired sweep mode. See Setting up a Swept Analysis on page 181.
Monte Carlo and Multi-step Analysis
See page 196
See Also
.DC in Simulator Reference Manual.

Example
The following is the result of a DC sweep of V3 in the example circuit shown on
page 180 with restail set to 1K. Analysis parameters were as follows:
Sweep mode: Device, V3
Sweep range: -0.1 to 0.1, linear sweep with 50 points.

DC transfer function
of simple diff amp
150

100

Output / mV

50
-0
-50

-100
-150
-100
V3/mV

-80

-60

-40

-20

20

40

60

80

100

20mV/div

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Users Manual

AC Sweep
An AC analysis calculates the small signal response of a circuit to any number of user
defined inputs. The small signal response is computed by treating the circuit as linear
about its DC operating point.
Like DC, AC Noise and Transfer Function analyses, AC analysis is a swept mode and
can operate in any of the 6 modes documented in Sweep Modes on page 178. With
some of these modes - e.g. sweeping a resistor value - it will be necessary for the DC
operating point to be recalculated at each point while with others - such as frequency
sweep - it is only necessary to calculate it at the start of the run.
For AC analysis to be meaningful at there must be at least one voltage or current
source on the circuit with an AC specification. To find out how to set one up see
Circuit Stimulus on page 54.

Setting up an AC sweep
1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select AC check box on the right.

3.

Select AC tab at the top. Enter parameters as described in the following sections.

Sweep Parameters
Start value, Stop value
Defines sweep range stop and start values
Points per decade, Number of points
Defines sweep range. The number of points of the sweep is defined per decade
for a decade sweep. For a linear sweep you must enter the total number of points.
Define...
Sets up desired sweep mode. See Setting up a Swept Analysis on page 181.
Monte Carlo and Multi-step Analysis
See page 196
Data output
Check the Save all currents check box to enable the output of all current data including
semiconductor devices. If this box is not checked the current into devices such as
transistors and diodes will not be saved. In AC analysis the CPU time required to
output data can be very significant relative to the solution time, so you should be aware
that checking this box may slow down the simulation significantly.
Note that this check box only affects AC analyses.
See Also
.AC in Simulator Reference Manual.

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Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Example
Both the examples shown in Sweep Modes on page 178 are AC analyses. The
following is a frequency sweep which is the traditional AC analysis mode. This was
performed on the circuit shown on page 180 with restail = 1k.
10

Frequency sw eep of
diff amp circuit

Output / V

400m

200m

10k

100k

1M

10M

100M

1G

Frequency / Hertz

Noise Analysis
Like AC analysis, AC Noise analysis is a small signal mode. The circuit is treated as
linear about it's DC operating point and the contribution of all noisy devices to a
designated output is computed. The total noise at that output is also calculated and
optionally the noise referred back to an input source may also be computed.
Like DC, AC and Transfer Function, it is a swept mode and can be operated in any of
the 6 modes described in Sweep Modes on page 178. With some of these modes e.g. sweeping a resistor value - it will be necessary for the DC operating point to be
recalculated at each point while with others - such as frequency sweep - it is only
necessary to calculate it at the start of the run.
Note that it is not necessary to apply an AC specification to any source - including the
optional input referred source - as it is with standard SPICE and many (if not all) of its
derivatives.

Setting up an AC Noise analysis

1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select Noise check box on the right.

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Users Manual
3.

Select Noise tab at the top. Enter parameters as described in the following
sections.

Sweep Parameters
Start value, Stop value
Points per decade
Number of points

Define...

Defines sweep range stop and start values

Defines sweep range. The number of points of
the sweep is defined per decade for a decade
sweep. For a linear sweep you must enter the
total number of points.
Sets up desired sweep mode. See Setting up a
Swept Analysis on page 181.

Noise Parameters
Output node

This is compulsory. It is the name of the circuit

node as it appears in the netlist. Usually the
schematic's netlist generator chooses the node
names but we recommend that when running a
noise analysis that you assign a user defined
name to your designated output node. To find
out how to do this see Finding and Specifying
Net Names on page 80.

Reference node

Optional. Output noise is referred to this node.

This is assumed to be ground if it is omitted.

Source name

Optional. Voltage or current source to which

input source is referred. Enter the component
reference of either a voltage or current source.

Monte Carlo and Multi-step Analysis

See page 196
See Also
.NOISE in Simulator Reference Manual.

Plotting Results of Noise Analysis

Refer to Plotting Noise Analysis Results on page 222

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Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Example 1
Frequency Sweep

10k
R3

10k
R4
VPos

5V
V1

VNeg

Q12

AC 1 0
V3

Q13

{restail}
R1

I1
20u

{restail}
R2

Q1

5V
V2

Q2

SUB

The result of a noise analysis on the above circuit using a frequency sweep
100n

Output Noise / V/rtHz

40n

20n

10n

4n

2n

1n1

10

100

1k

10k

100k

1M

10M

100M

1G

Frequency / Hertz

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Example 2
Noise with a Parameter Sweep
In the following circuit we wish to find the optimum value of tail current for a source
impedance of 1K. To do this we sweep the parameter taili which is used to set the
current as well as the values for R1, R2, R3 and R4. As can be seen from the graph
about 300A would seem to be best. The noise analysis was setup with the following
parameters:
Sweep parameter taili from 1 to 10m, 25 points per decade
Output node: VPos
Reference node:VNeg
Input source: V3
sourceR = 1000 (set with .PARAM control)

{1/taili/5}
R3

{1/taili/5}
R4
5V
V1

VPos
VNeg
sourceR

Q12

Q13

R5
AC 1 0
V3

sourceR
R6

{1/taili/50}
R1

Q1

I1
{taili}

{1/taili/50}
R2

5V
V2

Q2

SUB

The result:

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Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

100n

Input referred noise

w hile sw eeping tail current
Frequency = 1K
sourceR = 1K

40n

Input Noise / V/rtHz

20n

10n

4n

2n

10

100

1m

10m

#taili / ?

Real Time Noise

This is an extension of transient analysis rather than a separate analysis mode. When
activated, real time noise sources are added to all noisy devices with a magnitude and
frequency distribution calculated using the same equations used for AC noise analysis.
This allows noise analysis to be performed on sampled data systems and oscillators for
which AC noise analysis is not appropriate.
Real time noise is not available with all versions of the product. Contact sales for
details.

Setting Up a Real Time Noise Analysis

1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select Transient check box on the right.

3.

Select Transient tab at the top. Enter parameters as described in the following
sections.

4.

Set up transient analysis parameters as detailed on page 172.

5.

Check Enable real-time noise. Select Define... to set up real time noise parameters.
Enter values as explained below.

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Interval
This specifies the sampling interval of the noise generators. You should set this to a
maximum of about 1/3 of the highest noise frequency of interest. Note that the interval
also forces a maximum time step so short intervals can result in long simulation times.
Start time
The time at which the noise generators are switched on. Defaults to 0.
Stop time
The time at which the noise generators are switched off. This defaults to the stop time
of the transient run.
If you think you may wish to restart the transient run after it has completed and you
wish the noise generators to continue to be enabled after the restart then you must
specify this time beyond the initial stop time before starting the analysis. You should
avoid, however, using inappropriately large values for this stop time as this may
noticeably slow the simulation and in extreme cases could cause an out of memory
condition.
See Also
Real Time Noise analysis in the Simulator Reference Manual. This includes the results
of some comparisons between AC noise and real time noise.

Transfer Function
Transfer function analysis is similar to AC analysis in that it performs a swept small
signal analysis. However, whereas AC analysis calculates the response at any circuit
node from a (usually) single input source, transfer function analysis calculates the
individual responses from each source in the circuit to a single specified output node.
This allows, for example, the series mode gain, common mode gain and power supply
rejection of an amplifier to be measured in one analysis. The same measurements could
be performed using AC analysis but several of them would need to be run. Transfer
function mode also calculates output impedance or admittance and, if an input source
is specified, input impedance.

Setting up a Transfer Function Analysis

1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select TF check box on the right.

3.

Select TF tab at the top. Enter parameters as described in the following sections.

Sweep Parameters
Start value, Stop value
Defines sweep range stop and start values
Points per decade, Number of points
Defines sweep range. The number of points of the sweep is defined per decade

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for a decade sweep. For a linear sweep you must enter the total number of points.
Define...
Sets up desired sweep mode. See Setting up a Swept Analysis on page 181.
Transfer Function Parameters
Voltage/Current
Specify whether the output is a node voltage or device current.
Output node/Output source
This is compulsory. If voltage mode is selected it is the name of the circuit node
to which the gain of all circuit sources will be calculated It is the node name as it
appears in the netlist. Usually the schematic's netlist generator chooses the node
names but we recommend that when running a transfer function analysis that you
assign a user defined name to your designated output node. To find out how to do
this see Finding and Specifying Net Names on page 80.
If current mode is selected it is the name of a voltage source through which the
output current is measured. The simulation will calculate the gain for every
circuit source to this current.
Reference node
Optional and only available in voltage mode. Output voltage is referred to this
node. This is assumed to be ground if it is omitted.
Source name
Optional. Input impedance to this source will be calculated if specified.
Monte Carlo and Multi-step Analysis
See page 196
See Also
.TF in Simulator Reference Manual.

Plotting Transfer Function Analysis Results

See Plotting Transfer Function Analysis Results on page 222

Example
Perform transfer function frequency sweep on the following circuit

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10k
R3

10k
R4
VPos

5V
V1

VNeg
Q13
10m AC 1 0
V3

Q12
I1
20u

5V
V4

{restail}
R1

{restail}
R2

Q1

5V
V2

Q2

SUB

Transfer function frequency sweep

The results:
10

Series mode gain

100m
Gain from V2 to output
Common mode gain

10m

Gain from V1 to Output

1m

100

100k
Frequency / Hertz

192

1M

10M

100M

1G

Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

All of the above waveforms were created with a single analysis.

Pole-zero
Pole zero analysis is a small signal analysis mode that - as the name implies - locates
the poles and zeros of a circuit. Note that circuits containing transmission lines or any
of the Philips compact models are not supported.
*** IMPORTANT *** Pole-zero analysis is an unsupported mode. This means that we
cannot provide assistance in its use nor will we be able to resolve any problems found
with it. We may withdraw Pole-zero analysis from future versions of the product.

Setting up a Pole-zero Analysis

Place a control of the following form in the F11 window:
.PZ N1 N2 N3 N4 CUR|VOL POL|ZER|PZ
Where N1,N2 are the input nodes and N3,N4 are the output nodes. CUR means the
transfer function is of the type (output voltage)/(input current) while VOL means it is
(output voltage)/(input voltage). Usually the last parameter would be PZ which
instructs the simulator to find both poles and zeros. The alternatives instruct it to find
one or the other. This may be used if the simulator aborts because it didn't converge on
poles or on zeros, at least it can be instructed to find the other.

Viewing Results
Select the command shell menu Simulator|List Pole-zero results. The poles and zeros
will be listed in complex form.

Example
An example circuit that is already setup is provided in
Examples\Pole-zero\simple_amp.sxsch. Also provided is another circuit containing a
Laplace block defined from the results of the pole-zero analysis. This circuit can be
found at Examples\Pole-zero\verify_pz.sxsch. The example demonstrate a method of
verifying the results and also an application for pole-zero analysis. The application is a
method of modelling a complex circuit as a small signal block. First run a pole-zero
analysis to locate the poles and zeros then build the laplace transform from them. The
laplace transform can then be entered into the Laplace block. Note that pole-zero
analysis does not provide the gain of the circuit. This will need to be evaluated
separately, perhaps using transfer function analysis.

Sensitivity
This control instructs the simulator to perform a DC sensitivity analysis. In this
analysis mode, a DC operating point is first calculated then the linearised sensitivity of
the specified circuit voltage or current to every model and device parameter is
evaluated. The results are output to a file (SENS.TXT by default but can be changed
with SENSFILE option) and they are also placed in a new data group. The latter allows

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the data to be viewed in the message window (type Display) at the command line and
can also be accessed from scripts for further analysis.
*** IMPORTANT *** Sensitivity analysis is an unsupported mode. This means that
we cannot provide assistance in its use nor will we be able to resolve any problems
found with it. We may withdraw Sensitivity analysis from future versions of the
product.

Setting up a Sensitivity Analysis

Place a control of the following form in the F11 window:

.SENS V(nodename [,refnodename])| I(sourcename)

nodename

Output node to which sensitivities are calculated

refnodename

Reference node. Ground if omitted

sourcename

Voltage source to measure output current to which sensitivities

are calculated.

Simulator Options
The simulator features a large number of option settings although, fortunately, the vast
majority can be left at their default values for nearly all applications. A few option
settings can be set via the Choose Analysis dialog box and these are described in the
following sections. The remainder can be controlled using the simulator's .OPTIONS
control details of which may be found in the Simulator Reference Manual.

Setting Simulator Options

194

1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select Options tab. The following will be displayed:

Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Tolerances
Relative Tolerance

Controls the overall accuracy of the simulation.

The default value is 0.001 and this is adequate
for most applications. If you are simulating
oscillator circuits it is recommended to reduce
this to 0.0001 or lower.
Increasing this value will speed up the
simulation but often degrades accuracy to an
unacceptable level.

Current Tolerance

Sets the minimum tolerance for current. It may

be beneficial to increase this for circuits with
large currents.

Voltage Tolerance

Sets the minimum tolerance for voltage. It may

be beneficial to increase this for circuits with
large voltages.

Circuit Conditions
Temperature

Circuit temperature in C.

Initial Condition Force Resistance

Initial conditions apply a voltage to a selected

node with a force resistance that defaults to 1.
This option allows that force resistance to be
changed.

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List File Output
Expand subcircuits

If checked, the listing of expanded subcircuits

will be output to the list file. This is sometime
useful for diagnosing problems.

Parameters

Controls the level of model and device

parameter output to the list file. Options are:

None
Brief

No Output
Only values defined by
an expression are output

Given

The default. Values that

are explicitly defined are
output
All parameter values are
output including defaults

Full

Monte Carlo
Seed
Seed for pseudo random number generator used to generate random numbers for
tolerances. See Multi-step Analyses on page 196.

Multi-step Analyses
Multi-step analyses are not available with all versions of the product.
The analysis modes, Transient, AC, DC, Noise and Transfer Function can be setup to
automatically repeat while varying some circuit parameter. Multi-step analyses are
defined using the same 6 sweep modes used for the individual swept analyses. The 6
modes are briefly described below. Note that Monte Carlo analysis is the subject of a
whole chapter see Monte Carlo Analysis on page 316.

Device. Steps the principal value of a device. E.g. the resistance of a resistor,
voltage of a voltage source etc. The component reference of the device must be
specified.

Model parameter. Steps the value of a single model parameter. The name of the
model and the parameter name must be specified.

Temperature. Steps global circuit temperature.

Parameter. Steps a parameter that may be referenced in an expression.

Frequency. Steps global frequency for AC, Noise and Transfer Function
analyses.

Monte carlo. Repeats run a specified number of times with tolerances enabled.

As well as 6 different modes there are 3 different sweep methods which can be applied
to all modes except Monte Carlo. These are:

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Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

Decade

List

The simulator also offers an Octal sweep method but this is not supported by the
Choose Analysis Dialog.

Setting up a Multi-step Analysis

Define Transient, AC, DC, Noise or Transfer Function as required then check Enable
Multi-step and press Define... button. For transient/DC analysis you will see the
following dialog box. Other analysis modes will be the same except that the frequency
radio button will be enabled.

Enter parameter as described below. Only the boxes for which entries are required will
be enabled. In the above example, only the Number of steps box is enabled as this is all
that is required for Monte Carlo mode.
Sweep Mode
Choice of 6 modes as described above.
Step Parameters
Define range of values. If Decade is selected you must specify the number of steps per
decade while if Linear is specified, the total number of steps must be entered. If List is
selected, you must define a sequence of values by pressing Define List... .
Group Curves

Curve traces plotted from the results of multi-step analyses will

be grouped together with a single legend and all in the same
colour. For Monte Carlo analysis, this is compulsory; for other
analyses it is off by default.

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Parameters
The parameters required vary according to the mode as follows:

Mode

Parameters

Device

Device name (e.g. V1)

Parameter

Parameter name

Model Parameter

Model name
Model parameter name

Temperature

None

Frequency (not DC or transient)

None

Monte Carlo

None

Example 1
Refer to circuit on page 188. In the previous example we swept the tail current to find
the optimum value to minimise noise for a 1K source resistance. Here we extend the
example further so that the run is repeated for a range of source resistances. The source
resistance is varied by performing a parameter step on sourceR. Here is what the dialog
settings are for the multi-step run:

This does a decade sweep varying sourceR from 1K to 100k with 2 steps per decade.
This is the result we get:

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Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

10

sourceR = 100000
sourceR = 31622.7766017
sourceR = 10000

V/rtHz

100n

10n

sourceR = 3162.27766017

10

sourceR = 1000

100

1m

10m

#taili / ?

Example 2
The following circuit is a simple model of a full bridge switching amplifier used to
deliver a controlled current into an inductance.
250n
100n
C2

L2

15m
C1

48
V1

22m
R6
IRFP260
1

IRFP260

2.2
R1

2.2
X
Q2

E2

1m

R5

L1

X
Q3
L1-N

IRFP260

IRFP260

X
Q1

X
Q4

2.2
V2

R3

R2
E1

2.2
R4

V3

Sources V2 and V3 have been defined to be dependent on a parameter named duty

which specifies the duty cycle of the switching waveform. See
EXAMPLES\BRIDGE\BRIDGE.sxsch.

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This was setup to perform a multi step analysis with the parameter duty stepped from
0.1 to 0.9. This is the result:
duty = 0.9
15

10

duty = 0.7

Current in L1 / A

5
duty = 0.5
0

duty = 0.3

-5

-10
duty = 0.1
-15
0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

Time/mSecs

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

200Secs/div

Safe Operating Area Testing

Overview
Safe Operating Area (SOA) is not a separate analysis mode, but a feature that can be
enabled with DC or Transient analyses. With SOA testing, you can set maximum and
minimum limits for any simulation quantity and the simulator will display when those
limits are violated.
To use SOA testing, you must do two things:
1.

Define the SOA limits for the models or devices you are using.

2.

Enable and configure SOA testing

Item 1. above is covered in detail in the Simulator Reference Manual - see section
titled .SETSOA and also the LIMIT parameter described in the section titled .MODEL.
Setting up simple limit tests using some simple schematic symbols is described below.

Defining Simple Limit Tests

Schematic Symbols
Three schematic symbols are provided that allow the definition of simple limit tests
that report the following:

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Chapter 7 Analysis Modes

1.

Over and under voltage on a single node

2.

Over and under current on a single device pin

3.

Over and under differential voltage on a node pair

Use the following menus to place these devices:

Place | Probe | Watch Voltage
Place | Probe | Watch Current
Place | Probe | Watch Differential Voltage
Each of these symbols can be edited in the usual way. Each has three parameters that
specify
1.
The minimum limit. Use a large negative number (e.g. -1e100) if you dont wish
to specify a minimum limit.
2.

The maximum limit. Use a large positive number (e.g. 1e100) if you dont wish
to specify a maximum limit.

3.

A label. The default value is %REF% that will resolve to the devices component
reference. You can enter any literal value instead.

Setting Up SOA Testing

1.

Select menu Simulator | Choose Analysis...

2.

Select the SOA tab.

3.

Under SOA mode choose either Summary output or Full output. In summary
output mode, only the first violation for each SOA device will be reported. In full
output mode, all violations are reported.

4.

In Results to: choose where you would like the results reported. Note that writing
results to the message window is a time consuming operation and you avoid
selecting this option if you are expecting a large number of violations.

Running Simulation
Run the simulation in the normal way. If there are any violations, the results will be
reported in the location or locations specified in the Results to: section.

Advanced SOA Limit Testing

The simulator control .SETSOA allows much more sophisticated definitions for SOA
limits. In particular, you can define limits for all devices belonging to a specified
model. Suppose that you are using a BJT model that has a Vcb limit of 15V. While you
could place a differential voltage watch device across each instance of this model, this
would be time consuming and error prone. Instead, you can define a single .SETSOA
control that refers to the model name of the device. The simulator will then
automatically set up the limit test for every instance of that model.
You would usually enter a .SETSOA control in the schematic editors F11 window. See
Manual Entry of Simulator Commands on page 65 for details. Refer to the Simulator
Reference Manual command chapter for details about .SETSOA .
It is also possible to set up an SOA specification for a model within the .MODEL
control. Again, see the Simulator Reference Manual for details.

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Chapter 8 SIMPLIS Analysis Modes

Overview
The SIMPLIS simulator is supplied with the SIMetrix/SIMPLIS product. For
information on SIMPLIS see What is SIMPLIS on page 28.
In this chapter we explain the analysis modes available with the SIMPLIS simulator.
There is more information on SIMPLIS analysis modes including full details of the
netlist commands required to invoke them, in the SIMPLIS Reference Manual.
To setup a SIMPLIS simulation, you must first set the schematic editor to SIMPLIS
mode. See Simulation Modes - SIMetrix or SIMPLIS on page 51 for details. To set
up a SIMPLIS analysis select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis.... You will see this
dialog box:

SIMPLIS offers three analysis modes namely Transient, AC and Periodic Operating
Point or POP. These analysis modes are described in detail in the SIMPLIS Reference
Manual. The meaning of each of the controls is described in this chapter.
As with SIMetrix, you can also enter the raw netlist command in the F11 window. The
contents of this window remain synchronised with the Choose Analysis dialog box
settings so you can freely switch between the two methods.

Transient Analysis
SIMPLIS transient analysis is similar to SIMetrix transient analysis.

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Setting up a Transient Analysis

1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select Transient check box on the right.

3.

Select Transient tab at the top. Enter parameters as described in the following
sections.

Analysis Parameters
Stop Time

The finish time of a transient analysis.

Start Saving Data @

The data required to create plots will start being output at this
time. (Start plotting data @ under Plot data output has a similar
function but is subtly different. See below for details)

Plot data output

Start plotting data @

This is the time at which the process of creating plot data is

started. This is similar to Analysis parameters -> Start saving data
@ but subtly different. The process of generating plot data in
SIMPLIS is a two stage operation. When the simulation is
running it saves internal state data known as switching instance
data. The switching instance data then has to be transformed to
actual plot data. This latter process is known as Post Simulation
Processing or PSP. Analysis parameters -> Start saving data
specifies the start time for switching instance data while Start
plotting data @ specifies when PSP begins. It is perfectly valid to
set Analysis parameters -> Start saving data to zero so that all
switching instance data is saved, but to set Start plotting data @
to some later time. Here is an example to illustrate why you
might want to do this.
Suppose you are simulating a large circuit to 100mS but you are
only interested in the last 20mS i.e. 80mS to 100mS. You could
set Start saving data @ to 80mS to reduce the amount of data
generated and also to speed up the run. However, after the run is
complete, you look at the data and realise that you need to see
what is happening from the start of the run. As no data at all was
output from the start, the only thing to do is to rerun the entire
simulation. If instead, however, you had set Start plotting data @
to 80mS but left Start saving data @ at 0, SIMPLIS will have
saved the switching instance data and only the PSP process will
be needed to create the final plot data. SIMPLIS is smart and is
able to detect when you run the same simulation as before but
with only changes to data output required. So, if you rerun the
simulation with Start plotting data @ set to zero, SIMPLIS will
only perform the PSP which is very much quicker than the
whole simulation.

Stop Plotting Data @ This is the time at which the process of creating plot data is

stopped i.e. when the PSP operation (see above) completes.

Number of Plot Points The total number of points to be generated. These will be evenly

spaced within the start and stop times.

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Advanced...
Pressing the Advanced button opens the following dialog

Snapshot output
SIMPLIS has the ability to save its internal state in order to allow a run to be repeated
from a certain time point. This allows a run to be continued from where it previously
left off. (Similar to SIMetrix transient restart facility). The internal saved states are
known as snapshots.
SIMPLIS always saves a snapshot at the end of every run so if you start a new run of
the same circuit with a start time (Start Saving Data @) equal to the stop time of the
previous run, SIMPLIS will not need to rerun the start and instead will load the
snapshot state. SIMPLIS will do this automatically.
The entries in this dialog section allow you to specify the saving of snapshots at other
times as well as the end of a run. This might be useful if you wanted to restart a run at
some before the end of the previous run.
Enable snapshot output

Check this box to enable saving of snapshot

data. (Snapshots are always saved at the end of
a run)

Snapshot interval

This is the minimum duration between

snapshots.

Max snapshots

This is the maximum number of snapshots that

will be saved. This setting overrides Snapshot
interval if there is a conflict.

Periodic Operating Point (POP)

Periodic Operating Point (POP) finds a steady state operating point of switched
systems that are periodically driven or self-oscillating. The predominant application of
this analysis mode is to rapidly find the settled condition of a switching power supply
without having to simulate the entire power up sequence. This dramatically speeds up
the analysis of design's behaviour under different load conditions.
For further details of POP analysis see the SIMPLIS Reference Manual.

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Chapter 8 SIMPLIS Analysis Modes

Setting up a POP Analysis

1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select POP check box on the right.

3.

Select POP tab at the top. Enter parameters as described in the following
sections.

POP Parameters
Triggering - Use "POP Trigger" Schematic Device

POP analysis requires a trigger signal to indicate the start of

each periodic cycle. The best way to define this is using a
special schematic component. To place this select menu
Place|Analog Functions|POP Trigger. You should check this box
if you are using this component.
Trigger gate

If you do not use the schematic POP trigger device (see above)
you must specify a suitable component in this edit box. Enter
the full component reference of the device.

Trigger Condition

The polarity of the trigger edge.

Conditions
Max. period

You should set this to a value that is larger than the expected
period of your circuit's switching cycle.
During each run SIMPLIS expects to see valid trigger
conditions. However, if there is a fault in the design of the
circuit or a fault in the definition of the trigger conditions, it is
possible that none will be detected. The Max. period prevents
SIMPLIS from carrying on indefinitely in such an event.

Advanced - POP Options

Press the Advanced... button for more POP options.
Convergence

Sets the convergence criteria for the periodic operating point

analysis. The convergence criteria is satisfied when the relative
change in each state variable, between the start and end of a
switching cycle, is less than this parameter.

Iteration limit

Sets the maximum number of iterations for the periodic

operating point analysis.

Number of cycles output

After a successful POP analysis, and if there is no transient

analysis specified, SIMPLIS will generate the steady-state timedomain waveforms for an integral number switching cycles.
This option sets the number of cycles.
Use snapshot from previous transient analysis

If checked, POP is instructed to take advantage of the last data

point of a previous transient simulation, assuming the circuit
and the initial conditions remained the same between the two

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Users Manual
simulation runs.
Output POP progress

If checked the progress of the POP solution will be output to the

data file for plotting etc. This is useful for debugging.

AC Analysis
AC is a small signal frequency domain analysis mode applied to a switching circuit.
Please refer to the SIMPLIS Reference Manual for full details of this analysis mode.
Note that AC analysis requires a POP analysis (see above) to be also defined.

Setting up an AC Analysis
1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Select AC check box on the right. Note that the POP check box is automatically
checked when AC is checked.

3.

Select AC tab at the top. Enter parameters as described in the following sections.

AC Sweep Parameters
Start frequency

Enter the start frequency for the AC sweep

Stop frequency

Enter the stop frequency for the AC sweep

Points per decade/Number of points

If a decade sweep is selected enter the number of points required

for each decade. If a linear sweep is selected enter the total
number of points for the analysis.
Decade/Linear

Select type of sweep.

SIMPLIS Options
Save options
All

If selected, all voltages and currents will be saved.

Voltages only

If selected, only node voltages will be saved

Probes only

If selected only voltages and currents that are explicitly probed

will be output.

Other Options
Force New Analysis

206

This tells SIMPLIS to ignore any state information that it may

have stored and which could be used to speed up the run. For
example, any stored snapshots (see above) will not be used if
this is selected.

Chapter 8 SIMPLIS Analysis Modes

Multi-step and Monte Carlo Analyses

Overview
The SIMetrix environment provides a facility to run automatic multiple SIMPLIS
analyses. Two modes are available namely parameter step and Monte Carlo.
In parameter step mode, the run is repeated while setting a parameter value at each
step. The parameter may be used within any expression to describe a device or model
value.
In Monte Carlo mode runs are simply repeated the specified number of times with
random distribution functions enabled. Distribution functions return unity in normal
analysis modes but in Monte Carlo mode they return a random number according to a
specified tolerance and distribution. Any model or device parameter may be defined in
terms of such functions allowing an analysis of manufacturing yields to be performed.

Comparison Between SIMetrix and SIMPLIS

The multi-step analysis modes offered in SIMetrix simulation mode achieve the same
end result as the SIMPLIS multi-step modes but their method of implementation is
quite different.
SIMetrix multi-step analyses are implemented within the simulator while the SIMPLIS
multi-step analyses are implemented by the front end using the scripting language. The
different approaches trade off speed with flexibility. The approach used for SIMPLIS
is more flexible while that used for SIMetrix is faster.

Setting up a SIMPLIS Multi-step Parameter Analysis

An Example
We will begin with an example and will use one of the supplied example schematics.
First open the schematic Examples/SIMPLIS/Manual_Examples/Example1/
example1.sxsch. We will set up the system to repeat the analysis three times while
varying R3. Proceed as follows:
1.

First we must define R3s value in terms of an expression relating to a parameter.

To do this, select R3 then press shift-F7. Enter the following:
{r3_value}
r3_value is an arbitrary parameter name. You could also use R3

2.

Select menu Simulator|Select Multi-step...

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3.

Enter r3_value for Parameter Name and set Start value to 20, Stop value to 100
and Number of steps to 3. This should be what you see:

4.

Press Run .

The analysis will be repeated three times for values of r3_value of 20, 60 and 100. The
resistor value R3 is defined in terms of r3_value so in effect we are stepping R3
through that range.
In most cases you will probably want to step just one component in a similar manner as
described above. But you can also use the parameter value to define any number of
component or model values.
If you now run a normal single analysis, you will find that SIMPLIS reports an error as
it is unable to resolve the value for R3. This can be overcome by specifying the value
using a .VAR control. Add this line:
.VAR r3_value=100

to the F11 window. This line defines the value of R3 when a normal single step
analysis is run.
Options
The above example illustrates a linear multi-step parameter run. You can also define a
decade (logarithmic) run and also a list based run that selects parameter values from a
list. To set up a list run, select the List radio button, then press Define List... Enter the
values for the list using the dialog box.
The Group Curves check box controls how graphs are displayed. If unchecked, curves
for each run will have their own legend and curve colour. If checked, curves will all
have the same colour and share a single legend.

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Setting Up a SIMPLIS Monte Carlo Analysis

An Example
To set up a Monte Carlo analysis. you must first define component tolerances. This is
done by defining each value as an expression using one of the functions Gauss(), Unif
or WC(). Here is another example. Open the same example circuit as above then make
the following changes:
1.

Select R3, press shift-F7 then enter the value

{100*GAUSS(0.05)}

2.

Select C2, press shift-F7 then enter the value

{100u*GAUSS(0.2)}

3.

Delete the fixed probes on the V1 input and on R1. (This is just to prevent too
many unnecessary curves being plotted)

The above will give R3 a 5% tolerance and C2 a 20% tolerance with a 3 Sigma
Gaussian distribution. Now set up the Monte Carlo run:
1.

Select menu Simulator|Setup Multi-step...

2.

In Sweep mode select Monte Carlo

3.

Enter the desired number of steps in Number of steps. To demonstrate the

concepts, 10 will be sufficient, but usually a Monte Carlo run would be a
minimum of around 30 steps

4.

Press Run

You should see a series of curves build up as the run progresses.

Tolerances and Distribution Functions

Distribution Functions
Tolerances are defined using distribution functions. For SIMPLIS Monte Carlo there
are just three functions available. These are defined below.

Function Name

Description

GAUSS(tol)

Returns a random with a mean of 1.0 and a standard

deviation of tol/3. Random values have a Gaussian
or Normal distribution.

UNIF(tol)

Returns a random value in the range 1.0 +/- tol with a

uniform distribution

WC(tol)

Returns either 1.0-tol or 1.0+tol chosen at random.

The L and E suffix functions available in SIMetrix Monte Carlo analysis are not
available for SIMPLIS operation.

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Lot and Device Tolerances
No special provision has been made to implement so called Lot tolerances which
model tolerances that track. However, it is nevertheless possible to implement Lot
tolerances by defining a parameter as a random variable. Suppose for example that you
have a resistor network consisting of 4 resistors of 1k with an absolute tolerance of 2%
but the resistors match to within 0.2%. The absolute tolerance is the lot tolerance.
This is how it can be implemented:
1.

Assign a random variable using the .VAR preprocessor control. (You cannot use
.PARAM in SIMPLIS simulations). E.g.:
.VAR rv1 = {UNIF(0.02)}

2.

Give each resistor in the network a value of:

{1K * rv1 * UNIF(0.002)}

rv1 will be updated on each Monte Carlo step but will always have the same value in
each place where it is used.

Performance Analysis and Histograms

Once a SIMPLIS multi-step or Monte Carlo analysis is complete, the data can be
analysed in exactly the same way as for SIMetrix multi-step analyses. This includes
the performance analysis and histogram features. For more information, see
Performance Analysis and Histograms on page 265.

Initial Condition Back-annotation

Overview
On each run, SIMPLIS generates a file called the initial condition file. This contains a
sequence of SIMPLIS netlist commands that initialises a circuit to the state achieved at
the end of the run. This allows a new run to continue from where a previous run
completed.
The initial condition file can be applied by including it in the netlist for a new run and
in some instances this may be the most convenient method. However, it is also possible
to annotate the schematic with the initial condition information. This has some
advantages:
1.

The initial conditions back annotated to top level capacitors and inductors will
also be recognised in SIMetrix simulation mode.

2.

Back annotated initial conditions are attached to schematic instances and will be
faithfully reproduced if, for example, a schematic block is copied and pasted to
another schematic

Please read all of the sections below on back-annotation and ensure you correctly
understand all the issues involved.

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How to Back-annotate a Schematic

Simply select menu Simulator|Initial Conditions|Back-annotate. You will notice a
second or two of activity in the schematic and then the operation is complete.
You should note that SIMetrix/SIMPLIS does not distinguish between initial
conditions that are back-annotated and initial conditions that are applied manually.
After running the back-annotation algorithm, you will not be able to restore the initial
condition value to those set before. You can, however, use Undo in the normal way and
in fact the back-annotation operation will be reversed with a single Undo operation.

Disable/Enable Initial Conditions

To disable initial conditions select menu Simulator|Initial Conditions|Disable. Note
that this will disable all initial conditions defined at the top level, not just ones that are
back-annotated. To re-enable use the menu Simulator|Initial Conditions|Enable.

Back-annotation Errors
If you get the error message The following instances have initial condition values but
do not support back annotation it means that the SIMPLIS_TEMPLATE property is
protected for the instances listed. To fix the problem remove the protection on this
property. You will need to open the symbol in the symbol editor to do this.
In order to apply back-annotation in a generic fashion, SIMetrix needs to modify the
SIMPLIS_TEMPLATE property, but cannot do so if it protected hence the error
message. You shouldnt get this error with any standard symbols from the SIMetrix v5
library or later, but you may get it with your own symbols or symbols from an earlier
library.

Editing Back-annotated Initial Conditions

How you change the value of an back-annotated initial condition depends on the
device. If the device already has a user editable initial condition, then simply use the
standard method. With capacitors and inductors, this is simply done using F7 or the
Edit Part... menu. With some other devices, the initial condition value may be found in
the Edit Additional Parameters menu.
For devices that do not have user editable initial conditions, you should use the Edit
Additional Parameters menu. This applies to most subcircuit models and to all
hierarchical blocks.

How Does it Work?

The initial condition file specifies the value of initial conditions for each device that
requires them. This information must then be applied to each schematic instance in an
appropriate manner. Two basic approaches are used to apply the initial condition
values depending on the device namely the specialised method and the generic
method.
In the specialised method, a special script is called which edits one or more properties
of the schematic instance. With a capacitor for example, the VALUE property is edited
so that the IC parameter is specified or modified. Something similar is done for

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inductors. This action is done using a special script specified by the INIT_SCRIPT
property. In the case of the capacitor, the script ic_reactive is called. The advantage
of the specialised method is that the device can be modified in a manner that is
consistent with its existing user interface. Capacitors already have user editable initial
conditions and the application of back-annotated initial conditions is compatible with
this.
The disadvantage of the specialised method is that a method of applying the back
annotated value needs to be developed for every different type of device. This would
not be acceptable for most users who develop their own symbols. The generic method
overcomes this difficulty. The generic method modifies the properties so that
additional netlist lines are created containing the .INIT simulator command that
defines the initial conditions. To achieve this the SIMPLIS_TEMPLATE property
needs to be modified and as long as this isnt protected , the generic method will
always work.

Hierarchical Blocks and Subcircuits

All back-annotated initial conditions are applied at the top level and no child
schematics or subcircuits will be modified.
This introduces a potential problem in that once back-annotated initial conditions are
applied, you will no longer be able to modify individual initial conditions within a
hierarchical block. You will only be able to edit them on the top level device using the
Edit Additional Parameters... menu.
You will be able to use initial conditions defined within a hierarchy or subcircuit if you
first disable top level initial conditions using the Initial Conditions|Disable menu. This
will of course disable all initial conditions specified at the top level.
To disable initial conditions for a single hierarchical block, use the Edit Properties
menu to set the USEIC property to 0. Note that the Enable and Disable menus will
reset this property.

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Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

Overview
The basics of how to create graphs of your circuit's signals were explained in Getting
Started on page 51. This chapter provides a full reference on all aspects of probing
and creating graphs.

Elements of the Graph Window

Main Window
Toolbar
Curve Legend
Handle. Use this to 'undock'
panel. It can be positioned
on another edge or float free
Legend Panel
Selected Y-Axis

Y-Axis

Note that the legend panel can be resized. With most systems a resize handle is
clearly visible on the lower edge but with the standard Windows XP theme - e.g. the
above picture - this is not the case.

Windows and Tabbed Sheets

Normally new graphs are created within the same window as a tabbed sheet. A row of
tabs will appear at the top of the graph window allowing you select which graph you
wish to view. You can also create a new graph window using the menu Probe|New
Graph Window. This will create an empty window to which you may add new graphs.

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Graph Toolbar
Display 3dB High Pass
Display 3dB Low Pass
Display Average/Cycle
Display RMS/Cycle
Display Fall Time

Move curve to
new axis/grid
Name Curves
Hide selected curves
Show Selected Curves

Undo Graph Zoom

Fit Height
Fit Width

Display
Rise Time

Create New Grid

Create New Axis
Erase Axis

Fit Page

Graph toolbar
The above shows the function of each of the buttons on the graph toolbar. These are
referred to in the following sections.

Probes: Fixed vs. Random

Much of this section and some of the next have already been covered in Plotting
Simulation Results on page 66. It is repeated here for convenience.
SIMetrix provides two approaches to creating plots of simulated results from a
schematic.
The first approach is to fix voltage or current probes to the schematic before or during
a run. SIMetrix will then generate graphs of the selected voltages and/or currents
automatically. Normally the graphs for fixed probes are opened and updated while the
simulator is running. The probes have a wide range of options which allow you to
specify - for example - how the graphs are organised and when and how often they are
updated. These probes are known as fixed probes.
The second approach is to randomly probe the circuit after the run is complete. (You
can also do this during a run by pausing first). With this approach, the graph will be
created as you point the probe but will not be updated on a new run. These probes are
known as random probes.
You do not need to make any decisions on how you wish to probe your circuit before
starting the run. You can enter a circuit without any fixed probes, run it, then randomly
probe afterwards. Alternatively, you can place a single fixed probe on an obvious point
of interest, then randomly probe to investigate the detailed behaviour of your circuit.
Note that you can add fixed probes after a run has started but the run must be paused
first.

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There are currently 8 types of fixed probe to suit a range of applications. The random
probing method allows you to plot anything you like including device power, FFTs,
arbitrary expressions of simulation results and X-Y plots such as Nyquist diagrams. It
is possible to set up fixed probes to plot arbitrary expressions of signals but this
requires manually entering the underlying simulator command, the .GRAPH control.
There is no direct schematic support for this. For more info on the .GRAPH control see
the Command Reference Chapter of the Simulator Reference Manual.

Fixed Probes
There are 8 types of fixed probe as described in the following table

Probe Type

Description

To Place

Voltage

Single ended voltage. Hint: If Menu: Probe|Place Fixed

Voltage Probe...
you place the probe
immediately on an existing
Hot key: B
schematic wire, it will
automatically be given a
meaningful name related to
what it is connected to

Current

Device pin current. A single Menu: Probe|Place Fixed

terminal device to place over Current Probe...
a device pin
Hot key: U

Inline current

In line current. This is a two Menu: Probe|Place Inline

terminal device that probes Current Probe...
the current flowing through it.

Differential voltage Probe voltage between two

points

Menu: Probe|Place Fixed

Diff. Voltage Probe...

dB

Probes db value of signal

voltage. Only useful in AC
analysis

Menu: Probe AC/

Noise|Fixed dB Probe...

Phase

Probes phase of signal

voltage. Only useful in AC
analysis

Menu: Probe AC/

Noise|Fixed phase Probe...

Bode plot

Plots db and phase of vout/ Menu: Probe AC/

vin. Connect to the input and Noise|Bode Plot Probe...
output of a circuit to plot its
gain and phase.

Bus plot

Plots bus signal in logic

analyser style

Menu: Probe|Place|Fixed
Bus Probe

These probes are simply schematic symbols with special properties. When you place a
fixed probe on the schematic, the probed value at the point where you place the probe
will be plotted each time you run the simulation.

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Current probes must be placed directly over a component pin. They will have no
function if they are not and a warning message will be displayed.

Fixed Voltage and Current Probe Options

These probe types have a large number of options allowing you to customise how you
want the graph plotted. For many applications the default settings are satisfactory. In
this section, the full details of available probe options are described. Select the probe
and press F7 or menu Edit Part... The following dialog will be displayed:

The elements of each tabbed sheet are explained below.

Probe Options Sheet
Curve Label

Text that will be displayed by the probe on the schematic and

will also be used to label resulting curves

Persistence

If non-zero, curves created from the curve will have a limited

lifetime. The persistence value is the number of curves from a
single probe that will be displayed at once, the oldest being
automatically deleted. If set to zero, they will never be deleted.

Axis Type

Specifies the type of y-axis to use for the curve.

Auto Select

216

Will use main y-axis unless its unit are

incompatible. E.g. plotting a current but the
graph already has a voltage. In that case, a new
y-axis will be created alongside the main one.

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

See diagram in section Graph Layout Multiple Y-Axis Graphs on page 237 If the
signal is digital, a digital axis (see below) will
be used for this probe.
Use Separate Y-axis

Will always use its own separate y-axis. If you

specify this you can optionally supply an axis
name. The value of the axis name is arbitrary
and is used to identify the axis so that multiple
fixed probes can specify the same one. This
name is not used as a label for display purposes
but simply as a means of identification. Axes
can be labelled using the Axis Labels sheet. See
below.
Use Separate Grid

Similar to above but uses a new grid that is

stacked on top of main grid. See diagram in
section Graph Layout - Multiple Y-Axis
Graphs on page 237
Digital

Use a digital axis. Digital axes are placed at the

top of the window and are stacked. Each one
may only take a single curve. As their name
suggests, they are intended for digital traces
but can be used for analog signals if required.

Graph

Check the Use Separate Graph box if you wish a new graph
sheet to be used for the probe. You may also supply a graph
name. This works in the same way as axis name (see above). It
is not a label but a means of identification. Any other probes
using the same graph name will have their curves directed to the
same graph sheet.

Analyses

Specifies for which analyses the probe is enabled. Note, other

analysis modes such as noise and transfer function are not
included because these don't support schematic cross probing of
current or voltage.
If the schematic is in SIMPLIS mode (SIMetrix/SIMPLIS
product only) the analysis POP will show instead of DC Sweep.

Display order (digital curves)

Enter a string to control display order for digital curves.

Normally digital curves are ordered according to their title. The
value supplied here will be used instead if not empty. To force
the curve to be placed above other curves that dont use this
value, prefix the name with !. The ! character has a low
ASCII value. Conversely, use ~ to force curve to be displayed
after other curves.
Colour

If Use default is checked, the colour will be chosen

automatically in a manner that tries to minimise duplicate
colours on the same graph. Alternatively uncheck this box then
press Edit... to select a colour of your choice. In this case the
trace will always have the same colour.

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Plot on completion only

If checked the curve will not be created until the analysis is

finished. Otherwise they will be updated at an interval specified
in the Options dialog (File|Options|General... see Options on
page 330)
Axis Scales Sheet

X-Axis/Y-Axis

X and Y axis parameters

Lin/Log/Auto

Specify whether you want X-Axis to be linear

or logarithmic. If Auto is selected, the axis (X
or Y) will be set to log if the x values are
logarithmically spaced. For the Y-axis it is also
necessary that the curve values are positive for
a log axis to be selected.

No Change

Keep axis scales how they are. Only relevant if

adding to an existing graph.

Defined

Set axis to scales defined in Min and Max

boxes

Axis Labels Sheet

This sheet has four edit boxes allowing you to specify, x and y axis labels as well as
their units. If any box is left blank, a default value will be used or will remain
unchanged if the axis already has a defined label.

Fixed Bus Probe Options

Select device and press F7 in the usual manner. For details about bus probe options
please see Bus Probe Options on page 228.

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Using Fixed Probes in Hierarchical Designs

Fixed probes may successfully be used in hierarchical designs. If placed in a child
schematic, a plot will be produced for all instances of that child and the labels for each
curve will be prefixed with the child reference.

Adding Fixed Probes After a Run has Started

When you add a fixed probe after a run has started, the graph of the probed point opens
soon after resuming the simulation. This doesn't apply to differential voltage probes.
To do this:
1.

Pause simulation.

2.

Place a probe on the circuit in the normal way.

3.

Resume simulation

Changing Update Period and Start Delay

The update period of all fixed probes can be changed from the Options dialog box.
Select command shell menu File|Options|General... and click on the Graph/Probe/Data
analysis tab. In the Probe update times/seconds box there are two values that can be
edited. Period is the update period and Start is the delay after the simulation begins
before the curves are first created.

Random Probes
General Behaviour
A wide range of functions are available from the schematic Probe and Probe AC/Noise
menus. With a few exceptions detailed below, all random probe functions have the
following behaviour.

If there are no graph windows open, one will be created.

If a graph window is open and the currently displayed sheet has a compatible xaxis to what you are probing, the new curve will be added to that sheet. E.g. if the
currently displayed graph is from a transient analysis and has an x-axis of Time,
and you are also probing the results of a transient analysis, then the new curve
will be added to the displayed graph. If, however the displayed curve was from
an AC analysis, its x-axis would be frequency which is incompatible. In this case
a new graph sheet will be created for the new curve.

If you want to force a new graph sheet to be created, press F10. This will create an
empty graph sheet.
The menus:
Probe|Voltage (New graph sheet)...
Probe|Current (New graph sheet)...
will always create a new graph.

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Functions
The following table shows all available random probe functions. Many of these can be
found in the schematics Probe menu while others are only available from Probe|More
Probe Functions...

Function

Single Ended Voltage

Single Ended Voltage - AC coupled
Single Ended Voltage - dB
Single Ended Voltage - Phase
Single Ended Voltage - Fourier
Single Ended Voltage - Nyquist
Single Ended Voltage - Normalised dB
Single Ended Voltage - Group delay
Differential Voltage
Differential Voltage - dB
Differential Voltage - Phase
Differential Voltage - Fourier
Differential Voltage - Nyquist
Differential Voltage - Normalised dB
Differential Voltage - Group delay
Relative Voltage - dB
Relative Voltage - Phase
Relative Voltage - Nyquist
Relative Voltage - Normalised dB
Relative Voltage - Group delay
Single Ended Current - In device pin
Single Ended Current - AC coupled in device pin
Single Ended Current - In wire
Single Ended Current - dB
Single Ended Current - Phase
Single Ended Current - Fourier
Single Ended Current - Nyquist
Single Ended Current - Normalised dB

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Function
Single Ended Current - Group delay
Differential Current - Actual
Differential Current - dB
Differential Current - Phase
Differential Current - Fourier
Differential Current - Nyquist
Differential Current - Normalised dB
Differential Current - Group delay
Power
Impedance
Output noise (noise analysis only)
Input noise (noise analysis only)
Device noise (noise analysis only)
Arbitrary expressions and XY plots

Notes on Probe Functions

Impedance
You may plot the AC impedance at a circuit node using
Probe|More Probe Functions....This only works in AC analysis. This works by
calculating V/I at the device pin selected.
Device Power
Device power is available from Probe|Power In Device... . This works by calculating
the sum of VI products at each pin of the device. Power is not stored during the
simulation. However, once you have plotted the power in a device once, the result is
stored with the vector name:
device_name#pwr
E.g. if you plot the power in a resistor R3, its power vector will be called R3#pwr. You
can use this as part of an expression in any future plot.
Note that, because SIMetrix is able to find the current in a sub-circuit device or
hierarchical block, it can also calculate such a device's power. Be aware, however, that
as this power is calculated from the VI product of the device's pins, the calculation may
be inaccurate if the sub-circuit uses global nodes.

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Plotting Noise Analysis Results

Small signal noise analysis does not produce voltage and current values at nodes and in
devices in the way that AC, DC and transient analyses do. Noise analysis calculates the
overall noise at a single point and the contribution of every noisy device to that output
noise. Optionally the input referred noise may also be available.
To Plot Output Noise
1.

Select menu Probe AC/Noise|Plot Output Noise

To Plot Input Referred Noise

1.

Select menu Probe AC/Noise|Plot Input Noise

Note that you must specify an input source for input referred noise to be available. See
Noise Parameters on page 186 for details.
To Plot Device Noise
1.

Select menu Probe AC/Noise|Probe Device Noise

2.

Click on device of interest

Note that noise results are only available for noisy devices such as resistors and
semiconductor devices.

Plotting Transfer Function Analysis Results

No cross-probing is available with transfer function analysis. Instead, you must use the
general purpose Define Curve dialog box. With this approach you must select a vector
name from a list. Proceed as follows:
1.

Select menu Probe|Add Curve

2.

Select a value from the Available Vectors drop down box.

Transfer Function Vector Names

The vector names for transfer function will be of the form:
source_name#Vgain
source_name#Transconductance
source_name#Transresistance
source_name#Igain
where source_name is the name of a voltage or current source.
The vectors Zout, Yout or Zin may also be available. These represent output
impedance, output admittance and input impedance respectively.
For more information see the Command Reference chapter of the Simulator
Reference Manual.

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Fourier Analysis
A Fourier spectrum of a signal can be obtained in a number of ways. You have a choice
of using the default settings for the calculation of the Fourier spectrum or you can
customise the settings for each plot. The following menus use the default settings:
Probe|Fourier|Probe Voltage Quick...
Probe|More Probe Functions...
Graph menu: Measure|Plot Fourier of Curve
Graph menu: Measure|Plot Fourier of Curve (Cursor span)
The following prompt you to customise the settings:
Probe|Fourier|Probe Voltage Custom...
Probe|Fourier|Arbitrary...
Command shell menu: Graphs and Data|Fourier...
Default Settings
The default fourier spectrum settings are:

Setting

Default value

Method

Interpolated FFT

Number of points

Next integral power of two larger than number of

points in signal

Interpolation order

Span

All data except Measure|Plot Fourier of Curve

(Cursor span) which uses cursor span

Custom Settings
With menu Probe|Fourier|Probe Voltage Custom... you will see the dialog below. With
the menus Probe|Fourier|Arbitrary... or command shell menu Graphs and
Data|Fourier... a dialog box similar to that shown in Plotting an Arbitrary Expression
on page 229 will be displayed but will include a Fourier tab. Click on the this tab to
display the Fourier analysis options as shown below.

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Method
SIMetrix offers two alternative methods to calculate the Fourier spectrum: FFT and
Continuous Fourier.
The simple rule is: use FFT unless the signal being examined has very large high
frequency components as would be the case for narrow sharp pulses. When using
Continuous Fourier, keep an eye on the Estimated calculation time shown at the bottom
right of the dialog.
A description of the two techniques and their pros and cons follows.
FFT

Fast Fourier Transform. This is an efficient algorithm for

calculating a discrete Fourier transform or DFT. DFTs generally
operate on evenly spaced sampled data. Unfortunately the data
generated by the simulator is not evenly spaced so it is therefore
necessary to interpolate the data before presenting it to an FFT
algorithm. The interpolation process is in effect the sampling
process and the Nyquist sampling theorem applies. This states
that the signal can be perfectly reproduced from the sampled
data if the sampling rate is greater than twice the maximum
frequency component in the signal. In practice this condition
can never be met perfectly and any signal components whose
frequency is greater than half the sampling rate will be aliased
to a different frequency.
So if the number of interpolated points is too small there will be
errors in the result due to high frequency components being

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aliased to lower frequencies. This is the Achilles heel of FFTs
applied to simulated data.
The Continuous Fourier technique, described next, does not
suffer from this problem. It suffers from other problems the
main one being that it is considerably slower than the FFT.
Continuous Fourier

This calculates the Fourier spectrum by numerically integrating

the Fourier integral. With this method, each frequency
component is calculated individually whereas with the FFT the
whole spectrum is calculated in one - quite efficient - operation.
Continuous Fourier does not require the data to be interpolated
and does not suffer from aliasing.
The problem with continuous Fourier is that compared to the
FFT it is a slow algorithm and in many cases an FFT with a very
large number of interpolated points can be calculated more
quickly and give just as accurate a result.
However in cases where a signal has a very large high frequency
content - such as narrow pulses - this method is superior and it is
recommended that it is used in preference to the FFT in such
situations.
The continuous Fourier technique has the additional advantage
that it can be applied with greater confidence as the aliasing
errors will not be present. It does have its own source of error
due to the fact that simulated data itself is not truly continuous
but represented by unevenly spaced points with no information
about what lies between the points. This error can be minimised
by ensuring that close simulation tolerances are used. See the
Convergence and Accuracy chapter of the Simulator
Reference Manual for details.
Because each frequency component is calculated individually,
the calculation time is affected by the values entered in
Frequency Display. See below

Plot (Phase or Magnitude)

The default is to plot the magnitude of the Fourier spectrum. Select Phase if you
require a plot of phase or dB if you need the magnitude in dBs.
Frequency Display
Resolution/Hz

Available only for the continuous Fourier method. This is the

frequency interval at which the spectral components are
evaluated. It cannot be less than 1/T where T is the time interval
over which the spectrum is calculated.

Start Freq./Hz

Start frequency of the display.

Stop Freq./Hz

Stop frequency of the display.

Log X-Axis

Check this to specify a logarithmic x-axis. This will force a

minimum value for the start frequency equal to 1/T where T is

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the time interval being analysed.
Signal Info
If the signal being analysed is repetitive and the frequency of that signal is known
exactly then a much better result can be obtained if it is specified here. Check the Know
fundamental frequency box then enter the frequency. The Fourier spectrum will be
calculated using an integral number of complete cycles of the fundamental frequency.
This substantially reduces spectral leakage. Spectral leakage occurs because both the
Fourier algorithms work on an assumption that the signal being analysed is a repetition
of the analysed time interval from t=- to t=+. If the analysed time interval does not
contain a whole number of cycles of the fundamental frequency this will be a poor
approximation and the spectrum will be in error. In practice this problem is minimised
by using a window function applied to the signal prior to the Fourier calculation, but
using a whole number of cycles reduces the problem further.
Note that the fundamental frequency is not necessarily the lowest frequency in the
circuit but the largest frequency for which all frequencies in the circuit are integral
harmonics. For example if you had two sine wave generators of 1kHz and 1.1KHz, the
fundamental is 100Hz, not 1kHz; 1kHz is the tenth harmonic, 1.1KHz is the eleventh.
You should not specify a fundamental frequency for circuits that have self-oscillating
elements.
FFT Interpolation
As explained above, the FFT method must interpolate the signal prior to the FFT
computation. Specify here the number of points and the order. The number of points
entry may be forced to a minimum if a high stop frequency is specified in the
Frequency Display section.
The number of interpolation points required depends on the highest significant
frequency component in the signal being analysed. If you have an idea what this is, a
useful trick to set the number of points to a suitable value, is to increase the stop
frequency value in the Frequency Display section up to that frequency. This will
automatically set the number of interpolation points to the required value to handle that
frequency. If you don't actually want to display frequencies up to that level, you can
bring the stop frequency back down again. The number of interpolation points will stay
at the value reached.
If in doubt, plot the FFT twice using a different number of points. If the two results are
significantly different in the frequency band of interest, then you should increase the
number of points further.
Usually an interpolation order of 2 is a suitable value but you should reduce this to 1 if
analysing signals with abrupt edges. If analysing a smooth signal such as a sinusoid,
useful improvements can be gained by increasing the order to 3.
Advanced Options
Pressing the Advanced Options... button will open this dialog box:

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Data Span
Usually the entire simulated time span is used for the fourier analysis. To specify a
smaller time interval click Specify and enter the start and end times.
Note that if you specify a fundamental frequency, the time may be modified so that a
whole number of cycles is used. This will occur whether or not you explicitly specify
an interval.
Window
A window function is applied to the time domain signal to minimise spectral leakage
(See above).
The choice of window is a compromise. The trade off is between the bandwidth of the
main spectral component or lobe and the amplitude of the side-lobes. The rectangular
window - which is in effect no window - has the narrowest main lobe but substantial
side-lobes. The Blackman window has the widest main lobe and the smallest side
lobes. Hanning and Hamming are something in between and have similar main lobe
widths but the side lobes differ in the way they fall away further from the main lobe.
Hamming starts smaller but doesn't decay whereas Hanning while starting off larger
than Hamming, decays as the frequency moves away from the central lobe.
Despite the great deal of research that has been completed on window functions, for
many applications the difference between Hanning, Hamming and Blackman is not
important and usually Hanning is a good compromise.
There are situations where a rectangular window can give significantly superior
results. This requires that the fundamental frequency is specified and also that the
simulated signal is consistent over a large number of cycles. The rectangular window,
however, usually gives considerably poorer results and must be used with caution.

Probing Busses
It is possible to probe a bus as long as all the signals on the bus are digital. In this case
a plot representing all the signals on the bus will be created. Usually this will be a
numeric display of the digital bus data, but it is also possible to display the data as an
analog waveform.

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To probe bus using default settings
Use the schematic popup menu Probe Voltage... or hot key F4 and probe the bus in the
same way as you would a single wire.
This will plot a numeric trace using decimal values.
To probe bus using custom settings
1.

Select menu Probe|Voltage - Bus...

2.

Click on desired bus.

3.

Enter the desired bus parameters as described in Bus Probe Options below

Bus Probe Options

The following describes the options available for random and fixed bus probes. These
options are set using the dialog box shown below. See Probing Busses above and
Fixed Voltage and Current Probe Options on page 216 for details on plotting busses.

Define Bus
Label

This is how the curve will be labelled in the plot

Start, End

Defines which wires in the bus are used to created the displayed
data. The default is to use all wires

Plot Type
Decimal/Hexadecimal/Binary

Each of these specifies a numeric display (see below) showing

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the bus values in the number base selected.
Analog waveform

Specifies that the bus data should be plotted as an analog

waveform

Hold invalid states

If checked, then and invalid digital states found in the data will
be replaced with the most recent valid state. If not checked,
invalid states will be shown as an 'X' in numeric displays. This
option is automatically selected for analog waveform mode.

Define Analog Waveform

Only enabled if Analog waveform is specified in the Plot Type box. Specifies the
scaling values and units for analog waveforms:
Range

Peak-peak value used for display

Offset

Analog display offset. A value of zero will result in an analog

display centred about the x-axis.

Units

Select an appropriate unit from the drop down box.

Plotting an Arbitrary Expression

If what you wish to plot is not in one of the probe menus, SIMetrix has a facility to plot
an arbitrary expression of node voltages or device currents. This is accessed via one of
the menus Probe|Add Curve... or Graphs and Data|Add Curve.... Selecting one of these
menus brings up the Define Curve dialog box shown below.
Define Curve Sheet

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Expression
Y

Enter arithmetic expression. This can use operators + - * / and ^

as well as the functions listed in Function Summary on
page 301. To enter a node voltage, click on a point on the
schematic. To enter a device pin current, hold down the shift key
and click on the device pin in the schematic. Both voltages and
currents may also be selected from the Available Vectors box.
You may also plot an expression based on any curve that is
already plotted. Simply click on the curve itself and you should
see a function entered in the form cv(n) where n is some integer.
Any entries made in this box are stored for future retrieval. Use
the drop down box to select a previous entry.

Expression for X data. Only required for X-Y plot and you must
check X-Y Plot box. Expression entered in the same way as for
Y data

Available Vectors
Lists values available for plotting. This is for finding vectors that aren't on a schematic
either because the simulation was made direct from a netlist or because the vector is for
a voltage or current in a sub-circuit. (You need to tell SIMetrix to save sub-circuit
currents and voltages using .KEEP - for details see page 204 of the Simulator
Reference Manual). Press Edit Filter to alter selection that is displayed. See below.
The names displayed are the names of the vectors created by the simulator. The names
of node voltages are the same as the names of the nodes themselves. The names for
device currents are composed of device name followed by a '#' followed by the pin
name. Note that some devices output internal node voltages which could get confused
with pin currents. E.g. q1#base is the internal base voltage of q1 not the base current.
The base current would be q1#b. For the vector names output by a noise analysis refer
to .NOISE on page 212 of the Simulator Reference Manual.
Edit Filter...
Pressing the Edit Filter... button opens:

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This allows you to select what is displayed in the available vectors dialog. This is
useful when simulating large circuits and the number of vectors is very large.
Sub-circuit Filter
All

Vectors at all levels are displayed

Top level

Only vectors for the top-level are displayed

Select sub-circuit

All sub-circuit references will be displayed in the list box. Select

one of these. Only vectors local to that sub-circuit will be
displayed in Available Vector list.

Signal Type
All

List all signal types

Voltages Only

Only voltages will be listed

Currents Only

Only currents will be listed

Digital Only

Only digital vectors will be listed

Wildcard filter
Enter a character string containing * and/or ? to filter vector names. * matches 1
or more occurrences of any character and ? matches any single character. Some
examples:
*

matches anything

X1.*

matches any signal name that starts with the three letters: X1.

X?.*

matches any name that starts with an X and with a '.' for the third
letter.

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*.q10#c

matches any name ending with .q10#c i.e the current into any
transistor called q10

*.U1.vout

matches any name ending with .U1.C11 i.e any node called vout
in a subcircuit with reference U1.

Curve Label
Enter text string to label curve
Axis/Graph Options Sheet
Allows you to control where the curve for the probed signal will be placed.

Axis Type
Select an appropriate axis type. Note that you can move a curve to a new axis or grid
after it has been plotted. See Moving Curves to Different Axis or Grid on page 239

232

Auto select

Select an appropriate axis automatically. See AutoAxis

Feature on page 238

Use Selected

Use currently selected y-axis

Use New Y-axis

Create a new y-axis alongside main one

Use New Grid

Create a new grid stacked on top of main axis

Digital Axis

Create a new digital axis. Digital axes are placed at the top of
the window and are stacked. Each one may only take a single
curve. As their name suggests, they are intended for digital
traces but can be used for analog signals if required.

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

Graph Options
Add To Selected

Add curve to currently selected and displayed graph sheet

New Graph Sheet

Create a new graph sheet within current graph window

New Graph Window

Create a new graph window.

Axis Scales Sheet

Allows you to specify limits for x and y axes.

X-Axis/Y-Axis
Lin/Log/Auto

Specify whether you want X-Axis to be linear or logarithmic. If

Auto is selected, the axis (X or Y) will be set to log if the x
values are logarithmically spaced. For the Y-axis it is also
necessary that the curve values are positive for a log axis to be
selected.

No Change

Keep axes how they are. Only relevant if adding to an existing

graph.

Auto scale

Set limits to fit curves

Defined

Set to limits defined in Min and Max boxes

Axis Labels Sheet

This sheet has four edit boxes allowing you to specify, x and y axis labels as well as
their units. If any box is left blank, a default value will be used or will remain
unchanged if the axis already has a defined label.

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Curve Arithmetic
SIMetrix provides facilities for performing arithmetic on existing curves. For example
you can plot the difference between two plotted curves.
There are two methods:
1.
With the menus:
Plot | Sum Two Curves...
Plot | Subtract Two Curves...
Plot | Multiply Two Curves...
Select one of the above menus and follow instructions given
2.

Using the Add Curve... dialog box. With this method, select menu Probe | Add
Curve... then enter an expression as desired. To access an existing curves data,
simply click on the curve. For more information, see Plotting an Arbitrary
Expression on page 229.

Using Random Probes in Hierarchical Designs

Random probes may successfully be employed in hierarchical designs. There are
however some complications that arise and these are explained below.
Closed Schematics
Read the following if you find situations where cross-probing inside hierarchical
blocks sometimes fails to function.
The names used for cross-probing are stored in the schematic itself and are saved to the
schematic file. These netnames are not assigned until the netlist is created and this
doesnt usually happen until a simulation is run. A problem arises, however, if the
schematic is not open. If netnames have never been created then they wont be updated
during the run as, by default, SIMetrix will not update a closed file.
This problem can be resolved by giving SIMetrix permission to update schematic files
that are closed. To do this, type at the command line:
Set UpdateClosedSchematics

This only needs to be done once. Note that you can only do this with the full versions
of SIMetrix.
This problem wont arise if you always run every schematic at least once while it is
open. If you do this, the netnames will be updated and you will be promted to save the
schematic before closing it. This wasnt the case with SIMetrix version 4.2 and earlier
and the above problem is most common with schematics created with those earlier
versions.
Multiple Instances
An issue arises in the situation where there are multiple instances of a block attached to
the same schematic. Consider the following top level circuit.

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V1
5V

VP
V INP
V INN

V OUTP
V OUTN

V3
VN
A C 1 0 Pulse(0 10m 0 5n 5n 500n 1u)

U1
f astamp.sc h V P
V INP
V INN

U2
f astamp.s ch

V OUTP
V OUTN

R3
1K

VN
E1
R2
1Meg

R1
1Meg

V2
5V

This has two instances of the block FASTAMP.SCH U1 and U2. Suppose you wanted
to plot the voltage of a node inside U1. The schematic FASTAMP.SCH is open but to
which block does it refer? The answer is that it will refer to the most recent block that
was used to descend into it. The block that a schematic refers to is always displayed in
the schematic's status bar as illustrated below

Top level reference of block

Pathname of root

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To plot a node in U2, ascend to parent (TOP.SCH in the above example) then descend
into U2. The same schematic as above will be displayed but will now refer to U2
instead of U1.
Plotting Currents
In the same way that you can plot currents into subcircuits in a single sheet design, so
you can also plot currents into hierarchical blocks at any level.

Plot Journals and Updating Curves

Overview
You can repeat previous plotting operations in one of two ways.
The Update Curves feature rebuilds the current graph sheet using the latest available
data. This allows you to randomly probe a schematic and then update the curves with
new results for a new simulation run.
The Plot Journal feature allows you to save the plots in the current graph sheet for
later reconstruction. This doesnt save the data, it saves the vector names and
expressions used to create the graphs curves. In fact this is done by building a
SIMetrix script to plot the curves.

Update Curves
Make sure that no curves are selected then select graph menu Plot|Update Curves. The
curves currently on the graph sheet will be redrawn using the current simulation data.
Although this would usually be the latest simulation run, you can also use this feature
to restore the curves back to those from an earlier run. Use the Graphs and
Data|Change Data Group... menu to select earlier data. (For more information see
Plotting the Results from a Previous Simulation on page 241)
Options
By default all curves are redrawn, that is the older ones are deleted. You can change
this behaviour so that older curves are kept. Select menu Plot|Update Curves Settings...
then uncheck the Delete old curves box.
If there are curves that you would like to remain fixed and so wont be updated, simply
select them first. This behaviour can be overridden using the menu Plot|Update Curves
Settings... Simply uncheck the Ignore selected curves box.

Plot Journals
First create a plot journal using the menu Plot|Create Plot Journal... then choose a file
name. The file created has a .sxscr extension - its the same extension used by scripts
because the file created is a script.
To run the plot journal, you will of course first need to run a simulation or load
previous data so that the journal has some data to work with. The plot journal itself
does not store any data. With the simulation data you wish to work with in place, select

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either graph menu Plot|Run Plot Journal... or command shell menu Graph|Run Plot
Journal.... This simply runs a script located in the current directory. Note that the plot
journal always creates a new graph sheet.

Graph Layout - Multiple Y-Axis Graphs

Graphs may have additional Y axes to accommodate plotting results with incompatible
scales. This occurs particularly for plotting dB and phase against each other and also
for voltage and current. The additional Y axes may either be superimposed or stacked.
In the user interface and the remainder of this documentation these are referred to
respectively as Axes and Grids. These are illustrated below.

Current and Voltage plotted on separate Axes

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Current and Voltage plotted on separate Grids

AutoAxis Feature
When you plot a new curve on an existing graph, SIMetrix will select - or if necessary
create - a compatible axis for that curve. The decision is made on the basis of the
curve's Units i.e voltage, current etc. The rules it follows are:
1.

If the currently selected axis or grid (shown by black axis line) has the same units
as curve to be plotted or if it has undefined units (designated by a '?' on label),
that axis will be used.

2.

If any other axis or grid has compatible units (i.e same as curve or undefined) that
axis will be used.

3.

If no axes exist with compatible units, a new axis (not grid) will be created to
accommodate the curve.

The above works for all plots made using random probes. For plots created with fixed
probes, the above is the default behaviour, but this can be changed. See Fixed Probes
on page 215 for more details. For plots created using the Curve command at the
command line, the /AutoAxis switch must be specified e.g
Curve /AutoAxis L3#P

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Manually Creating Axes and Grids

Two toolbar buttons Create new grid and Create new axis allow manual creation of new
axes and grids. These will be initially empty. Subsequent random probe operations will
use the new axis or grid unconditionally as long as it remains selected (see below).

Selecting Axes
Some operations are performed on the selected axis or grid. The selected axis or grid
will be displayed with its vertical axis line a deep black while the remaining axes and
grids will be light grey. Newly created axes and grids are always selected. To select an
axis, click the left mouse button immediately to the left of the vertical axis line.

Moving Curves to Different Axis or Grid

You can freely move curves around from one axis or grid to another. Proceed as
follows:
1.

Select the curve or curves you wish to move by checking its checkbox next to the
coloured legend which designates the curve.

2.

Select the axis you wish to move it to. (See above)

3.

Press the Move selected curves to new axis button. The curves will be re-drawn on
the new axis. Any axes that become empty as a result of this operation will be
deleted unless it is the Main axis. See section below on Deleting Axes.

Deleting Axes
To delete an axis, select it then press Erase axis button. Note that you cannot erase an
axis or grid that has curves attached to it nor can you erase the Main axis. The main
axis is the first axis that is created on a graph. For example with the following graph

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If you attempt to delete the selected axis (the lower one), nothing will happen. Instead
you should move the two curves in the top axis to the lower one. See above section on
how to move curves.

Editing Axes
You can edit axis scales, label and units by selecting the graph popup menu
Edit Axis.... This brings up the following dialog box:

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The function of the Axis scales sheet and axis labels sheet is similar to the sheets of the
same name in the define curve dialog box. See Plotting an Arbitrary Expression on
page 229 for details.

Reordering Grids and Digital Axes

You can change the vertical order of the analog grids and digital axes. To change the
analog grid order:
1.
Select Axes|Reorder Grids...
2.

You will be presented with a list of currently displayed grids identified by their yaxis title. Use the up and down arrow buttons to arrange them in the order
required then press Ok

Note that the main axis (the one at the bottom) cannot be moved.
To change the digital axis order:
1.
Select menu Axes|Reorder Digital Axes...
2.

Rearrange entries in list as described above for analog grids.

Plotting the Results from a Previous Simulation

1.

Select the menu item Simulator|Change Data Group... .

2.

Select the name of the previous run (or group) that you require. The current
group will be highlighted. (Note that the AC analysis mode generates two
groups. One for the AC results and the other for the dc operating point results.
Transient analysis will do the same if the start time is non-zero)

3.

Plot the result you require in the normal way. A word of warning: If the
schematic has undergone any modifications other than component value changes
since the old simulation was completed, some of the netnames may be different
and the result plotted may not be of what you were expecting.

Note

By default, only the three most recent groups are kept. This can be changed
using the GroupPersistence option (using Set command - see Set on
page 299) or a particular group can be kept permanently using the
Simulator|Keep Current Data Group menu item.
Although only three groups are held at a time, the data is actually stored on
a disc file which will not necessarily have been deleted. If you wish to
access an old run, use File|Load Data... and retrieve the data from the
TEMPDATA directory created under the SIMetrix install directory. The file
will have the same name as the group appended with .SXDAT. In the case
of monte carlo analyses, it will be named MCn.SXDAT. Whether or not the
data file is still available depends on a preference setting. See Graph/
Probe/Data Analysis on page 331 for details.

Combining Results from Different Runs

There are occasions when you wish to - say - plot the difference between a node
voltage for different runs. To do this in SIMetrix you need to type a command at the
command line. This will be of the form Plot vector1-vector2 for the example of
plotting the difference. vector1 and vector2 are the names of the signals. However, as

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the two signals come from different runs we need a method of identifying the run. This
is done by prefixing the name with the group name followed by a colon. The group
name is an analysis type name (tran, ac, op, dc, noise, tf or sens) followed by a number.
The signal name can be obtained from the schematic. For voltages, put the cursor over
the node and press control-S. For currents put the cursor on a device pin and press
control-P. The group name is displayed in the simulator progress box when the
simulation is running. You can also find the current group by selecting
Simulator|Change Data Group... and noting which group is highlighted in the dialog
box.
Here is an example. In tutorial 1, the signal marked with the Amplifier Output probe is
actually called Q3_E. The latest run (group) is called tran4. We want to plot the output
subtracted from the output for the previous run. The previous run will be tran3. So we
type at the command line:
Plot tran4:q3_e-tran3:q3_e

This will create a new graph sheet. If you wanted to add the curve to an existing graph,
use the Curve command instead of Plot.
For more details on data groups, the Plot command and the Curve command, please
refer to the Script Reference Manual. This is available as a PDF file on the install CD
and may also be downloaded from our web site. A hardcopy version is also available
for an additional charge.

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Curve Operations
Selecting Curves

Click here to
select...
...this curve

Deleting Curves
To delete a curve (or curves), select it (or them) then press the Erase selected curves
button. Any axes or grids other than the Main axis left empty by this operation will
also be deleted.

Hiding and Showing Curves

A curve may be hidden without it actually being deleted. This is sometimes useful
when there are many curves on a graph but the detail of one you wish to see is hidden
by others. In this instance you can temporarily remove the curves from the graph. To
hide a curve (or curves) select it (or them) then press the Hide selected curves button.
To show it (or them) again, press the Show selected curves button.

Re-titling Curves
You can change the title of a curve by selecting it then pressing the Name curve button.
This will change the name of the curve as displayed in the legend panel. (Above main
graph area and below toolbar)

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Highlighting Curves
You can highlight one or more curves so that they stand out from the others. This is
useful if there are many overlapping curves displayed.
To Highlight Curves
1.

Select the curves you wish to highlight then press H or menu Curves|Highlight
Selected Curves.

To Un-highlight Curves
1.

Select the curves you wish to un-highlight then press U or menu

Curves|Unhighlight Selected Curves.

To Unhighlight All Curves

1.

Select menu Curves|Unhighlight All Curves.

Graph Cursors
Overview
Graph cursors can be used to make measurements from waveforms. In their default
configuration they consist of two dimensioned crosshairs as shown below:
254.2373n

4.757869u
4.503632u

400

300

200

100

-100

-94.3299m

-200

-292.533m

-300

Reference
Cursor

-386.863m

-400
0

0.5

Time/Secs

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1.5

2.5

3.5

4.5
500nSecs/div

Main
Cursor

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

The cursors can be moved horizontally or vertically while tracking an attached curve
or they can be picked up and dragged onto another curve.
Initially there are just two cursors, but there is the facility to add additional cursors
without any maximum limit.

Cursor Operations
Displaying
To switch on/off the cursor display select the graph menu Cursors|Toggle On/Off.
Moving
Cursors can be moved by a number of methods:
1.

Left to right. In this mode the x-position of the cursor is varied while the cursor
tracks the curve to which it is attached. To use this method, place the mouse on
the vertical crosshair but away from the intersection with the horizontal crosshair.
You should see the mouse cursor shape change to a left-right arrow. Press left
mouse key and drag.

2.

Up-down. Similar to 1. above but instead the y-position is varied. To use this
method, place the mouse on the horizontal crosshair but away from the
intersection with the vertical crosshair. You should see the mouse cursor shape
change to an up-down arrow. Press left mouse key and drag.

3.

Drag and drop. In this mode the cursor is picked up and moved without tracking
any curve. It can be dropped to any location and will then snap to the nearest
curve. To use this method, place the mouse cursor at the intersection of the
crosshairs. You will see the cursor shape change to a four-pointed arrow. Press
left key and drag to new location.

4.

The reference cursor can be moved in a left-right mode using the right mouse
button.

5.

Both cursors can be moved together using the left button while holding down the
shift key

Moving Cursors along a Curve

You can move a cursor to a peak or trough using the hot-key defined in the following
table

Key

Function

F5

Move main cursor to next peak

shift-F5

Move main cursor to previous peak

F6

Move main cursor to next trough

shift-F6

Move main cursor to previous trough

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Key

Function

F7

Move reference cursor to next peak

shift-F7

Move reference cursor to previous peak

F8

Move reference cursor to next trough

shift-F8

Move reference cursor to previous trough

These operations can also be accessed from the graph menu Cursors|Move.
Hiding Cursors
You can temporarily hide all or some of the displayed cursors. Menu Cursors | Hide/
Show | All has a toggle action and will hide all cursors if all cursors are currently
displayed and vice-versa. If some cursors are visible and some are hidden, you will be
presented with an option to hide all cursors or show all cursors.
Menu Cursors | Hide/Show | Select allows you to selectively hide or show some
cursors.
Freezing Cursors
You can freeze the cursors so that they can't be moved accidentally. Select menu
Cursors|Freeze/Unfreeze.
Aligning Cursors
Select menu Cursors|Align to align the two cursors so that they have the same y
position.
Changing Cursor Style
The crosshair style is the default but there is an alternative style where each cursor is a
small cross. Select menu Cursors|Set style to change. This is the same style used with
versions 3.1 and earlier.

Additional Cursors
SIMetrix has the ability to display any number of cursors, not just the standard two.
To Add an Additional Cursor

246

1.

Select menu Add Additional Cursor...

2.

Enter a suitable label for the cursor. This is displayed at the bottom of the graph
and to avoid clutter, we recommend that you use a short label such as a single
letter.

3.

Select to which other cursor you wish the new cursor to be referenced for both
horizontal and vertical dimensions. Select **none** if you do not wish it to be
referenced to any currently displayed cursor. Note that you may reference further
additional cursors to this one if desired.

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

4.

Press Ok. The new cursor will be initially displayed at the start of the x-axis and
attached to the first curve on the sheet. You may subsequently move it as desired.

To Remove Additional Cursors

1.

Select Cursors | Remove Additional Cursors...

2.

Select the cursor or cursors to be removed. These are identified by their labels.

Cursor Readout
There are a number of options as to how the cursors' absolute and relative positions are
displayed. Initially all values are displayed as dimensions on the graph. This can be
altered in a number of ways:

You can opt to have just the absolute or just relative readings displayed

The actual format of the graph readout can be customised. E.g extra text can be
added, perhaps something like Delay = xxxnS where xxx is the relative reading.

The values can optionally be displayed in the status bar with or without the graph
readings.

Editing Style or/and Format of Cursor Dimension

Double click on one of the displayed values of the cursor dimension. The following
dialog will open:

Edit values as described below

Label
The labels are the three values displayed on the dimension. Label 1 is the value
displayed above the reference cursor, label 2 is the value displayed above the
main cursor and label 3 is the value displayed as the difference. %x1%, %x2%
and %xdiff% are symbolic values that will be substituted with the absolute
position of the reference cursor, the absolute position of the main cursor and the
difference between them respectively. You can add additional text to these. For

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example, if you changed label 1 to Pulse Start = %x1% the value displayed for
the position of the reference cursor would be prefixed with Pulse Start = .
You can use expressions relating constants and symbolic values enclosed by %.
Expressions must be enclosed in braces: { and }. For example, the expression
{1/%xdiff%} will cause the difference value to be displayed as a reciprocal. This
is useful if you wanted to display a frequency instead of a period.
You can use any arithmetic operator along with many of the functions described
in the script reference manual in these expressions.
Style
Show Absolute

Clear check box to disable display of the absolute

positions of the cursors.

Show Difference

Clear check box to disable display of relative positions.

Automatic/Internal/External

Style of dimension. Internal means that the arrows will

always be displayed between the cursors. External means
they will always be displayed outside the cursors. In
automatic mode the style will change according to the
spacing and position.
Note, if you clear both absolute and difference, you will only be able to restore
the display of the dimension by switching cursors off then on again.
Font
Select font used for readout text.
Properties Tab
The properties tab lists all available properties of the CrosshairDimension object.
This will probably only be of interest if you are writing custom scripts to
manipulate cursor dimensions. More information on this subject can be found in
the Script Reference Manual. This is available as a PDF file on the install CD.
A hardcopy version is also available for an additional charge.
Status Bar Readout
You can optionally have the cursor read out in the status bar instead of or as well as the
on-graph dimension display. Select menu Cursors|Display Options... and select option
as required. This will change the current display.
You can opt to have this preference used as the default. Select command shell menu
File|Options|General... then Graph/Probe/Data Analysis tab. Select appropriate option
in Cursor readout section.
Show Curve Info
The menu Cursors|Show Curve Info will display in the command shell information
about the curve which currently has the main cursor attached. The following
information is listed:
Curve name
Source group

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The name of the simulation group that was current when the

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

curve was created
Curve id

Only required when accessing curves using script commands.

Run number

If there are multiple curves generated by a Monte Carlo run, this

is a number that identifies the run number that created the curve.
This number can be used to plot the curve alone and also to
identify the seed value used for that Monte Carlo step.

Cursor Functions
There are four functions which return the current positions of the cursors and these can
be used in script expressions . These are
XDatum()
YDatum()
XCursor()
YCursor()
See Script Reference Manual for details. This is available as a PDF file on the install
CD. A hardcopy version is also available for an additional charge.

Curve Measurements
Overview
A number of measurements can be applied to selected curves. The results of these
measurements are displayed below the curve legend and are also printed. Some of
these measurements can be selected from the tool bar and more can be called directly
from the Legend Panel's pop-up menu (Right click in Legend Panel see Elements of
the Graph Window on page 213). The remainder may be accessed via the menu
Measure | More Functions... or by pressing F3.
Note that the legend panel may be resized by dragging its bottom edge with the mouse.
In general to perform a measurement, select the curve or curves then select
measurement from tool bar or menu. If there is only one curve displayed, it is not
necessary to select it.

Available Measurements
A wide range of measurement functions are available. Select menu Measure | More
Functions... to see the complete list. For more information see Using the Define
Measurement GUI below

Using the Define Measurement GUI

The Define Measurement GUI is a general purpose interface to the measurement
system and provides access to all measuremant functions along with a means to define
custom measurements.

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To open the Define Measurement GUI, select menu Measure | More Functions... . You
will see the following dialog box:

Choose measurement
Lists all available measurement functions. If cursors are not switched on, some of the
functions will be greyed out. These are functions that require you to identify parts of
the waveform to be measured. For example the manual rise and fall time measurements
require you to mark points before and after the rising or falling edge of interest.
When you click on one of the measurements, some notes will appear at the bottom
explaining the measurement and how to use it.
Pre-process
Listed in the pre-process box are three operations that can optionally be performed on
the waveform before the measurement function is applied. These are

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Cursor span

Truncates the waveform data to the span defined by the current

positions of the cursors. In other words, ther measurement is
performed on the range defined by the cursor positions

Integral cycles

Truncates the waveform data to an integral number of whole

cycles. This is useful for measurements such as RMS which are
only meaningful if applied to a whole number of cycles

AC coupled

Offsets the data by the mean value. This is equivalent to ACcoupling the data

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

The above operations are performed in the order listed. So for example, the data is
truncated to the cursor span before AC coupling.
Custom Measurement
If you select the Custom entry in the Choose measurement list, the Custom
measurement tab will be enabled.
The Custom measurement tab allows you to define your own measurement along with
an option to add it to the list of pre-defined measurements. The following explains the
entries in the Custom measurement tab.
Label as displayed on graph

This is the label that will appear alongside the

measurement value in the graph legend panel.
Usually, this would be literal text, but you may
also enter a template string using special
variables and script functions. See Templates
on page 253 for details

Expression

Expression to define measurement. Use the

variable data to access the data for the curve
being measured. The expression must return a
single value (i.e. a scalar). See Goal
Functions on page 270 for details of functions
that may be used to define measurement
expressions

Format template

Defines how the value will be displayed. If you

leave this blank, a default will be used which
will display the result of the expression along
with its units if any. SSee Templates on
page 253 for details

Save definition to pre-defined measurements

If checked, the measurement definition will be
saved to the list shown in pre-defined
measurements. You can optionally enter some
further details under Save definition. Note that
the definition will not appear in the pre-defined
list until the dialog is closed an reopened.
Further management of custom measurement
definitions can be made using the
Measurement Definitions Manager. See
below.
Short description

This is what will be displayed in the list box

under Choose measurment in the Pre-defined
Measurement tab

Full description

This is what will be displayed below the list

box when the item is selected.

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Measurement Definitions Manager

Select menu Measure | Manage Measurement Definitions. This will open the
Measurement Definitions Manager dialog box shown below:

The Measurement Definitions Manager allows you to edit both built in and custom
measurement definitions.
Select measurement
Select measurement you wish to edit from this list.
Restore Factory Definition
This button will be enabled for any built-in definition that has been edited in some way.
Press it to restore the definition to its original. For custom definitions, this buttons
label changes to Delete. Press it to delete the definition.
It is not possible to delete built-in definitions
Create new measurement
You can create a completely new empty measurement or you can copy an existing one
to edit. Enter a name then press Create to create a new empty definition. To copy an
exsiting definition, select the definition under Select measurement then press Copy
selected.
Measurement definition
Define measurement. There are five entries:
Label as displayed on graph
See similar for Define Measurement GUI
page 251
Expression

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See similar for Define Measurement GUI

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

page 251
Format template

See similar for Define Measurement GUI

page 251

Full description

See similar for Define Measurement GUI

page 251

Requires cursors to be switched on

If checked, the measurement will be disabled

unless graph cursors are enabled

Templates
Both the graph label and Format template may be entered using a template containing
special variables and expressions. The following is available:
%yn%

Where n is a number from 1 to 5. y-value returned by

expression. The value returned by the expression may be a
vector with up to 5 elements. %y1% returns element 1, %y2%
returns element 2 etc.

%xn%

Where n is a number from 1 to 5. x-value returned by

expression. The value returned by the expression may be a
vector with up to 5 elements. %x1% returns the x-value of
element 1, %x2% returns the x-value of element 2 etc. The xvalues are the values used for the x-axis. You should be aware
that not all functions return x-data.

%uyn%

The units of the y values

%uxn%

The units of the x values

%%

Literal % character

{ expression }

expression will be evaluated and substituted. expression may

contain any valid and meaningful script function. For full
details, see the Script Reference Manual

Repeating the Same Measurement

The menu Measure | Repeat Last Measurement will repeat the most recent
measurement performed.

Notes on Curve Measurement Algorithms

Some of the measurements algorithms make some assumptions about the wave shape
being analysed. These work well in most cases but are not fool-proof. The following
notes describe how the algorithms work and what their limitations are.
All the measurement algorithms are implemented by internal scripts. The full source of
these scripts can be found on the install CD.
per Cycle and Frequency Measurements
These measurements assume that the curve being analysed is repetitive and of a fixed
frequency. The results may not be very meaningful if the waveform is of varying

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frequency or is of a burst nature. The /cycle measurements calculate over as many
whole cycles as possible.
Each of these measurements use an algorithm to determine the location of x-axis
crossings of the waveform. The algorithm is quite sophisticated and works very
reliably. The bulk of this algorithm is concerned with finding an optimum base line to
use for x-axis crossings.
The per cycle measurements are useful when the simulated span does not cover a
whole number of cycles. Measurements such as RMS on a repetitive waveform only
have a useful meaning if calculated over a whole number of cycles. If the simulated
span does cover a whole number of cycles, then the full version of the measurement
will yield an accurate result.
Rise and Fall Time, and Overshoot Measurements
These measurements have to determine the waveforms pulse peaks. A histogram
method is used to do this. Flat areas of a waveform produce peaks on a histogram. The
method is very reliable and is tolerant of a large number of typical pulse artefacts such
as ringing and overshoot. For some wave-shapes, the pulse peaks are not well enough
defined to give a reliable answer. In these cases the measurement will fail and an error
will be reported.
Distortion
This calculates residue after the fundamental has been removed using an FFT based
method. This algorithm needs a reasonable number of cycles to obtain an accurate
result. The frequency of the fundamental is displayed in the message window. Note
that most frequency components between 0Hz and just before the second harmonic are
excluded. The precision of the method can be tested by performing the measurement
on a test circuit such as:
V2
5 Sine(0 1m 2k 0 0)

V1
5 Sine(0 1 1k 0 0)

The signal on the pos side of V2 has 0.1% distortion. Use V1 as your main test source
(assuming you are testing an amplifier) then after the simulation is complete, check
that the distortion measurement of V2 is 0.1%. If it is inaccurate, you will need either
to increase the number of measurement cycles or reduce the maximum time step or
both. You can adjust the amplitude of V2 appropriately if the required resolution is
greater or less than 0.1%.

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Note, that in general, accuracies of better than around 1% will require tightening of the
simulation tolerance parameters. In most cases just reducing RELTOL (relative
tolerance) is sufficient. This can be done from the Options tab of the Choose Analysis
Dialog (Simulator|Choose Analysis...). For a more detailed discussion on accuracy see
the chapter Convergence and Accuracy in the Simulator Reference Manual.
Frequency Response Calculations
These must find the passband for their calculations. Like rise and fall a histogram
approach is used to find its approximate range and magnitude. Further processing is
performed to find its exact magnitude.
Note that the algorithms allow a certain amount of ripple in the passband which will
work in most cases but will fail if this in excess of about 3dB.
Note that the frequency response measurements are general purpose and are required
to account for a wide variety of responses including those with both high and low pass
elements as well as responses with band pass ripple. This requirement compromises
accuracy in simpler cases. So, for example, to calculate the -3dB point of a low pass
response that extends to DC, the 0dB point is taken to be a point midway between the
start frequency and the frequency at which roll-off starts. A better location would be
the start frequency but this would be inaccurate if there was a high pass roll off at low
frequencies. Taking the middle point is a compromise which produces good - but not
necessarily perfect - results in a wide range of cases. To increase accuracy in the case
described above, start the analysis at a lower frequency, this will lower the frequency at
which the 0dB reference is taken.

Plots from curves

Two plots can be made directly from selected curves. These are described below
FFT of Selected Curve
With a single curve selected, from legend popup menu select
Plot FFT of Selected Curve. A new graph sheet will be opened with the FFT of the
curve displayed. To plot an FFT of the curve over the span defined by the cursor
locations select Plot FFT of Selected Curve (Cursor span).
Smoothed Curves
With a single curve selected, from legend popup menu select More Functions... then
under the Plot branch select LP Filter and choose a time constant. Press OK and a new
curve will be displayed showing a smoothed version of the original curve.
This system uses a first order digital IIR filter to perform the filtering action.

Graph Zooming and Scrolling

Zooming with the Mouse

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To zoom in on a portion of a graph, place the cursor at the top left of the area you wish
to view, press and hold the left mouse key then move cursor to bottom right of area and
release left key. The axes limits will be modified appropriately.
To view whole graph again select the graph popup Zoom|Full or toolbar button.
Zooming with the Keyboard
F12 to zoom out
shift-F12 to zoom in
HOME returns graph to full view. (Same as graph popup Zoom|Full)
Recovering an Earlier Zoom
Press the Undo Zoom toolbar button

to recover earlier zoom or scroll positions.

Scrolling with the Keyboard

up, down, left and right cursor keys will scroll the active graph.
Zooming Selected Axes.
When using the mouse to zoom graphs, all curves on the same grid are normally
zoomed together. To zoom only the curve on the selected grid, press and hold the shift
key while selecting the zoom area with the mouse.
Notes

If you add a new curve to a graph which has been zoomed, the axes limits
will not change to accommodate that curve; if the new curve does not lie
within the zoomed area you will not see it. Selecting graph popup
Zoom|Full or pressing HOME key restores the graph to auto-scaling and
the limits will always adjust so that all curves are visible even ones
subsequently added.

Zoom to Fit Y-axis

To zoom in the y-axis only to fit the displayed x-axis, press the Fit Height toolbar
button:

Annotating a Graph
A number of objects are available to annotate graphs for documentation purposes.
These are:

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Curve Marker. A single arrow, line and item of text to identify a curve or feature
of a curve

Legend Box. Box of text that lists all the names of curves currently displayed.

Text Box. Box containing text message.

Free Text. Similar to text box but without border and background.

Caption. As free text but designed for single line heading.

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

Curve Markers
Placing
To place a curve marker, select menu Annotate|Add Curve Marker. A single curve
marker should appear in the right hand margin of the graph.
Moving
To move it, place the mouse cursor at the arrow head - you should see the cursor shape
change to a four pointed arrow - then left click and drag to your desired location. When
you release the marker it will snap to the nearest curve.
Moving Label
To move the text label alone, place the mouse cursor to lie within the text, then left
click and drag. You will notice the alignment of the text with respect to the arrowed
line change as you move the text around the arrow. You can fix a particular alignment
if preferred by changing the marker's properties. See below.
Deleting
First select the marker by a single left click in the text. The text should change colour
to blue. Now press delete key or menu Annotate|Delete Selected Object.
Editing Properties
Double click the marker's label or select then menu Annotate|Edit Selected Object. The
following dialog will open:

Label
Text of the marker's label. %curve:label% automatically resolves to the curve's
label. If the curve name is edited with menu Curves|Rename curve this value will
reflect the change. You can of course enter any text in this box.

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You can also use expressions in the same manner as for cursor dimensions. See
Label on page 247
Text Alignment
This is how the label is aligned to the arrowed line. If set to automatic the
alignment will be chosen to be the most appropriate for the relative position of
the label and the arrowhead. Uncheck automatic and select from the list to fix at a
particular alignment.
Font
Press Edit Font... to change font for text.
Other Properties
Snap To Curve

You can switch off the action that causes curve markers to
always snap to a curve. Select Properties tab then double
click on SnapToCurve item. Select Off. You will now be
able to move the curve marker to any location.

Legend Box
Placing
Select menu Annotate|Add Legend Box. A box listing all the curve names will appear
at the top left of the graph.
Moving
Place cursor inside the box and drag to new location.
Resizing
You can alter the maximum height of the box by placing the mouse cursor on it's
bottom edge and dragging. The text in the box will automatically reposition to comply
with the new maximum height.
Editing Properties
Double click on the box or select then menu Annotate|Edit Selected Object. The
following dialog will be opened:

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Label
Lists each label in the box. These are usually %DefaultLabel% which resolves to
the name of the referenced curve. To edit, double click on the desired item.You
can also enter the symbols %X1% and %Y1% which represent the x and y coordinates of the marker respectively. These can be combined with other text in
any suitable manner. For example: Voltage @ %X1%S = %Y1% might resolve
to something like Voltage at 10u = 2.345. The values of %X1% and %Y1% will
automatically update if you move the marker.
You can also use expressions in the same manner as for cursor dimensions. See
Label on page 247
Background Colour
Select button Edit Colour... to change background colour. To change the default
colour select command shell menu File|Options|Colour... then select item Text
Box. Edit colour as required.
Font
Select button Edit Font... to change font. To change the default font select
command shell menu File|Options|Font... then select item Legend Box. Edit font
as required.

Text Box
Placing
Select menu Annotate|Text Box. Enter required text then Ok. You can use the symbolic
constants %date%, %time%, and %version% to represent creation date, creation time
and the product version respectively.
Moving
Place cursor inside the box and drag to new location.

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Editing Properties
Double click on the box or select then menu Annotate|Edit Selected Object. A dialog
like the one shown for legend boxes (see above) will be displayed
Note when editing the label, you can use the symbolic constants as detailed in
Placing above.

Caption and Free Text

The Caption and Free Text objects are essentially the same, the only difference is their
initial font size and position.
Placing
Select menu Annotate|Caption or Annotate|Free Text. Enter required text then Ok. You
can use the symbolic constants %date%, %time%, and %version% to represent
creation date, creation time and the product version respectively.
Moving
Place cursor inside the box and drag to new location.
Editing Properties
Double click on the box or select then menu Annotate|Edit Selected Object. This will
open a dialog similar to the one shown for curve markers but without the Automatic
option for text alignment.

Copying to the Clipboard

Overview
SIMetrix offers facilities to copy both graph data and the graphs graphical image to
the system clipboard. This provides the ability to export simulation results to other
applications. The data - for example - may be exported to a spreadsheet application for
custom processing, while the graphical image may be exported to a word processor for
the preparation of documents.
SIMetrix may also import data in a tabulated ASCII format. This feature may be used
to display data from a spreadsheet allowing, for example, a comparison between
measured and simulated data.
As well as the system clipboard, SIMetrix also uses an internal clipboard to which
graph curves may be copied. This provides an efficient method of moving or copying
curves to a new graph sheet.

Copy Data to the Clipboard

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1.

Select the graphs you wish to export

2.

Select the menu Edit|Copy ASCII Data

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

The data will be copied in a tabulated ASCII format. The first line will contain the
names of the curves, while the remaining lines will contain the curves data arranged in
columns

Copying Graphics to the Clipboard

Note that this feature is not currently available in the Linux environment.
There are three different ways a graph can be copied to the clipboard. Use the menus
under Edit|Copy Graphics. These are detailed below
Colour

Copies graph to clipboard in full colour. The curve legends

identify the curves using coloured squares similar to how the
graph is displayed on the screen.

Monochrome

Copies graph to clipboard in monochrome. Curves are

distinguished using varying markers and line styles. Curve
legends distinguished curves with a straight line example

Colour with markers Copies graph to clipboard in full colour but also differentiates
curves using markers and line styles. Curve legends
distinguished curves with a straight line example.

Paste Data from the Clipboard

SIMetrix can plot curves using tabulated ASCII data from the clipboard. The format is
the same as used for exporting data. See Copy Data to the Clipboard above for more
details.

Using the Internal Clipboard

The menus Edit|Copy, Edit|Cut and Edit|Paste all use the internal clipboard. These
menus are intended to allow the moving or copying of curves to new graphs. Note that
these menus do not use the system clipboard at all. See above sections for details on
how to copy and paste from the system clipboard.
The internal clipboard uses an efficient method for transferring curves that uses very
little memory even if the curve is large. Also, if you copy a curve, the data itself is not
copied internally; the two curves just reference the same data. This makes copying a
memory efficient operation.
To Move a Curve to a New Graph Sheet
1.

Select the curve or curves you wish to move.

2.

Select menu Edit|Cut.

3.

Either create a new graph sheet to receive the new curves (use F10) or switch to
an existing graph sheet.

4.

Select menu Edit|Paste.

To Copy a Curve to a New Graph Sheet

1.

Select the curve or curves you wish to move.

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2.

Select menu Edit|Copy.

3.

Either create a new graph sheet to receive the new curves (use F10) or switch to
an existing graph sheet.

4.

Select menu Edit|Paste.

Exporting Graphics
You may export schematic graphics to other applications such as word processors or
drawing programs. You can do this via the clipboard (windows only, see Copying
Graphics to the Clipboard above) or by writing out to a file. To export waveform
graphics to a file, select the graph menu File | Save Picture... then select the format of
your choice using the Save as type: drop down box. The choices are:
1.

Windows Meta File (.EMF and .WMF). This is only available in Windows
versions. Nearly all windows applications that support graphics import will
accept this format. Note that this is a scalable format and therefore suitable for
high resolution printing.

2.

Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg). This is a relatively new format and is not
supported by many applications. However, it is the only scalable format available
in Linux.

3.

Bitmap - default image size (.png, .jpg, .bmp) These are available on all
platforms, are widely supported by graphics applications but these are not
scalable formats and so do not offer good quality when printed using high
resolution printers. PNG is the default format if you do not choose a file
extension and generally this is the format that provides the best image quality/file
size trade off. To choose JPG (JPEG format) or BMP (windows bitmap format)
you must explicitly enter .jpg or .bmp file extensions respectively. With this
option the image size will match the image size currently displayed on screen. If
you wish to specify a different image size, use next option.

4.

Bitmap - specify image size (.png, .jpg, .bmp). As 3 above but you must
explicitly define the image resolution in pixels. You will be prompted for this
when you close the file selection dialog box.

Saving Graphs
You can save a graph complete with all its curves, cursor settings and annotations to a
binary file for later retrieval. Note that all the graph data is stored not just that needed
for the current view. If a long run was needed to create the graph, the file could be quite
large.

Saving
Select command shell menu File|Graph|Save As... or graph menu File|Save As... to
save a graph that has never been saved before. To update a saved graph use command
shell menu File|Graph|Save or graph menu File|Save

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Restoring
Select command shell menu File|Graph|Open... or, if a graph window already exists,
graph menu File|Open...

Viewing DC Operating Point Results

Schematic Annotation
You can annotate the schematic with the results of a DC operating point analysis. This
requires special markers to be placed on the schematic. You can instruct SIMetrix to
place markers at every node or you can place them manually.
To place a voltage marker manually use the schematic popup: Bias Annotation|Place
Marker or use control-M. The text displaying the value will be placed on the sharp side
of the marker which to start with points up. If you are placing the marker on a vertical
wire you might wish the text to be on one side. To do this, rotate the marker before
placing by pressing the rotate toolbar button or the F5 key.
To place a current marker use the menu Place|Bias Annotation|Place Current Marker.
To place markers as all nodes select Bias Annotation|Auto Place Markers. This does
however clutter up the schematic and you may prefer to place them manually.
To display the values select Bias Annotation|Update Values. These values are
automatically updated after each simulation run.
The menu Bias Annotation|Delete Markers deletes all the markers and Bias
Annotation|Hide Values removes the text but leaves the markers in place.

Displaying Device Operating Point Info

The menu Bias Annotation|Display Device Bias Info will display in the message
window the node voltages, pin currents and total power dissipation for the selected
schematic component. Note that power dissipation is calculated from the node voltages
and currents.

List File Data

A great deal of information about each device in the circuit can be obtained from the
list file. Use command shell menu Graphs and Data|View List File or Graphs and
Data|Edit List File to see it. Also see the Simulator Reference Manual for more
information about the list file.

Other Methods of Obtaining Bias Data

You can also display a voltage or current in the command shell without placing any
component on the schematic. For voltages, place the mouse cursor over the point of
interest and press control-N. For currents, place the cursor over the component pin and
press control-I.

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Bias Annotation in SIMPLIS

The above apply to operation in both SIMetrix and SIMPLIS modes. When in
SIMPLIS mode the dc values displayed represent the results at time=0. For AC
analysis this will be the time=0 value for its associated POP analysis.

Bias Annotation Display Precision

By default, bias annotation values are displayed with a precision of 6 digits. To change
this, select command shell menu File|Options|General... then edit the value in box Bias
Annotation Precision in the Schematic sheet.

Bias Annotation and Long Transient Runs

If you are running a long transient analysis and plan to use bias annotation extensively,
you might like to set a simulator option that will make this process more efficient. The
simulator option is:
.OPTIONS FORCETRANOPGROUP

This forces a separate data group and separate data file to be created for the transient
analysis bias point data. Unless tstart>0 bias point data is usually taken from t=0
values. The problem with this approach is that to view a single value, the entire vector
has to be loaded from the data file to memory. This isn't a problem if the run is only a
100 points or so, but could be a problem if it was 100,000 points. It can take a long
time to load that amount of data. By specifying this option, the bias point data is stored
separately and only a single value needs to be read from the file. This is much more
efficient.
Future versions may set this option by default.

Saving Data
Saving the Data of a Simulation
The simulator usually saves all its data to a binary file stored in a temporary location.
This data will eventually get deleted. To save this data permanently, select menu
File|Data|Save.... You will be offered two options:
Move existing data file to new location
This will move the data file to location that you specify and thus change its status from
temporary to permanent. As long as the new location is in the same volume (=disk
partition) as the original location, this operation will be very quick. However, if the
data is from the most recent simulation, SIMetrix needs to unhook it in order to be
able to move the file. This will make it impossible to resume the simulation (if paused)
or restart the simulation (transient only).
Note that if you specify a location on a different volume as the original data, then the
files data has to be copied and for large data files, this will take a long time.

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Make new copy
This makes a fresh copy of the data. This option does not suffer from the drawbacks of
moving the file but if the data file is large can take a very long time.

Restoring Simulation Data

Select menu File|Data|Load.... Navigate to a directory where you have previously
saved data files.
You can also reload data from temporary files using menu File|Data|Load Temporary
Data.... Whether or not there will be any files available to opened depends on the
temporary data file delete options. See Graph/Probe/Data Analysis on page 331 for
information about these options.
The error The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another
process means that the temporary data file is still in use. Unless the file is in use by
another instance of SIMetrix you will be able to use its data by selecting its associated
group. Use menu Graphs and Data Analysis|Change Data Group....

Performance Analysis and Histograms

Overview
When running multi-step analyses which generate multiple curves, it is often useful to
be able to plot some characteristic of each curve against the stepped value. For
example, suppose you wished to investigate the load response of a power supply
circuit and wanted to plot the fall in output voltage vs transient current load. To do this
you would set up a transient analysis to repeat a number of times with a varying load
current. (See Multi-step Analyses on page 196 to learn how to do this). After the run
is complete you can plot a complete set of curves, take cursor measurements and
manually produce a plot of voltage drop vs. load current. This is of course is quite a
time consuming and error prone activity.
Fortunately, SIMetrix has a means of automating this procedure. A range of functions sometimes known as goal functions - are available that perform a computation on a
complete curve to create a single value. By applying one or a combination of these
functions on the results of a multi-step analysis, a curve of the goal function versus the
stepped variable may be created.
This feature is especially useful for Monte Carlo analysis in which case you would
most likely wish to plot a histogram.
We start with an example and in fact it is a power supply whose load response we wish
to investigate.

Example
The following circuit is a model of a hybrid linear-switching 5V PSU. See
Work\Examples\HybridPSU\5vpsu_v1.sxsch

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Users Manual

C7
100u

R12
470

12
V1
5

D2

X2

IDEAL

Q2
BC547
BC547
Q1

LT1078
1.235
V2

1n
C4

R1
0.5

220
R13

100k

330u
L1

100u
C5

X1

100k

E1

820k
R11

R4
1MEG
R5

R6

LT1078
100k
R3

100k
R8
26u
C8

270k
R10

1
R7

2
R9

0.6
R14

260u
C2
0.6
R2

C9
714u

1u
C1

4.7n
C3

v out

pulse(0 {iload} 0.03 1m)

I2
1K
R16

R15
0.3

100n
C6

1
V3

I2 provides a current that is switched on for 1mS after a short delay. A multi-step
analysis is set up so that the load current is varied from 10mA to 1A. The output for all
runs is:

I2-pos iload=10m

4.98

I2-pos / V

4.96

4.94

4.92

I2-pos iload=1
4.9

28
Time/mSecs

266

30

32

34

36

38

40
2mSecs/div

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

We will now plot the a graph of the voltage drop vs the load current. This is the
procedure:
1.

Select menu Probe|Performance Analysis...

2.

You will see a dialog box very similar to that shown in Plotting an Arbitrary
Expression on page 229. In the expression box you must enter an expression
that resolves to a single value for each curve. For this example we use:
yatx(vout, 0)-minimum(vout)

yatx(vout, 0) returns the value of vout when time=0. minimum(vout) returns the
minimum value found on the curve. The end result is the drop in voltage when
the load pulse occurs. Press OK and the following curve should appear:
100m

yatx(vout, 0)-minimum(vout) / V

40m

20m

10m

4m

2m

10m

20m

40m

100m

200m

400m

iload / ?

Histograms
The procedure for histograms is the same except that you should use the menu
Probe|Histogram... instead. Here is another example.

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This is a design for an active band-pass filter using the simulated inductor method. See
Examples\MonteCarlo\768Hz_bandpass.sxsch. We want to plot a histogram of the
centre frequency of the filter.
100k
1%
R1

1%
R5
2.7k

10%
C2
V1
100n
ac 1 sin 0 2 768
vn

tl062

vp

X2

1%
R2
2.2k

X1

tl062

vp

vn

1%
R3
2.2k
10%
C1
10n
1%
R4
16k

The example circuit has been set up to do 100 runs. This won't take long to run, less
than 10 seconds on most machines. This is the procedure:
1.

Run the simulation using F9 or equivalent menu.

2.

Select menu Probe|Histogram...

3.

Left click on the output of the filter. This is the junction of R1 and C2.

4.

You should see R1_P appear in the expression box. We must now modify this
with a goal function that returns the centre frequency. The function CentreFreq
will do this. This measures the centre frequency by calculating the half way point
between the intersections at some specified value below the peak. Typically you
would use 3dB.
Modify the value in the expression box so that it reads:
CentreFreq(R1_p, 3)

5.

268

At this stage you can optionally modify the graph setting to enter your own axis
labels etc. Now close the box. This is what you should see:

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

Mean = 764.529
Std. Dev. = 15.6069
25

Frequency / counts

20

15

10

730

740

750

760

770

780

790

Frequency/Hertz

10Hertz/div

Note that the mean and standard deviation are automatically calculated.
Histograms for Single Step Monte Carlo Sweeps
An example of this type of run is shown on page 181. These runs produce only a single
curve with each point in the curve the result of the Monte Carlo analysis. With these
runs you do not need to apply a goal function, just enter the name of the signal you
wish to analyse. To illustrate this we will use the same example as shown on page 181.
1.

Open the example circuit Examples\Sweep\AC_Param_Monte

2.

Run simulation.

3.

Select menu Probe|Plot Histogram...

4.

Left click on '+' pin of the differential amplifier E1. You should see R4_N appear
in the box. Now enter a '-' after this then click on the '-' pin of the E1. This is what
should be in the box:
R4_N-R3_N

5.

Close box. You should see something like this:

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Users Manual

Mean = 2.85301
Std. Dev. = 30.3897m
70

Frequency / counts

60
50
40
30
20
10
2.78
Voltage/V

2.8

2.82

2.84

2.86

2.88

2.9

2.92
20mV/div

This is a histogram showing the distribution of the gain of the amplifier at 100kHz.

Goal Functions
A range of functions are available to process curve data. Some of these are primitive
and others use the user defined function mechanism. Primitive functions are compiled
into the binary executable file while user defined functions are defined as scripts and
are installed at functions at start up. User defined functions can be modified and you
may also define your own. For more information refer to the Script Reference Manual.
This is available as a PDF file on the install CD. A hardcopy version is also available
for an additional charge.
The functions described here aren't the only functions that may be used in the
expression for performance analysis. They are simply the ones that can convert the
array data that the simulator generates into a single value with some useful meaning.
There are many other functions that process simulation vectors to produce another
vector for example: log; sqrt; sin; cos and many more. These are defined in Function
Reference on page 303.
Of particular interest is the Truncate function described on page 313. This selects data
over a given X range so you can apply a goal function to work on only a specific part
of the data.
Primitive Functions
The following primitive functions may be used as goal functions. Not all actually
return a single value. Some return an array and the result would need to be indexed.
Maxima is an example.

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Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

Name

Description

Page

Maxima(real [, real, string])

Returns array of all maximum turning 310

points

Maximum(real/complex [,
real, real])

Returns the largest value in a given

range.

Mean(real/complex)

Returns the mean of all values. (You 310

should not use this for transient
analysis data as it fails to take
account of the varying step size. Use
Mean1 instead.)

Mean1(real [, real, real])

Finds the true mean accounting for

the interval between data points

Minima(real [, real, string])

Returns array of all minimum turning 311

points.

Minimum(real/complex)

Returns the largest value in a given

range.

311

RMS1(real [, real, real])

Finds RMS value of data

312

SumNoise(real [, real, real])

Integrates noise data to find total

noise in the specified range.

313

XFromY(real, real [, real,

real])

Returns an array of X values at a

given Y value.

314

YFromX(real, real [, real])

Returns an array of Y values at a

given X value.

314

310

311

User Defined Functions

The following functions are defined using the user defined functions mechanism. They
are defined as scripts but behave like functions.

Name

Description

Page

BPBW(data, db_down)

Band-pass bandwidth.

272

Bandwidth(data, db_down)

Same as BPBW

272

CentreFreq(data, db_down)

Centre frequency

273

Duty(data, [threshold])

Duty cycle of first pulse

273

Fall(data, [start, end])

Fall time

274

Frequency(data, [threshold]) Average frequency

275

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Name

Description

GainMargin(data,
phaseInstabilityPoint)

Gain Margin

Page

HPBW(data, db_down)

High pass bandwidth

275

LPBW(data, db_down)

Low pass bandwidth

276

Overshoot(data, [start, end])

Overshoot

277

PeakToPeak(data, [start,
end])

Peak to Peak

278

Period(data, [threshold])

Period of first cycle.

278

PhaseMargin(data,
phaseInstabilityPoint)

Phase Margin

PulseWidth(data, [threshold]) Pulse width of first cycle

278

Rise(data, [start, end])

Rise time

279

XatNthY(data, yValue, n)

X value at the Nth Y crossing

279

XatNthYn(data, yValue, n)

X value at the Nth Y crossing with

negative slope

279

XatNthYp(data, yValue, n)

X value at the Nth Y crossing with

positive slope

280

XatNthYpct(data, yValue, n)

X value at the Nth Y crossing. y

value specified as a percentage.

280

YatX(data, xValue)

Y value at xValue

280

YatXpct(data, xValue)

Y value at xValue specified as a

percentage

280

BPBW, Bandwidth

BPBW(data, db_down)
Finds the bandwidth of a band pass response. This is illustrated by the following graph

272

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

db_down
First 3dB crossing
after peak = x2

Last 3dB crossing

before peak = x1

Bandwidth

Function return x2-x1 as shown in the above diagram.

Note that data is assumed to be raw simulation data and may be complex. It must not
be in dBs.
Implemented by built-in script uf_bandwidth. See install CD for source.
CentreFreq, CenterFreq

CentreFreq(data, db_down)
See diagram in BPBW, Bandwidth above. Function returns (x1+x2)/2
Both British and North American spellings of centre (center) are accepted.
Implemented by built-in script uf_centre_freq. See install CD for source.
Duty

Duty(data, [threshold])

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Users Manual

First +ve crossing

of threshold = X1

First -ve crossing

of threshold = X2

Second +ve crossing

of threshold = X3

Function returns (X2-X1)/(X3-X1)

X1, X2 and X3 are defined in the above graph.
Default value for threshold is
(Ymax+Ymin)/2
Where Ymax = largest value in data and Ymin in smallest value in data.
Implemented by built-in script uf_duty. See install CD for source.
Fall

Fall(data, [xStart, xEnd])

X1

X2
Y1

Amplitude

Y2

Function returns the 10% to 90% fall time of the first falling edge that occurs between
x1 and x2. The 10% point is at y threshold Y1 + (Y2-Y1)*0.1 and the 90% point is at y
threshold Y1 + (Y2-Y1)*0.9.
If xStart is specified, X1=xStart otherwise X1 = x value of first point in data.
If xEnd is specified, X2=xEnd otherwise X2 = x value of last point in data.
If xStart is specified, Y1=y value at xStart otherwise Y1 = maximum y value in data.

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Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

If xEnd is specified, Y2=y value at xEnd otherwise Y2 = minimum y value in data.
Implemented by built-in script uf_fall. See install CD for source.
Frequency

Frequency(data, [threshold])
Finds the average frequency of data.
Returns:
(n-1)/(xn-x1)
Where:
n = the number of positive crossings of threshold
xn = the x value of the nth positive crossing of threshold
x1 = the x value of the first positive crossing of threshold
If threshold is not specified a default value of (ymax+ymin)/2 is used where ymax is
the largest value in data and ymin is the smallest value.
Implemented by built-in script uf_frequency. See install CD for source.
GainMargin

GainMargin(data, [phaseInstabilityPoint])
Finds the gain margin in dB of data where data is the complex open loop transfer
function of a closed loop system. The gain margin is defined as the factor by which the
open loop gain of a system must increase in order to become unstable.
phaseInstabilityPoint is the phase at which the system becomes unstable. This is used
to allow support for inverting and non-inverting systems. If data represents an
inverting system, phaseInstabilityPoint should be zero. If data represents a noninverting system, phaseInstabilityPoint should be -180.
The function detects the frequencies at which the phase of the system is equal to
phaseInstabilityPoint. It then calculates the gain at those frequencies and returns the
value that is numerically the smallest. This might be negative indicating that the
system is probably already unstable (but could be conditionally stable).
If the phase of the system does not cross the phaseInstabilityPoint then no gain margin
can be evaluated and the function will return an empty vector.
HPBW

HPBW(data, db_down)
Finds high pass bandwidth.

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Users Manual
X1

X max
Y max

Y max - db_down

Returns the value of X1 as shown in the above diagram.

Y max is the y value at the maximum point.
X max is the x value at the maximum point.
X1 is the x value of the first point on the curve that crosses (Y max - db_down) starting
at X max and scanning right to left.
Note that data is assumed to be raw simulation data and may be complex. It must not
be in dBs.
Implemented by built-in script uf_hpbw. See install CD for source.
LPBW

LPBW(data, db_down)
Finds low pass bandwidth

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Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

X max

X1
Y max

Y max - db_down

Returns the value of X1 as shown in the above diagram.

Y max is the y value at the maximum point.
X max is the x value at the maximum point.
X1 is the x value of the first point on the curve that crosses (Y max - db_down) starting
at X max and scanning left to right.
Note that data is assumed to be raw simulation data and may be complex. It must not
be in dBs.
Implemented by built-in script uf_lpbw. See install CD for source.
Overshoot

Overshoot(data, [xStart, xEnd])

Finds overshoot in percent.
Returns:
(yMax-yStart)/(yStart-yEnd)
Where
yMax is the largest value found in the interval between xStart and xEnd.
yStart is the y value at xStart.
yEnd is the y value at xEnd.
If xStart is omitted it defaults to the x value of the first data point.
If xEnd is omitted it defaults to the x value of the last data point.
Implemented by built-in script uf_overshoot. See install CD for source.

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Users Manual
PeakToPeak

PeakToPeak(data, [xStart, xEnd])

Returns the difference between the maximum and minimum values found in the data
within the interval xStart to xEnd.
If xStart is omitted it defaults to the x value of the first data point.
If xEnd is omitted it defaults to the x value of the last data point.
Implemented by built-in script uf_peak_to_peak. See install CD for source.
Period

Period(data, [threshold])
Returns the period of the data.
Refer to diagram for the Duty function on page 273. The Period function returns:
X3 - X1
Default value for threshold is
(Ymax+Ymin)/2
Where Ymax = largest value in data and Ymin in smallest value in data.
Implemented by built-in script uf_period. See install CD for source.
PhaseMargin

PhaseMargin(data, [phaseInstabilityPoint])
Finds the phase margin in dB of data where data is the complex open loop transfer
function of a closed loop system. The phase margin is defined as the angle by which
the open loop phase shift of a system must increase in order to become unstable.
phaseInstabilityPoint is the phase at which the system becomes unstable. This is used
to allow support for inverting and non-inverting systems. If data represents an
inverting system, phaseInstabilityPoint should be zero. If data represents a noninverting system, phaseInstabilityPoint should be -180.
The function detects the frequencies at which the magnitude of the gain is unity. It then
calculates the phase shift at those frequencies and returns the value that is numerically
the smallest. This might be negative indicating that the system is probably already
unstable (but could be conditionally stable).
If the gain of the system does not cross unity then no phase margin can be evaluated
and the function will return an empty vector.
PulseWidth

PulseWidth(data, [threshold])
Returns the pulse width of the first pulse in the data.

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Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

Refer to diagram for the Duty function on page 273. The PulseWidth function
returns:
X2 - X1
Default value for threshold is
(Ymax+Ymin)/2
Where Ymax = largest value in data and Ymin in smallest value in data.
Implemented by built-in script uf_pulse_width. See install CD for source.
Rise

Rise(data, [xStart, xEnd])

X1

X2
Y2

Amplitude

Y1

Function returns the 10% to 90% rise time of the first rising edge that occurs between
x1 and x2. The 10% point is at y threshold Y1 + (Y2-Y1)*0.1 and the 90% point is at y
threshold Y1 + (Y2-Y1)*0.9.
If xStart is specified, X1=xStart otherwise X1 = x value of first point in data.
If xEnd is specified, X2=xEnd otherwise X2 = x value of last point in data.
If xStart is specified, Y1=y value at xStart otherwise Y1 = maximum y value in data.
If xEnd is specified, Y2=y value at xEnd otherwise Y2 = minimum y value in data.
XatNthY

XatNthY(data, yValue, n)
Returns the x value of the data where it crosses yValue for the nth time.
XatNthYn

XatNthYn(data, yValue, n)
Returns the x value of the data where it crosses yValue for the nth time with a negative
slope.

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Users Manual
XatNthYp

XatNthYp(data, yValue, n)
Returns the x value of the data where it crosses yValue for the nth time with a positive
slope.
XatNthYpct

XatNthYpct(data, yValue, n)
As XatNthY but with yValue specified as a percentage of the maximum and minimum
values found in the data.
YatX

YatX(data, xValue)
Returns the y value of the data at x value = xValue.
YatXpct
As YatX but with xValue specified as a percentage of the total x interval of the data.

Data Import and Export

SIMetrix provides the capability to export simulation data to a file in text form and also
to import data from a file in text form. This makes it possible to process simulation
data using another application such as a spreadsheet or custom program.
SIMetrix may also import data in SPICE3 raw file format and CSDF format. Some
other simulation products can output in one or both of these formats.

Importing SPICE3 Raw and CSDF Files

1.

Select command shell menu File|Data|Load...

2.

In Files of type select SPICE3 Raw Files or CSDF Files as required.

3.

Select file to import.

SIMetrix will read the entire file and write its data out to a temporary .sxdat file in the
same way as it does when saving its own simulation data. The data read from the raw
file is buffered in RAM in order to maximise the efficiency of the saved data. SIMetrix
will use up to 10% of system RAM for this purpose.
Note that this feature is not available with SIMetrix Intro.

Importing Tabulated ASCII Data

SIMetrix can import data in a tabulated ASCII format allowing the display of data
created by a spreadsheet program. There is a no menu for this, but this can be done
using the OpenGroup command (page 297) with the /text switch. E.g. at the command
line type:
OpenGroup /text data.txt

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Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

This will read in the file data.txt and create a new group called textn. See Data Files
Text Format on page 282 below for details of format.
Note that if you create the file using another program such as a spreadsheet, the above
command may fail if the file is still open in the other application. Closing the file in the
other application will resolve this.

Exporting SPICE3 Raw Files

SIMetrix can export all simulation data to a SPICE3 raw file. This format may be
accepted by third party waveform viewers.
To export a SPICE3 raw file, proceed as follows:
1.

Select menu File|Data|Save...

2.

Under Save as type: choose SPICE3 Raw Files.

Note that various applications use slightly different variants of this format. By default,
SIMetrix outputs the data in a form that is the same as the standard unmodified
SPICE3 program. This can be modified using the option setting ExportRawFormat.
Use the Set command to set this value. See Set on page 299 for details. Set this value
to spice3, spectre or other.

Exporting Data
To export data, use the Show command (page 300) with the /file switch. E.g
Show /file data.txt vout r1_p q1#c

will output to data.txt the vectors vout, r1_p, and q1#c. The values will be output in a
form compatible OpenGroup /text.
Vector Names
In the above example the vector names are vout, r1_p and q1#c. If you simulate a
schematic, the names used for voltage signals are the same as the node names in the
netlist which in turn are assigned by the schematic's netlist generator. To find out what
these names are, place the mouse cursor on the node of interest on the schematic then
press control-S. The node name - and therefore the vector name - will be displayed in
the command shell. A similar procedure can be used for currents. Place the mouse
cursor on the device pin of interest and press control-P.

Launching Other Applications

Data import and export makes it possible to process simulation data using other
applications. SIMetrix has a facility to launch other programs using the Shell
command. You could therefore write a script to export data, process it with your own
program then read the processed data back in for plotting. To do this you must specify
the /wait switch for the Shell command to force SIMetrix to wait until the external
application has finished. E.g.
Shell /wait procdata.exe

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Users Manual
will launch the program procdata.exe and will not return until procdata.exe has closed.

Data Files Text Format

SIMetrix has the ability to read in data in text form using the OpenGroup command
(page 297). This makes it possible to use SIMetrix to graph data generated by other
applications such as a spreadsheet. This can be useful to compare simulated and
measured results.
There are two alternative formats.
The first is simply a series of values separated by white space. This will be read in as a
single vector with a reference equal to its index.
The second format is as follows:
A text data file may contain any number of blocks. Each block has a header followed
by a list of datapoints. The header and each datapoint must be on one line.
The header is of the form:
reference_nameydata1_name[ ydata2_name ... ]
Each datapoint must be of the form:
reference_valueydata1_value[ ydata2_value ... ]
The number of entries in each datapoint must correspond to the number of entries in
the header.
The reference is the x data (e.g. time or frequency).
Example
Time

Voltage1

0
1e-09
2e-09
4e-09
8e-09
1.6e-08
3.2e-08
6.4e-08
1e-07
1.064e-07

14.5396
14.5397
14.5398
14.54
14.5408
14.5439
14.5555
14.5909
14.6404
14.6483

Voltage2
14.6916
14.6917
14.6917
14.6917
14.6911
14.688
14.6766
14.641
14.5905
14.5821

If the above was read in as a text file (using OpenGroup /text), a new group called
textn where n is a number would be generated. The group would contain three vectors
called time, Voltage1 and Voltage2. The vectors Voltage1 and Voltage2 would have a
reference of Time. Time itself would not have a reference.
To read in complex values, enclose the real and imaginary parts in parentheses and
separate with a comma. E.g:
Frequency
1000
1004.61579
1009.252886

282

:VOUT
(-5.94260997, 0.002837811)
(-5.94260997, 0.00285091)
(-5.94260996, 0.002864069)

Chapter 9 Graphs, Probes and Data Analysis

1013.911386
1018.591388
1023.292992
1028.016298
1032.761406
1037.528416
1042.317429
1047.128548

(-5.94260995, 0.002877289)
(-5.94260994, 0.00289057)
(-5.94260993, 0.002903912)
(-5.94260992, 0.002917316)
(-5.94260991, 0.002930782)
(-5.9426099, 0.00294431)
(-5.94260989, 0.0029579)
(-5.94260988, 0.002971553)

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Users Manual

Chapter 10 The Command Shell

Execute
command
Drop down list for
command history

Command line

Message window

Command Line
The command line is at the top of the command shell. See diagram above.
The vast majority of operations with SIMetrix can be executed from menus or predefined keys and do not require the use of the command line. However, a few more
advanced operations do require the use of the command line. From the command line
you can run a script or an internal command. You can also define a new menu to call a
script, command or series of commands. In fact all the built in menu and keys are in
fact themselves defined as commands or scripts. These definitions can be changed as
well as new ones defined. See Editing the Menu System on page 285
Details of some of the available commands are given in Command and Function
Reference on page 292. The remainder are documented in the SIMetrix Script
Reference Manual.

Command History
A history of manually entered commands is available from the drop down list. (select
arrow to the right of the command line). Some other commands entered via menus or
from a script may also be placed in the command history.

Message Window
Various messages may be displayed in the message window below the command line.
These include command progress, errors, warnings and listing outputs. The text in the
window may be copied to the clipboard using a context sensitive menu activated by the
right mouse button.

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Chapter 10 The Command Shell

Multiple commands on one line

You can place multiple commands on the same line separated by a semi-colon - ; .
This is the only way a menu or key can be defined to execute more than one command.

Scripts
SIMetrix features a comprehensive scripting language. Full details of this can be found
in the Script Reference Manual. This is available as a PDF file on the install CD. A
hardcopy version is also available for an additional charge.

Command Line Editing

The command line itself is a windows edit control. The cursor keys, home and end all
work in the usual way. You can also copy (control-C), cut (control-X) and paste
(control-V) text. There is also a right click popup menu with the usual edit commands.

Maximum Line Length

There is a maximum number of characters that can be entered on the command line but
this is very large. The limit is related to the number of words as well as characters and
is typically in excess of 2000 words. It is possible to exceed this limit with braced
substitutions where the result of an expression is placed in the command line. Note that
lines larger than 512 characters will not be inserted into the command history. (The
drop down list box attached to command line)

Command Line Switches

Many commands have switches. These are always preceded by a '/' and their meaning
is specific to the command. There are however four global switches which can be
applied to any command. These must always be placed immediately after the command
and before any command specific switches. Global switches are as follows:

/e Forces command text to copied to command history

/ne Inhibits command text copying to command history

/quiet Inhibits error messages for that command. This only stops error message
being displayed. A script will still be aborted if an error occurs but no message
will be output

/noerr Stops scripts being aborted if there is an error. The error message will still
be displayed.

Editing the Menu System

Overview
The menu system in SIMetrix may be edited by one of two methods:
1.

Using the script language. You can either edit the menu.sxscr script that builds
the menu system on program start, or you can make additions by adding
commands to the start up script

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2.

Using the GUI based menu editor

The first method offers the ultimate in flexibility but has a steep learning curve. The
second method is quite simple to use and is appropriate for simple changes to the menu
system such as deleting unused menus or changing hot-key definitions.
The following describes the second method. For details about the first method, please
refer to the Script Reference Manual.

Procedure
Select menu File | Options | Edit Menu... . This will open the following dialog box

The above view shows the layout for SIMetrix/SIMPLIS products. For SIMetrix only
products the top level menu choices will be slightly different.
The left hand pane shows the current menu system in a tree structured list. The buttons
on the right allow you to move, delete or add new menu items and sub menus.
To Delete a Menu Item or Entire Sub-menu
Select the item you wish to delete on the left hand side then press Remove. To
subsequently restore a deleted item, use Add Item... (see below).

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To Move a Menu Item or Sub-menu
Select the item then use the up and down arrows key to move as required. If you wish
to move a menu item to a different sub-menu, you should remove it (as described
above) then add it again using Add Item... (see below).
To Add a New Menu Item
You can add a previously removed menu item to a new location or you can create a
completely new menu item.
In both cases, select the location within a sub-menu and press Add Item... . To add a
previously removed menu select Add Existing and choose an item in the left hand pane.
This pane will be empty if you have not previously removed any menu items. (This
could be in a previous session as deleted items are always remembered).
To add a new item press Add New then enter the required values. For Name enter the
name of the menu as you would like to see it in the menu itself. Use the & character
to denote underlined letters used to denote Alt-key short-cuts. E.g. &My Menu will
be displayed My Menu and will be activated with Alt-M. For Command String you
must enter a valid SIMetrix command. Typically this would call a user defined script,
but you may also enter primitive commands or a list of primitive commands separated
by semi-colons. See the Script Reference Manual for full details.
To add a separator to the sub-menu, press Add Separator.
To Create a New Sub-menu
Select the location for your new menu then press Add Menu... . Enter the menu name as
required. The new sub-menu will have one single empty item which you can select to
add new items to the sub-menu. The empty item will not appear in SIMetrix menus.
To Edit or Add an Accelerator Key
Select the menu item to which you wish to assign the accelerator key. Press
Accelerator... . You will now be asked to press a single key or key combination with

shift, control or alt. The key you press will be assigned to the menu.
Press Remove to delete the accelerator key assignment.
To Reset to Factory Settings
Press Reset to reset the menu system back to factory settings. Usually this means that
the menu system will revert to the structure defined when SIMetrix was first installed.
However, if you defined any menus in the startup script using the DefMenu command,
these menus will be faithfully restored as well.
Reopen Menu
The Reopen menu in the Command Shell File menu is dynamically updated to include
schematic files recently opened or saved. The items in this menu are not listed in the
Menu Editor and cannot be edited. The Reopen sub-menu itself should not be deleted,
or moved to a new sub-menu nor should it be renamed, but it may be repositioned in
the command shells File menu as desired.

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User Defined Toolbars and Buttons

All toolbars and buttons are user definable and it is also possible to create new toolbars
and buttons. Full details are provided in the Script Reference Manual Chapter 7.

Message Window
The message window is the window in the command shell below the command line.
The majority of messages, including errors and warnings, are displayed here. The
window can be scrolled vertically with the scroll bar.
You can copy a line of text from the message window to the command line by placing
the cursor on the line and either double clicking the left mouse key or pressing the
Insert key.
Up to 2000 lines of messages will be retained for viewing at any time.

Menu Reference
For complete documentation on menu system, please refer to the on-line help. The
menu reference topic can be viewed by selecting the menu Help|Menu Reference

Keyboard
The following keys definitions are built in. They can all be redefined using the DefKey
command (see DefKey on page 293) or short-cut with DefMenu command.

Key Unshifted

Shift

Control

Place 2-input
AND

Ascend one level

(schem)

Place fixed
voltage probe

Place capacitor

Copy (schem),
Copy to
clipboard (graph)

288

Place diode

Place voltage
controlled
voltage source

Place current
controlled
current source

Place D-type flip- Duplicate

flop
(schem)
Descend into
block (schem)

Shift-Control

Chapter 10 The Command Shell

Key Unshifted

Shift

Control

Place ground

Place digital
ground

Browse Parts

Place module
port

Place current
source

Place digital
inverter

Show current in
pin

Place N-JFET

Place P-JFET

Place ideal
inductor

Place NMOS
transistor

Place NPN
transistor

Place 2-input
NAND

Place Op-amp

Place 2-input OR

Place PNP
transistor

Place digital
pulse

Place bias
marker

Shift-Control

Update bias
values

Show voltage at
node
Show pinname
at cursor
Repeat arc
(symbol editor)

Place resistor

Place 2-input
NOR

Place switch

Show netname
at cursor

Place
transmission line

Switch window

Place fixed
current probe

Place voltage
source

Place waveform
generator

Place ideal
transformer

Place terminal

Place zener
diode

Place digital
VCC

Repeat last
probe

Paste
Select Window

Place 2-input
XOR

Cut

Undo
(schematic)

1
2

Place NMOS 4term transistor

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Key Unshifted
3

Place PMOS 4term transistor

Place resistor (zshape)

Shift

Control

Shift-Control

5
6
7
8
9

290

Key

Unshifted

Shift

Control

F1

Help

F2

Step script

Pause script

Resume
script

F3

Start wire (schem),

More analysis functions
(graph)

F4

Probe Voltage
(immediate)

F5

Rotate (schem, symbol), Cursor to previous

Cursor to next peak
peak (graph)
(graph)

F6

Mirror (schem, symbol), Flip (schem,

Cursor to next trough
symbol editor),
(graph)
Cursor to previous
trough (graph)

F7

Edit Part... (schem),

Ref cursor to next peak
(graph),
Edit property/pin/arc
(symbol editor)

F8

Edit reference (schem), Ref cursor to

Ref cursor to next trough previous trough
(graph)
(graph)

Move ref

F9

Start simulation

Open Last
Schematic

F10

New graph sheet

Alt

Quit/
Close
window

Edit literal value

(schem), Ref
cursor to previous
peak (graph)

Move value Edit

MOS
value

Chapter 10 The Command Shell

Key

Unshifted

F11

Open/close simulator
command window
(schem)

F12

Zoom out (schem,

graph, symbol)

Shift

Control

Alt

Zoom in (schem,
graph, symbol
editor)

Insert

Paste

Delete Delete

Cut

Home Zoom full (graph,

schem, symbol)

Zoom full selected

axis (graph)

Copy

End
Page
Up
Page
Down
Up

Big scroll
Scroll up (schem, graph) Increment
up (schem)
component/
potentiometer
(schem), Scroll up
selected axis
(graph)

Down

Scroll down (schem,

graph)

Big scroll
Decrement
down
component/
(schem)
potentiometer
(schem), Scroll
down selected axis
(graph)

Left

Scroll left (schem,

graph)

Scroll left selected Big scroll

axis (graph)
left (schem)

Right

Scroll right (schem,

graph)

Scroll right
selected axis
(graph)

TAB

Step main cursor

Step reference
cursor

ESC

Abort macro, cancel

operation or pause
simulation

Big scroll
right
(schem)

SPACE

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Chapter 11 Command and Function Reference

There are about 380 functions and 210 commands available but only a few are covered
in this chapter. Details of all available functions and commands can be found in the
Script Reference Manual. This is available as a PDF file on the install CD. A hardcopy
version is also available for an additional charge.

Notation
Symbols Used
Square brackets: [ ]
These signify a command line parameter or switch which is optional.
Pipe symbol: |
This signifies either/or.
Ellipsis: ...
This signifies 1 or more optional multiple entries.
Fonts
Anything that would be typed in is displayed in a fixed width font.
Command line parameters are in italics.
Case
Although upper and lower cases are used for the command names, they are NOT in
fact case sensitive.
Examples
OpenGroup [ /text ] [ filename ]

Both /text (a switch) and filename (a parameter) are optional in the above example.
So the following are all legitimate:
OpenGroup
OpenGroup /text
OpenGroup run23.dat
OpenGroup /text output.txt
DelCrv curve_number...

One or more curve_number parameters may be given.

So the following are all legitimate:
DelCrv 1 2 3
DelCrv 1

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Chapter 11 Command and Function Reference

Command Summary
Only a few of the approximately 220 available commands are detailed in this chapter
and a list is given in the table below. Documentation for the remainder is provided in
the Script Reference Manual. This is available as a PDF file on the install CD and can
also be downloaded from our web site.

Command name

Description

DefKey

Define keyboard key

DefMenu

Define fixed or popup menu item

DelMenu

Delete menu item

ListStdKeys

Write standard key definitions to file

OpenGroup

Create new group (of simulation data) from data file

ReadLogicCompatibility Read external logic compatibility tables

Reset

Release memory used for simulation

SaveRhs

Create nodeset file to speed DC convergence

Set

Set option

Show

Displays the value of an expression. Can be used to

export data to a file in ASCII form

UnSet

Delete option

Reference
DefKey
DefKey Key_Label Command_string [option_flag]
DefKey is used to define custom key strokes.
Key_Label

Code to signify key to define. See table below for list of

possible labels. All labels may be suffixed with one of the
following:
SCHEM

Key defined only when a schematic window is

currently active

GRAPH

Key defined only when a graph window is

currently active

SHELL

Key defined only when the command shell is

currently active

SYMBOL

Key defined only when a symbol editor

window is active

If no suffix is provided the key definition will be active in all

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windows.
Command_string

A command line command or commands to be executed when

the specified key is pressed. Multiple commands must be
separated by semi-colons (';'). Unless the command string has
no spaces, it must wholly enclosed in double quotation marks
(").

option_flag

A number between 0 and 5 to specify the manner in which the

command is executed. These are as follows:
0.

Default. Command is echoed and executed. Any text

already in command line is overwritten.

5.

Immediate mode. Command is executed immediately even

if another operation - such as a simulation run or
schematic editing operation - is currently in progress. For
other options the command is not executed until the
current operation is completed. Only a few commands can
be assigned with this option. See DefMenu documentation
in the Script Reference Manual for full details.

Valid key labels:

Function keys: F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9, F10, F11, F12

294

INS
DEL
HOME
END
PGUP
PGDN
LEFT
RIGHT
UP
DOWN
TAB
BACK

Insert key
Delete key
Home key
End key
Page up key
Page down key

Tab key
Back space

ESC

Escape key

NUM1
NUM2
NUM3
NUM4
NUM5
NUM6
NUM7
NUM8
NUM9
NUM0
NUM*
NUM/
NUM+

Keypad 1
Keypad 2
Keypad 3
Keypad 4
Keypad 5
Keypad 6
Keypad 7
Keypad 8
Keypad 9
Keypad 0
Keypad *
Keypad /
Keypad +

Chapter 11 Command and Function Reference

NUMNUM.

Keypad Keypad .

_SPACE Space bar (must always be shifted - see below)

All letter and number keys i.e.
A to Z and 0 to 9 referred to by letter/number alone.
Shifted keys
Any of the above prefixed with any combination of 'S' for shift, 'C' for control or 'A' for
alt. Note that in windows, the right hand ALT key performs the same action as
CONTROL-ALT.
Notes
Unshifted letter and number key definitions will not function when a text edit window
such as the simulator command window (F11) is active. Space bar definitions must
always be shifted.
The same codes can be used for menu short cuts. See DefMenu command page 295
Key definition will be lost when SIMetrix is exited. To make a key or menu definition
permanent you can place the command to define it in the startup file. To do this, select
command shell menu File|Scripts|Edit Startup and add the line above.
Examples
To define control-R to place a resistor on the schematic sheet, enter the command:
DefKey CR "inst res" 4

The built in definition for F12 to zoom out a schematic is

DefKey F12:SCHEM "zoom out" 4

This definition only functions when a schematic is active. A similar definition for
F12:GRAPH zooms out a graph when a graph window is active.

DefMenu
DefMenu [/immediate] [/shortcut key_code] menuname
command_string when_to_enable
Defines custom menu.
/immediate

Immediate mode. Command is executed immediately even if

another operation - such as a simulation run or schematic editing
operation - is currently in progress. For other options the
command is not executed until the current operation is
completed. Only a few commands can be assigned with this
option. See DefMenu command documentation in the Script
Reference Manual for full details

/shortcut key_code

Specify key or key combination to activate menu. Key

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description is placed on right hand side of menu item. Use any
of the codes specified in DefKey on page 293 except key pad
codes. Note that DefKey has precedence in the event of the key
or key combination being defined by both DefKey and
DefMenu.
menuname

Composed of strings separated by pipe symbol: '|'. First name

must be one of the following:

SHELL

Command shell menu

SCHEM

Schematic popup menu

SIMETRIX

Schematic popup menu - SIMetrix

mode only

SIMPLIS

schematic popup menu - SIMPLIS

mode only

GRAPH

Graph popup menu

GRAPHMAIN

Graph fixed menu

SCHEMMAIN

Schematic main menu

SIMETRIXMAIN Schematic main menu - SIMetrix

mode only
SIMPLISMAIN

Schematic main menu - SIMPLIS

mode only

SYMBOL

Symbol editor popup menu

SYMBOLMAIN

Symbol editor fixed menu

This must be followed by at least two '|' separated values for

main menus and at least one '|' separated value for popup menus.
Each name describes one level in the menu hierarchy.
Use the '&' symbol to define an underlined ALT-key access
letter.
To define a menu separator use the item text "-"
Note that if a menu name contains spaces it must be enclosed in
quotation marks.
when_to_enable

A boolean expression specifying under what circumstances the

menu should be enabled. (The menu text turns grey when
disabled). If omitted the menu will always be enabled. For
details, see DefMenu description in the Script Reference
Manual.

Notes
Changes to a schematic or symbol editor main menu will not affect currently open
windows. For the changes to take effect, close the schematic/symbol editor window
and open a new one.

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DelMenu
DelMenu [/bypos position] menuname
Deletes specified menu
position

The menu to be deleted is identified by its position. The first

item in the menu is at position zero.

menuname

Composed of strings separated by pipe symbol: '|'. First name

must be one of the following:
SHELL

Command shell menu

SCHEM

Schematic popup menu

GRAPH

Graph popup menu

LEGEND

Popup menu in graph legend panel. See

Elements of the Graph Window on page 213

SCHEMMAIN Schematic main menu

SYMBOL

Symbol editor popup menu

SYMBOLMAINSymbol editor fixed menu

The remaining strings identify the menu and item names. See
DefMenu (page 295) for details on menu names.

OpenGroup
OpenGroup [/text] [/overwrite] [filename]
Reads in a data file.
/text

If specified, data file is assumed to be in text format. Otherwise

the file is input as a SIMetrix binary data file as saved by the
SaveGroup command. See Data Import and Export on
page 280 for details of text format.

/overwrite

Forces existing group of the same name to be overwritten. If not

specified, the group being read in will be renamed if a group of
the same name already exists.

filename

Name of file to be input. If not specified, an open file dialog box

will be opened allowing the user to choose from available files.

OpenGroup creates a new Group. If /text is not specified then the name of the group
will be that with which it was stored provided the name does not conflict with an
existing group. If there is a conflict the name will be modified to be unique. If /text is
specified then the group will be named:

textn
where 'n' is chosen to make the name unique.

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ReadLogicCompatibility
ReadLogicCompatibility filename
Reads a file to define the compatibility relationship between logic families. For an
example of a compatibility table, see the file COMPAT.TXT which you will find in the
SCRIPT directory. This file is actually identical to the built-in definitions except for the
UNIV family which cannot be redefined.
Please refer to the Digital Simulation chapter of the Simulator Reference Manual for
full details on logic compatibility tables.
File Format
The file format consists of the following sections:
Header
In-Out resolution table
In-In resolution table
Out-Out resolution table
Header:
The names of all the logic families listed in one line. The names must not use the
underscore ('_') character.
In-Out resolution table:
A table with the number of rows and columns equal to the number of logic families
listed in the header. The columns represent outputs and the rows inputs. The entry in
the table specifies the compatibility between the output and the input when connected
to each other. The entry may be one of three values:

OK

Fully compatible

WARN

Not compatible but would usually function. Warn user but

allow simulation to continue.
Not compatible and would never function. Abort
simulation.

ERR

In-In resolution table

A table with the number of rows and columns equal to the number of logic families
listed in the header. Both column and rows represent inputs. The table defines how
inputs from different families are treated when they are connected. The entry may be
one of four values:

ROW

Row take precedence

COL

Column takes precedence

OK
ERR

Doesn't matter. (Currently identical to ROW)

Incompatible, inputs cannot be connected.

Out-out resolution table

A table with the number of rows and columns equal to the number of logic families
listed in the header. Both column and rows represent outputs. The table defines how

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Chapter 11 Command and Function Reference

outputs from different families are treated when they are connected. The entry may be
one of four values:

ROW
COL

Row take precedence

Column takes precedence

OK
ERR

Doesn't matter. (Currently identical to ROW)

Incompatible, outputs cannot be connected.

Reset
Reset
Frees memory associated with most recent simulation run.
It is not normally necessary to use this command unless available memory is low and is
needed for plotting graphs or other applications. Note that Reset does not delete the
data generated by a simulation only the internal data structures set up to perform a run.
These are automatically deleted at the beginning of a new run.
Any graph curves created by fixed probes (i.e. .GRAPH controls) will be updated
when this command is executed.

SaveRhs
SaveRhs [/nodeset] filename
Creates a file containing every node voltage, inductor current and voltage source
current calculated at the most recent analysis point. The values generated can be read
back in as nodesets to initialise the dc operating point solution.
/nodeset

If specified the values are output in the form of a .nodeset

command which can be read back in directly. Only node
voltages are output if this switch is specified. Otherwise,
currents in voltage sources and inductors are also output.

filename

File where output is written

This command is intended as an aid to DC operating point convergence. Sometimes

the dc operating point solution is known from a previous run but took a long time to
calculate. By applying the known solution voltages as nodesets prior to the operating
point solution, the new DC bias point will be found much more rapidly. The method is
tolerant of minor changes to the circuit. The old solution may not be exact, but if it is
close this may be sufficient for the new solution to be found quickly.
If SaveRhs is executed after an AC analysis, the values output will be the real part
only.

Set
Set [/temp] [option_spec [option_spec...]]
Defines an option.
/temp

If specified, the option setting will be temporary and will be

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restored to its original value when control returns to the
command line. (i.e when all scripts have completed).
option_spec

Can be one of two forms:

Form1: option_name
Form2: option_name = option_value
option_name can be any of the names listed in Options on
page 330. For options of type Boolean, use form1. For others,
use form 2.

See Also
Options on page 330
Unset on page 301

Show
Show [/file filename] [/append filename] [/noindex] [/noHeader] [/plain]
[/force] [/clipboard] [/names names] [/width width] expression
[expression ...]
Displays the value of an expression. This command can be used to export data from the
simulator in ASCII form. See Data Import and Export on page 280 for more details.

300

/file filename

If specified, outputs result to filename. The values are output in

a format compatible with OpenGroup /text. (See OpenGroup
on page 297)

/append filename

As /file except that file is appended if it already exists.

/noindex

If the vector has no reference, the index value for each element
is output if this switch is not specified.

/noHeader

If specified, the header providing vector names etc. will be

inhibited.

/plain

If specified, no index (as /noindex), and no header (as

/noHeader) will be output. In addition, string values will be
output without enclosed single quotation marks.

/force

File specified by /file will be unconditionally overwritten if it

exists.

/clipboard

Outputs data to system clipboard.

/names names

Semi-colon delimited string providing names to be used as

headings for tabulated data. If not specified, the vector names
are used instead.

/width width

Page width in columns for tabulated data. If not specified no

limit will be set.

expression

Expression to be displayed. If expression is an array, all values

will be displayed.

Chapter 11 Command and Function Reference

Notes
The display of arrays with a very large number of elements (>500) can take a long
time. For large arrays it is recommended that the /file switch is used to output the
results to a file. The file can then be examined with a text editor or spreadsheet
program.

Unset
UnSet [/temp] option_name
/temp

If specified, the option setting will be deleted temporarily and

will be restored to its original value when control returns to the
command line. (i.e when all scripts have completed).

Deletes specified option. See Options on page 330 for a full explanation.
Note that some Option values are internal. This means that they always have a value. If
such an option is UnSet, it will be restored to its default value and not deleted. See
Options on page 330 for more details.

Function Summary
The following table lists a small selection of the functions available with SIMetrix.
Full documentation for these is provided in the Script Reference Manual. This is
available as a PDF file on the install CD.

Function name

Description

Page
no.

abs(real/complex)

Absolute value

303

arg(real/complex)

phase (result wraps at 180/-180

degrees)

304

arg_rad(real/complex)

phase (radians). Result wraps at 304

pi/-pi radians

atan(real/complex)

Arc tangent

304

cos(real/complex)

Cosine

304

db(real/complex)

dB(x) = 20 * log10 (mag(x))

304

diff(real)

Return derivative of argument

304

exp(real/complex)

Exponential

304

fft(real [, string])

Fast Fourier Transform

304

FIR(real, real [, real])

Finite Impulse Response digital

filter

305

Floor(real)

Returns argument truncated to

next lowest integer

305

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302

Function name

Description

Page
no.

GroupDelay(real/complex)

Returns group delay of argument 306

Histogram(real, real)

Returns histogram of argument

306

Iff(real, any, any)

Returns a specified value

depending on the outcome of a
test

306

IIR(real, real [, real])

Infinite Impulse Response digital 307

filter

im, imag(real/complex)

Return imaginary part of

argument

308

integ(real)

Returns integral of argument

308

Interp(real, real [, real, real])

Interpolates argument to
specified number of evenly
spaced points

308

IsComplex(any)

Returns TRUE if argument is

complex

308

length(any)

Returns number of elements in

vector.

308

ln(real/complex)

Natural logarithm

308

log, log10(real/complex)

Base 10 logarithm

309

mag, magnitude(real/complex)

Magnitude (same as abs())

310

maxidx(real/complex)

Returns index of vector where

largest value is held

310

Maxima(real [, real, string])

Returns locations of maxima of

specified vector

310

mean(real/complex)

Returns statistical mean of all

values in vector

310

Mean1(real [, real, real])

Returns mean of data in given

range

311

minidx(real/complex)

Returns index of vector where

smallest value is held

311

Minima(real [, real, string])

Returns locations of minima of

specified vector

311

norm(real/complex)

Returns argument scaled so that 311

its largest value is unity.

ph, phase(real/complex)

Returns phase of argument

312

phase_rad(real/complex)

As ph() but result always in

radians

312

Range(real/complex [, real, real])

Returns range of vector

312

Chapter 11 Command and Function Reference

Function name

Description

Page
no.

re, real(real/complex)

Return real part of argument

312

Ref(real/complex)

Returns reference of argument

312

Rms(real)

Returns accumulative RMS value 312

of argument

RMS1(real [, real, real])

Returns RMS of argument over

specified range

312

rnd(real)

Returns random number

313

RootSumOfSquares(real [, real,
real])

Returns root sum of squares of

argument over specified range

313

sign(real)

Return sign of argument

313

sin(real/complex)

Sine

313

sqrt(real/complex)

Square root

313

tan(real/complex)

Tangent

313

Truncate(real [, real, real])

Returns vector that is a sub

range of supplied vector

313

unitvec(real)

Returns vector of specified length 314

whose elements are all 1

vector(real)

Returns vector of specified length 314

with each element equal to its
index

XFromY(real, real [, real])

Returns array of values

specifying horizontal locations
where specified vector crosses
given y value

YFromX(real, real [, real])

Returns array of values

314
specifying the vertical value of
the specified vector at the given x
value

314

Function Reference
Only a few of the approx. 200 functions are documented here. For the rest, please refer
to the Script Reference Manual. This is available as a PDF file on the install CD. A
hardcopy version is also available for an additional charge. The ones detailed here are
the functions that accept and return numeric values and that could conceivably used for
graph plots.

abs(real/complex)
Returns absolute value or magnitude of argument. This function is identical to the
mag() function.

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Users Manual

arg(real/complex)
Same as phase() (page 312) except the result wraps at 180/-180 degrees.

arg_rad(real/complex)
Same as phase_rad() (page 312) except the result wraps at pi/-pi radians.

atan(real/complex)
Returns the arc tangent of its argument. If degrees option is set return value is in
degrees otherwise radians.

cos(real/complex)
Return cosine of argument in radians. Use cos_deg if the argument is in degrees.

db(real/complex)
Returns 20*log10(mag(argument))

diff(real)
Returns the derivative of the argument with respect to its reference (x-values). If the
argument has no reference the function returns the derivative with respect to the
argument's index - in effect a vector containing the difference between successive
values in the argument.

exp(real/complex)
Returns e raised to the power of argument. If the argument is greater than 709.016, an
overflow error occurs.

fft(real [, string])
Arg1

Vector to be processed

Arg2

String specifying window type. Possible values are: Hanning

(default) and None

Performs a Fast Fourier Transform on supplied vector. The number of points used is
the next binary power higher than the length of argument 1. Excess points are zerofilled. Window used may be Hanning (default) or None.
Users should note that using this function applied to raw transient analysis data will not
produce meaningful results as the values are unevenly spaced. If you apply this
function to simulation data, you must either specify that the simulator outputs at fixed
intervals (select the Output at interval option in the Choose Analysis dialog box) or you
must interpolate the results using the Interp() function - see page 308. (The FFT
plotting menu items run a script which interpolate the data if it detects that the results

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are unevenly spaced. Use of these menus does not require special consideration by the
user.)
Further information on FFTs can be found on page 223.

FIR(real, real [, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector to be filtered
Filter coefficients

Arg3

Initial conditions. Default - all zero

Performs Finite Impulse Response digital filtering on supplied vector. This function
performs the operation:
yn = xn . c0 + xn-1 . c1 + xn-2 . c2 ...
Where:
x is the input vector (argument 1)
c is the coefficient vector (argument 2)
y is the result (returned value)
The third argument provide the history of x i.e. x-1, x-2 etc. as required.
The operation of this function (and also the IIR() function) is simple but its application
can be the subject of several volumes! Below is the simple case of a four sample
rolling average. In principle an almost unlimited range of FIR filtering operations may
be performed using this function. Any text on Digital Signal Processing will provide
further details.
Users should note that using this function applied to raw transient analysis data will not
produce meaningful results as the values are unevenly spaced. If you apply this
function to simulation data, you must either specify that the simulator outputs at fixed
intervals (select the Output at interval option in the Choose Analysis dialog box) or you
must interpolate the results using the Interp() function - see page 308
Example
Suppose a vector VOUT exist in the current group (simulation results). The following
will plot VOUT with a 4 sample rolling average applied
Plot FIR(vout, [0.25, 0.25, 0.25, 0.25])

Alternatively, the following does the same

Plot FIR(vout, 0.25*unitvec(4))

Floor(real)
Returns the argument truncated to the next lowest integer. Examples
Floor(3.45) = 3

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Floor(7.89) = 7
Floor(-3.45) = -4

GroupDelay(real/complex)
Returns the group delay of the argument. Group delay is defined as:
d ( phase ( y )) 1
.
dx
2.

where y is the supplied vector and x is its reference. The GroupDelay() function
expects the result of AC analysis where y is a voltage or current and its reference is
frequency.
This function will yield an error if its argument is complex and has no reference.

Histogram(real, real)
Arg1
Arg2

Vector
Number of bins

Creates a histogram of argument 1 with the number of bins specified by argument 2.

The bins are divided evenly between the maximum and minimum values in the
argument.
Histograms are useful for finding information about waveforms that are difficult to
determine by other means. They are particularly useful for finding flat areas such as the
flat tops of pulses as these appear as well defined peaks. The Histogram() function is
used in the rise and fall time scripts for this purpose.
Users should note that using this function applied to raw transient analysis data will
produce misleading results as the simulation values are unevenly spaced. If you apply
this function to simulation data, you must either specify that the simulator outputs at
fixed intervals (select the Output at interval option in the Choose Analysis dialog box)
or you must interpolate the results using the Interp() function - see page 308

Iff(real, any, any)

Arg1

Test

Arg2
Arg3

Result if test TRUE

Result if test FALSE

Arg2 and Arg3 must both be the same type

If the first argument evaluates to TRUE (i.e. non-zero) the function will return the
value of argument 2. Otherwise it will return the value of argument 3. Note that the
type of arguments 2 and 3 must both be the same. No implicit type conversion will be
performed on these arguments.

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IIR(real, real [, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector to be filtered
Coefficients

Arg3

Initial conditions - default zero

Performs Infinite Impulse Response digital filtering on supplied vector. This function
performs the operation:
yn = xn . c0 + yn-1 . c1 + yn-2 . c2 ...
Where:
x is the input vector (argument 1)
c is the coefficient vector (argument 2)
y is the result (returned value)
The third argument provide the history of y i.e. y-1, y-2 etc. as required.
The operation of this function (and also the FIR() function) is simple but its application
can be the subject of several volumes! In principle an almost unlimited range of IIR
filtering operations may be performed using this function. Any text on Digital Signal
Processing will provide further details.
Users should note that using this function applied to raw transient analysis data will not
produce meaningful results as the values are unevenly spaced. If you apply this
function to simulation data, you must either specify that the simulator outputs at fixed
intervals (select the Output at interval option in the Choose Analysis dialog box) or you
must interpolate the results using the Interp() function - see page 308
Example
The following graph shows the result of applying a simple first order IIR filter to a
step:
The coefficients used give a time constant of 10 * the sample interval. In the above the
sample interval was 1Sec so giving a 10Sec time constant. As can be seen a first
order IIR filter has exactly the same response as an single pole RC network. A general
first order function is:
yn = xn . c0 + yn-1 . c1
where c0=1-exp(-T/)
and c1=exp(-T/)
and =time constant
and T=sample interval
The above example is simple but it is possible to construct much more complex filters
using this function. While it is also possible to place analog representations on the
circuit being simulated, use of the IIR function permits viewing of filtered waveforms
after a simulation run has completed. This is especially useful if the run took a long
time to complete.

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im(real/complex), imag(real/complex)
Returns imaginary part of argument.

integ(real)
Integrates the argument with respect to its reference (x-values).
The function uses simple trapezoidal integration.
An error will occur if the argument supplied has no reference.

Interp(real, real [, real, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector to be interpolated
Number of points in result

Arg3
Arg4

Interpolation order
(Boolean) include last point

Returns a vector with length specified by argument 2 obtained by interpolating the

vector supplied as argument 1 at evenly spaced intervals. The optional third argument
specifies the interpolation order. This can be any integer 1 or greater but in practice
there are seldom reasons to use values greater than 4.
The Interp() function overcomes some of the problems caused by the fact that raw
transient analysis results are unevenly spaced. It is used by the FFT plotting scripts to
provide evenly spaced sample points for the FFT() function. The Interp() function also
makes it possible to perform operations on two vectors that originated from different
transient runs and therefore will have different sample points.

IsComplex(any)
Returns 1 (=TRUE) if the supplied argument is complex and 0 (=FALSE) if the
argument is any other type

length(any)
Returns the number of elements in the argument. The result will be 1 for a scalar and 0
for an empty value.
The length() function is the only function which will not return an error if supplied
with an empty value. Empty variables are returned by some functions when they cannot
produce a return value. All other functions and operators will yield an error if
presented with an empty value and abort any script that called it.

ln(real/complex)
Returns the natural logarithm of the argument.

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Using ln() with Negative or Complex Values
If the argument is real and 0 or negative an error will result. If the argument is complex
it will return a complex result even if the imaginary part is 0 and the real part negative.
E.g.
ln(-1)

will produce an error. But:

ln((-1,0))

will give the answer (0,3.1415926535897931) = j

An error will always occur if both real and imaginary parts are zero.
Using ln() with AC Analysis Data
See notes under log10() function below.

log10(real/complex), log(real/complex)
Returns log to base 10 of argument. In general, we recommend using log10 rather than
log. Software products of all types vary in their interpretation of log(). Some treat it as
log to the base 10 and others treat it as log to the base e. By using log10() there will
never be any doubt.
Using log10() with Negative or Complex Values
See notes above under ln() function
Using log10() with AC Analysis Data
The data output by the simulator when running an AC or TF analysis is complex. As
described in Using ln() with Negative or Complex Values above, all SIMetrix
logarithm functions correctly handle complex arguments and return a complex value.
This means that the following expression to calculate dB will not produce the expected
result:
20*log(data)

where data is a value produced by an AC analysis simulation. What you should do is:
20*log(mag(data))

The mag() function will convert the complex data to real values which is actually what
is intended. Better still use:
db(data)

This is equivalent to 20*log(mag(data)).

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Note that the graph system will always plot the magnitude of complex data. But, any
expression presented for plotting will be evaluated as complex and only the final result
is converted to real. So 20*log(data) will be plotted as mag(20*log(data)). This is not
the same as 20*log(mag(data)) when data is complex.

mag(real/complex), magnitude(real/complex)
Returns the magnitude of the argument. This function is identical to the abs() function.

maxidx(real/complex)
Returns index of the array element in argument 1 with the largest magnitude.

Maxima(real [, real, string])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector
Minimum value. Default -

Arg3

Options array. Possible values are:

xSort
Sort output in order of x values
noInterp Don't interpolate.

Returns an array of values holding every maximum point in the supplied vector whose
value is above argument 2. The value returned - if noInterp is not specified - is
obtained by fitting a parabola to the maximum and each point either side then
calculating the x,y location of the point with zero slope. If noInterp is specified, the
peak values are those found in argument 1 without any interpolation. The vector
returned by this function has an attached reference which contains the x values of the
maximum points. If xSort is not specified, the vector is arranged in order of descending
y values i.e. largest y value first, smallest last. Otherwise, they are organised in
ascending x-values.

Maximum(real/complex [, real, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector
Start x value

Arg3

End x value

Returns the largest value found in the vector in the interval defined by start x value and
end x value. If the vector is complex the operation will be performed on the magnitude
of the vector.

mean(real/complex)
Returns the average of all values in supplied argument. If the argument is complex the
result will also be complex.

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Mean1(real [, real, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector
Start x value. Default: start of vector

Arg3

End x value. Default: end of vector

Returns the integral of the supplied vector between the ranges specified by arguments
2 and 3 divided by the span (= arg 3 -arg 2). If the values supplied for argument 2
and/or 3 do not lie on sample points, second order interpolation will be used to
estimate y values at those points.

minidx(real/complex)
Returns index of the array element in argument 1 with the smallest magnitude.

Minima(real [, real, string])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector
Maximum value. Default +

Arg3

Options array. Possible values are:

xSort
Sort output in order of x values
noInterp Don't interpolate.

Returns array of values holding every minimum point in the supplied vector whose
value is below argument 2. The value returned - if noInterp is not specified - is
obtained by fitting a parabola to the minimum and each point either side then
calculating the x,y location of the point with zero slope. If noInterp is specified, the
values are those found in argument 1 without any interpolation. The vector returned by
this function has an attached reference which contains the x values of the minimum
points. If xSort is not specified, the vector is arranged in order of ascending y values
i.e. smallest y value first, largest last. Otherwise, they are organised in ascending x
values.

Minimum(real/complex [, real, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector
Start x value

Arg3

End x value

Returns the smallest value found in the vector in the interval defined by start x value
and end x value. If the vector is complex the operation will be performed on the
magnitude of the vector.

norm(real/complex)
Returns the input vector scaled such that the magnitude of its largest value is unity. If
the argument is complex then so will be the return value.

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ph(real/complex), phase(real/complex)
Returns the phase of the argument. ph() is identical to phase() and return the phase in
degrees.
The ph() and phase() functions produces a continuous output i.e. it does wrap from 180
degrees to -180 degrees.

phase_rad(real/complex)
Identical to ph() and phase() functions except that the result is in radians.

Range(real/complex [, real, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector
Start index. Default: 0

Arg3

End index. Default: vector length -1

Returns a vector which is a range of the input vector in argument 1. The range extends
from the indexes specified by arguments 2 and 3. If argument 3 is not supplied the
range extends to the end of the input vector. If neither arguments 2 or 3 are supplied,
the input vector is returned unmodified.

re(real/complex), real(real/complex)
Returns the real part of the complex argument.

Ref(real/complex)
Returns the reference or x-values of the argument.

Rms(real)
Returns a vector of the accumulative RMS value of the input. Unlike RMS1() this
function returns a vector which can be plotted.

RMS1(real [, real, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector
Start x value. Default: start of vector

Arg3

End x value. Default: end of vector

Returns the root mean square value of the supplied vector between the ranges specified
by arguments 2 and 3. If the values supplied for argument 2 and/or 3 do not lie on
sample points, second order interpolation will be used to estimate y values at those
points.

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rnd(real)
Returns a vector with each element a random value between 0 and the absolute value
of the argument's corresponding element.

RootSumOfSquares(real [, real, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Vector
Start x value. Default: start of vector

Arg3

End x value. Default: end of vector

Similar to RMS1 function but returns the root of the sum without performing an
average.

sign(real)
Returns 1 if argument is greater than 0 otherwise returns 0.

sin(real/complex)
Return sine of argument in radians. Use sin_deg if the argument is in degrees.

sqrt(real/complex)
Returns the square root of the argument. If the argument is real and negative, an error
will result. If however the argument is complex a complex result will be returned.

SumNoise(real [, real, real])

Identical to RootSumOfSquares() function. See page 313

tan(real/complex)
Return tan of argument in radians. Use tan_deg if the argument is in degrees.

Truncate(real [, real, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Data
Start x Value

Arg3

End x value

Returns a portion of the input vector with defined start and end points. Interpolation
will be used to create the first and last points of the result if the start and end values do
not coincide with actual points in the input vector.
Arguments 2 and 3 define the beginning and end of the vector.

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Example
Suppose we have a vector called VOUT which was the result of a simulation running
from 0 to 1mS. We want to perform some analysis on a portion of it from 250S to
750S. The following call to Truncate would do this:
Truncate(VOUT, 250u, 750u)

If VOUT did not actually have points at 250S and 750S then the function would
create them by interpolation. Note that the function will not extrapolate points before
the start or after the end of the input vector.

unitvec(real)
Returns a vector consisting of all 1's. Argument specifies length of vector.

vector(real)
Returns a vector with length specified by the argument. The value in each element of
the vector equals its index.

XFromY(real, real [, real, real])

Arg1
Arg2

Input vector
Y value

Arg3
Arg4

Interpolation order (1 or 2)
Direction of slope. 0 = any, 1 = +ve, -1 = -ve

Returns an array of values specifying the horizontal location(s) where the specified
vector (argument 1) crosses the given y value (argument 2) in the direction specified by
argument 4. If the vector never crosses the given value, an empty result is returned.
The sampled input vector is interpolated to produce the final result. Interpolation order
is specified by argument 3.

XY(real, real)
Returns a vector with y-values of argument 1and x-values of argument 2. This function
provides a means of creating X-Y plots using the .GRAPH control. See the Command
Reference chapter of the Simulator Reference Manual for details.

YFromX(real, real [, real])

Arg1

Input vector

Arg2
Arg3

Y value
Interpolation order

Returns an array of values (usually a single value) specifying the vertical value of the
specified vector (argument 1) at the given x value (argument 2). If the given x-value is

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out of range an empty result is returned. The sampled input vector is interpolated to
produce the final result. Interpolation order is specified by argument 3.

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Chapter 12 Monte Carlo Analysis

Overview
Monte Carlo analysis is a procedure to assess manufacturing yields by repeating
simulation runs with varying applied random variations to component parameters. The
technique is very powerful and usually gives a more realistic result than worst-case
analysis which varies component values to their extremes in a manner which produces
the worst possible result.
The implementation of Monte Carlo analysis in SIMetrix has been designed to be
quick to set up for simple cases while still providing the required flexibility for more
advanced requirements as might be required for integrated circuit design.
In this chapter we cover the aspects of setting up a Monte Carlo analysis from the front
end. This includes setting device tolerances in the schematic, setting up and running a
Monte Carlo simulation and analysing the results.
This chapter covers Monte Carlo analysis for SIMetrix (SPICE) simulations. Monte
Carlo analysis is also available for SIMPLIS simulations. See Multi-step and Monte
Carlo Analyses on page 207.
Setting model tolerances is not covered here but in the Monte Carlo Analysis chapter
in the Simulator Reference Manual.

An Example
Consider the following active filter circuit.
6.2n
10%

8.2n
10%
VOUT

C1

V1
ac 1

33k
1%

33k
1%

33k
1%

R7

R1

R2

10%
C2
2.7n

X2

TL072

C4

VP

33k
1%

33k
1%

R3

R6

X1

VN

10%
C3
180p

TL072

VP

VN

10%
C5
62p

This circuit can be found in EXAMPLES/MonteCarlo/cheb.sxsch

The circuit is a 5th order low-pass 7kHz Chebyshev filter with a 1dB passband ripple
specification. Its nominal response is:

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Chapter 12 Monte Carlo Analysis

1
100m

X1-out / V

10m
1m
100
10
1
1k

2k

4k

10k

20k

40k

100k

Frequency / Hertz

This circuit is to be used in an application that requires the gain of the amplifier to
remain within 2dB of the dc value from 0 to 6kHz. A 1dB ripple specification therefore
seems a reasonable choice. Clearly though the tolerance of the capacitors and resistors
may upset this. To investigate, a Monte Carlo analysis is required. The standard
component tolerances are 10% for capacitors and 1% for resistors. With the example
circuit the tolerances are already applied but the procedure for doing this is as follows:
1.

Select menu item Monte-Carlo|Set All Resistor Tolerances

2.

Enter 1%. (The % is recognised)

3.

Select menu item Monte-Carlo|Set All Capacitor Tolerances

4.

Enter 10%.

The example circuit has already been set up to run 100 steps of Monte Carlo. To view
the settings:
1.

Select menu Simulator|Choose Analysis...

2.

Note in the section Monte Carlo and Multi-step Analysis the Enable multi-step box
is checked.

3.

Press the Define... button.

4.

Note that in the Sweep Mode section, Monte Carlo is selected and in the Step
Parameters section Number of steps has been set to 100.

Start the analysis in the usual way. It takes about 2.5 seconds with a 1.5G P4.
The analysis will be repeated 10 times. Now plot the output of the filter in the usual
way (Probe AC/Noise|dB - Voltage...). The result is the following:

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dbV @ X1-inn / dB

-2

-4

-6

-8

-10

4k

6k

8k

Frequency / Hertz

As can be seen, the specification is not met for some runs.

The SIMetrix Monte Carlo analysis implementation has many more features such as:

Random variation of device model parameters.

Support for matched devices.

Log file creation

Seed selection to allow repeated runs with same randomly applied values.

Component Tolerance Specification

In this section we will only cover the simple case of how to specify tolerances on
devices at the schematic level. SIMetrix has much more comprehensive features for
specifying tolerances aimed primarily at Integrated Circuit design. For complete
documentation on tolerance specification please refer to the Monte Carlo Analysis
chapter of the Simulator Reference Manual.
Note that Monte Carlo analysis is not available with the SIMPLIS simulator.

Setting Device Tolerances

To select individual device tolerances proceed as follows:

318

1.

Select component or components whose tolerances you wish to be the same.

(You can individually select components by holding the control key down and
left clicking on each).

2.

Select menu Monte Carlo|Set Selected Component Tolerances... and enter

tolerance in the dialog box. You may use the '%' symbol here if you wish, so 5%
and 0.05 have the same effect. (Note: this is the only place that '%' is recognised you can't use it netlists or models).

Chapter 12 Monte Carlo Analysis

If all the resistors or all the capacitors in a circuit are to have the same tolerance, select
either Monte Carlo|Select All Capacitor Tolerances or
Monte Carlo|Select All Resistor Tolerances.
Device tolerances can be applied to the following components:
Capacitors
Resistors
Inductors
Fixed voltage sources
Fixed current sources
Voltage controlled voltage sources
Voltage controlled current sources
Current controlled voltage sources
Current controlled current sources
Lossless transmission lines (applied to Z0 parameter)
Device tolerance will be ignored for other devices.

Model Tolerances
Refer to the Simulator Reference Manual for full details.

Matching Devices
Some devices such as resistor networks are constructed in a manner that their
tolerances track. Such devices often have two specifications one is an absolute
tolerance and the other a matching tolerance. A thin film resistor network might have
an absolute tolerance of 1% but a matching tolerance of 0.05%. This means that the
resistors will vary over a +/-1% range but will always be within +/-0.05% of each
other.
To specify matched devices for Monte Carlo analysis two pieces of information are
required. Firstly, the components that are matched to each other must be identified and
secondly their matching tolerances need to be specified.
To Identify Matched Devices

Select the components you wish to match to each other. (Use control key to select
multiple components.)

Select menu item Monte Carlo|Match Selected Devices

You must now supply a lot name which must be unique. You can use any
alphanumeric name.

Matching Tolerances
To specify device match tolerances, proceed as follows:

Select the components you wish to match to each other. (Use control key to select
multiple components.)

Select menu item Monte Carlo|Set Match Tolerances

Enter the desired tolerance.

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If using device tolerance parameters, note that any absolute tolerance specified must be
the same for all devices within the same lot. Any devices with the same lot name but
different absolute tolerance will be treated as belonging to a different lot. For example
if a circuit has four resistors all with lot name RN1 but two of them have an absolute
tolerance of 1% and the other two have an absolute tolerance of 2%, the 1% resistors
won't be matched to the 2% resistors. The 1% resistors will however be matched to
each other as will the 2% resistors. This does not apply to match tolerances. It's
perfectly OK to have devices with different match tolerances within the same lot.

Random Distribution
The default distribution for device tolerances is Gaussian with the tolerance
representing a 3 spread. This can be changed to rectangular using two simulator
options. These are
MC_ABSOLUTE_RECT

If set absolute tolerances will have a

rectangular distribution

MC_MATCH_RECT

If set matching tolerances will have a

rectangular distribution.

Distributions can be specified on a per component basis or even a per parameter basis
by using distribution functions in an expression. See the Monte Carlo Analysis
chapter of the Simulator Reference Manual for details.

Running Monte Carlo

Overview
There are actually two types of Monte Carlo analyses. These are:
1.

Single step Monte Carlo sweep

2.

Multi step Monte Carlo run.

1. above is applicable to AC, DC, Noise and Transfer Function analyses. 2. can be
applied to the same analyses in addition to transient analysis.
An example of 1. can be seen on page 181. This was a run where the gain at a single
frequency was calculated 1000 times with the Monte Carlo tolerances applied. This
used AC analysis with the Monte Carlo sweep mode - one of the six modes available.
Only a single curve is created hence the name single step
An example of 2 is the example at the beginning of this chapter. Here a complete
frequency sweep from 1kHz to 100kHz was repeated 100 times creating 100 curves.

Setting up a Single Step Monte Carlo Sweep

1.

Select schematic menu Simulator|Choose Analysis.... Select the AC, DC, Noise or
TF tab as required.

320

2.

In the Sweep Parameters section, press the Define... button.

3.

In the Sweep Mode section select Monte Carlo.

Chapter 12 Monte Carlo Analysis

4.

In the Parameters section enter the required value for the Number of points.

5.

For AC, Noise and TF, you must also supply a value for Frequency.

Setting up a Multi Step Monte Carlo Run

1.

Select schematic menu Simulator|Choose Analysis.... Select the AC, DC, Noise,
Transient or TF tab as required.

2.

Define the analysis as required.

3.

In the Monte Carlo and Multi-step Analysis section, check the Enable multi-step box
then press the Define... button. This will open:-

4.

In the Sweep mode section, select Monte Carlo.

5.

In the Step Parameters section, enter the number of steps required.

Running a Monte Carlo Analysis

Monte Carlo analyses are run in exactly the same way as other analyses. Press F9 or
equivalent menu.

Setting the Seed Value

The random variations are created using a pseudo random number sequence. The
sequence can be seeded such that it always produces the same sequence of numbers for
a given seed. In Monte Carlo analysis, the random number generator is seeded with a
new value at the start of each run and this seed value is displayed in the log file. It is
also possible to fix the first seed that is used using the SEED option. This makes it
possible to repeat a run. To do this, note the seed value of the run of interest from the
log file then set the seed as follows:
1.

Select schematic menu Simulator|Choose Analysis....

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2.

Select Options tab and enter the seed value in the Monte Carlo section.

The first run of each Monte Carlo analysis will use the same random values as the run
from which you obtained the seed value in the log file. Note this assumes that only
changes in values are made to the circuit. Any topology change will upset the
sequence.
This technique is a convenient way of investigating a particular run that perhaps
produced unexpected results. Obtain the seed used for that run, then repeat with the
seed value but doing just a single run. You will then be able to probe around the circuit
and plot the results for just that run.

Analysing Monte-Carlo Results

Plots
Plots of Monte Carlo analyses are performed in exactly the same manner as for normal
runs. When you probe a circuit point curves for each run in the MC analysis will be
created. You will notice, however, that only one label for each set of curves will be
displayed. Operations on curves such as deleting and moving will be performed on the
complete set.
Identifying Curves
Sometimes it is useful to know exactly which run a particular curve is associated with.
To do this proceed as follows:
1.

Switch on graph cursors. (Cursors|Toggle On/Off menu)

2.

Pick up the main cursor (the one with the short dashes) and place it on the curve
of interest. (To pick up a cursor, place mouse cursor at intersection, press left key
and drag).

3.

Select Show Curve Info menu. Information about the curve will be displayed in
the command shell.

This is an example of what will be displayed

Source group: ac1
Curve id: 4
Run number: 49

The information of interest here is the Run number. With this you can look up in the
log file details of the run i.e. what values were used for each component and parameter.
You can also obtain the seed value used so that the run can be repeated. See Setting
the Seed Value on page 321.
Plotting a single Curve
If you wish to plot a single curve in a Monte Carlo set, you must obtain the run number
then use the Probe|Add Curve... menu to plot an indexed expression. We use an
example to explain the process.
Using the Chebyshev filter example, let's suppose that we wish to plot the curve of the
filter output created by run 49 alone without the remaining curves. Proceed as follows.

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1.

Run the chebyshev filter example as explained at the beginning of this chapter.

2.

Select menu Probe|Add Curve...

3.

Click on the output of the filter. You should see C4_P entered in the Y expression
box.

4.

You must now modify the expression you have entered to give it an index value.
For the simple case of a single voltage or current just append it with
[index]

where index is the run number less 1. In this example the run number is 49 so we
enter 48 for the index. You should now have:
C4_P[48]

displayed in the Y expression box.

5.

Close box. You should see a single curve plotted.

An alternative method of plotting single curves is given in Setting the Seed Value on
page 321.

Creating Histograms
See Performance Analysis and Histograms on page 265.

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Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Saving and Restoring Sessions
Overview
You can save the current session for later restoration. This is useful in the situation
where you are in the middle of editing schematics or studying simulation results, but
you need to interrupt this work maybe at the end of a working day. While in some
situations you might simply be able to leave your computer switched on and logged in,
or maybe use a Hibernate mode, these methods are not always practical or indeed
reliable.
The SIMetrix save session feature will save the current state of all open schematics,
all open graphs and any simulation data so that it can be restored at a later time.

Saving a Session
Select menu File | Save Session.

Restoring a Session
You can only restore a session if all graphs and schematics are closed and there is no
current simulation data loaded. This is the normal state when SIMetrix has just been
started. If you wish to restore a session when SIMetrix has been in use since first
starting, you can either shut down and restart, or close all windows and graphs then
select menu Graphs and Data | Delete Data Group..., press Select All, then Ok.
To restore the session, select menu File | Restore Session

Where is Session Data Stored?

Session data is stored in the following directory:
application_data/session
where application_data is the SIMetrix application data directory. See Application
Data Directory on page 328 for details

Symbolic Path Names

Overview
Some file system path names used by SIMetrix may be defined using a symbolic
constant. Such paths are of the form:
%symbol%path

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Where symbol is the name of the constant and path is any sequence of characters valid
for a path name. The actual path is resolved by substituting %symbol% with the value
of symbol.
Symbolic paths make it easy to move files to new locations as only the values for their
symbols need to be changed in order for SIMetrix to be able to continue to find them.

Definition
There are two types of symbolic constant. These are system constants and user
constants. system constants are pre-defined while user constants can be arbitrarily
defined by the user. There are currently 7 system constants. These are:
STARTPATH

Full path of the current working directory from where SIMetrix

was launched

DOCSPATH

Full path of the My Documents folder on Windows, $HOME on

Linux.

EXEPATH

Full path of the location of the SIMetrix binary SIMetrix.exe on

Windows, SIMetrix on Linux).

APPDATAPATH

Full path of the Application Data directory.

TEMPPATH

Path of temporary directory

SXAPPDATAPATH Path of the SIMetrix application data directory. See

Application Data Directory on page 328 for details
SHAREPATH

Path of the root support directory used for various support files
used by SIMetrix such as model and symbol libraries.

User constants must be defined in the configuration file. See Configuration Settings
on page 328 for more information. User constants are defined in the [Locations]
section of the file. Currently these must be added by hand using a text editor.
The format used is as follows:
[Locations]
symbol_definitions
Where symbol_definitions is any number lines of the form:
symbolname=symbolvalue
symbolvalue may be any sequence of characters that are valid for a system path name
and may contain spaces. There is no need to enclose it in quotation marks even if the
value contains spaces. Nested definitions to any level are permitted. That is
symbolvalue may also itself use other symbolic constants. Recursive definitions won't
raise an error but will not be meaningful.
UNC paths (e.g. \\server\c\project) may be used for symbolvalue.
Comments may be added to the project file prefixed with a semi-colon.

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Configuration File Example

The following shows examples of symbolic path name definitions in the configuration
file. Lines such as these may be placed anywhere in the file, but we recommend that
they are placed at the end.
; Project file
[Locations]
Project=c:\Projects\proj1
Cells=%PROJECT%\Cells

Using Symbolic Names

Symbolic path constants may be used in the applications listed below. In all cases a
mechanism called automatic path matching is used which means that to use symbolic
paths, all you need to do is define the values in the project file then carry on working as
before. The automatic path matching algorithm attempts to match a user symbol or one
of the EXEPATH or DOCSPATH system symbols to a part of the path being processed.
If a match is found, the path name will be stored with the symbolic value.
Component paths
If a component is placed using the full path option, the automatic path matching
mechanism described above will be invoked. For example suppose the user symbol
CELLS has the value C:\Projects\Proj1\Cells and the component with path
C:\Projects\Proj1\Cells\celllib1\inv.sxsch is placed using the full path method. The
actual value of the schematic_path property will become
%CELLS%\celllib1\inv.sxsch. The matching of C:\Projects\Proj1\Cells to %CELLS%
is performed automatically.
Note that automatic path matching will not be invoked for components placed using
the relative path method.
Global model library file paths
Model files installed globally can use symbolic paths. The automatic path matching
mechanism described above will be invoked when models are installed. So if the
model file C:\SPICELIB\OnSemi\*.mod and the symbol MODELLIB has the value
C:\SPICELIB, the model file path will be saved as %MODELLIB%\OnSemi\*.mod.
Path option variables
StartupDir
ScriptDir
BiScriptDir
TempDataDir
PSpiceIniPath
DefaultLib
SymbolsDir
Automatic path matching is invoked whenever these values are set or modified.

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Symbol file locations
Schematic symbol file paths may be stored using symbolic constants. Automatic path
matching is invoked whenever a library is installed.
Notes for Windows
The automatic path matching system will correctly match a drive based path (e.g.
h:\projects\proj1) with its mapped UNC path (e.g. \\server1\c\projects\proj1) provided
the drive based path points to a network share and not a local drive. For example if the
project fie contains the entry:
Project=\\server1\c\projects\proj1

and \\server1\c is mapped to the H: drive then the file H:\Projects\proj1\cell23.sxcmp

will be stored as %Project%\cell23.sxcmp. However, if you are actually running
SIMetrix from the machine server1 and \\server1\c is the share name for the local C:
drive then C:\Projects\proj1\cell23.sxcmp will not be recognised as equivalent to
%Project%\cell23.sxcmp. This limitation is due to security restrictions in Windows
NT/2000/XP.

SIMetrix Command Line Parameters

A number of command line parameters may be supplied to the SIMetrix binary
(SIMetrix.exe on Windows, SIMetrix on Linux) when starting the program. The full
syntax is as follows:

SIMetrix(.exe) [schematic_file] [/s startup_script] [/i] [/n]

[/c config_location] [/f features]
schematic_file

Path of a schematic file usually with extension .sxsch. This file

will be opened immediately.

/s startup_script

Name of script file or command that will be executed

immediately after SIMetrix starts.

/i

If specified, the schematic_file or/and startup_script will be

opened/run in an existing instance of SIMetrix if there is one.
That is, a new instance will not be started unless none are
already running.

/n

Inhibits the display of the splash screen. (Inactive for version

5.1 as this does not display a splash screen).

/c config_location

This identifies where SIMetrix stores its configuration settings.

config_location should be of the form:
PATH;file_pathname
file_pathname identifies the location of a file to store the
configuration settings. You may use any of the system constants
defined in Definition on page 325 in this definition of
file_pathname. E.g. %EXEPATH% for the executable directory.
See Configuration Settings below for details of configuration

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settings
The REG; syntax available with earlier versions is no longer
supported.
/f features

Specifies which features are enabled. See Mixed Feature

Licenses on page 25 for more information about this option.

Using startup.ini
Start-up parameters can also be specified in a file called startup.ini. On Windows this
must be located in the same directory as SIMetrix.exe. On Linux the file must be
located at $HOME/.simetrix/startup.ini. The format of the file is as follows:
[StartUp]
settings
settings can be any combination of the following:
StartupScript=startup_script (equivalent to /s on command line)
UsePrevInst= (equivalent to /i on command line)
InhibitSplash= (equivalent to /n on command line)
ConfigLoc=config_location (equivalent to /c on command line)
Features=features (equivalent to /f on command line)

Configuration Settings
Overview
SIMetrix, in common with most applications, needs to store a number of values that
affect the operation of the program. These are known as configuration settings.
Included among these are the locations of installed symbol libraries, installed model
libraries, font preferences, colour preferences and default window positions.

Default Configuration Location

By default, SIMetrix stores configuration settings in a single file. This file is located at:
simetrix_app_data_dir\config\Base.sxprj

(windows)

simetrix_app_data_dir/config/Base.sxprj

(linux)

See Application Data Directory below for location of simetrix_app_data_dir.

Application Data Directory

SIMetrix stores a number of files in its application data directory. On the Linux
platform this is at one of the following locations:
$HOME/.simetrix/ver

(full production versions)

$HOME/.simetrix_intro/ver (SIMetrix Intro - the free demo version)

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where ver is the SIMetrix version number, e.g. 5.50
On Windows the directory is at one of these locations:
sys_application_data_dir\SIMetrix Technologies\SIMetrixxx ( (full production
versions)
sys_application_data_dir\SIMetrix Technologies\SIMetrixIntroxx (SIMetrix Intro)
where
xx

is a three digit code representing the SIMetrix version number,

e.g. 550 for version 5.50.

sys_application_data_dir
is a system defined location.
The following table shows typical locations for all supported Windows systems:

Operating
System

Path

Windows 2000
Windows XP

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Application Data

Windows Vista

C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming

username is the log on name currently being used. The above are only typical locations
on English language versions of Windows. The user or system administrator may
move them and also the names used may be different for non-English versions of
Windows.
With full versions of SIMetrix, you can locate the SIMetrix application data directory
by typing the following command at the command line:
Show TranslateLogicalPath('%sxappdatapath%')

Specifying Other Locations for Config Settings

You can specify alternative locations for the configuration settings. This can be done
with the /c switch on the command line or ConfigLoc setting in the startup.ini file. See
SIMetrix Command Line Parameters on page 327 for more details.

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Options
Overview
There are a number of options affecting all aspects of SIMetrix. Many of these may be
viewed and adjusted using the Options dialog box, others can only be accessed from
the command line using the Set and UnSet commands.

Using the Options Dialog

This is invoked with the menu File|Options|General... . This brings up the following:

Schematic Sheet
Undo Level

Number of levels of schematic undo. See Creating a

Schematic on page 51

Placement

When to auto-repeat placement of schematic components. If

auto-repeat is enabled, a new symbol to be placed is
automatically displayed after each placement. This speeds the
placement of many instances of the same device.

Most Recent Files

Controls how many recently used files are displayed in the

File|Reopen menu

Double click mode

Selects action when double clicking a schematic instance. Select

Classic to retain pre version 5.0 behaviour whereby double
clicking always starts a new wire. Select Edit selected
component for the default behaviour which is to invoke the

device value editor.

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Bias Annotation Precision
Controls the precision of the schematic voltage and current bias
annotation markers.
Grid

Option to hide the schematics grid

Wiring

Enable smart wiring enable the smart wiring algorithm. See

Wiring on page 75 for details about smart wiring

Allow route through connected is an option for the smart wiring
algorithm that allows it select routes that pass through existing
wires that are already connected to the source or target
destinations.

Double click mode

Classic: Double click action behaves the same as for versions

4.5 and earlier
Edit selected component: Double clicking a symbol in the
schematic invokes the value editor. (Same as pressing F7)

Edit Mode

Controls how wires are treated during move operations. See

Edit Modes on page 77 for full details.

Graph Printing
Axis line width

Width in mm of printed axis

Grid line width

Width in mm of printed grid lines

Curve line width

Width in mm of printed curves

Curve identification When printing on monochrome printers or if Use markers for

colour is selected, curves are differentiated using different line
styles (solid, dashed etc.) and marker shapes (circles, squares
etc.). For a large number of curves both methods are used but
for just a few you can use this option to state your preference
Prefer line styles

printed curves will first be differentiated using line styles

Prefer curve markers

Printed curves will first be differentiated using curve markers

Use markers for colour

Even if printing to a colour printer, curves will still be printed

using markers and variable line styles to differentiate them.
They will also be printed in colour. This is useful when creating
on-line documents (e.g. using Adobe Acrobat Distiller) which
might subsequently be viewed on-line or printed out.
Graph/Probe/Data Analysis
Probe update times

Plots created from fixed probes are updated on a regular basis.

This controls how frequently and when it starts.
Period

Update period in seconds

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Start

Start delay in seconds

Temporary data file delete
Simulation data is stored in data files that are placed in the
temporary data directory (see file locations below). These
options control when these data files are deleted.
Never

Temporary files are never deleted but will be overwritten in

subsequent sessions. Not recommended unless you only ever do
short simulations.
When SIMetrix starts

All temporary files are deleted when SIMetrix starts.

When SIMetrix closes

All temporary files are deleted when SIMetrix is shut down.

While using SIMetrix, you can recover earlier simulation runs.
Normally, only the 3 most recent are kept but earlier ones can be
recovered from the TEMPDATA directory using File|Load
Data... .
When data is no longer needed

This is the most aggressive delete method and is recommended

if you do many long runs or/and have limited disc space. By
default, the 3 most recent runs are kept but with the other
options above, the data files are not deleted when the data is not
needed but links to the data in them are released. (See
explanation below). If this option is set, the data files are deleted
as soon as they become out of date, optimising use of disc space
at the expense of not being able to recover old data.
Sizes

Curve weight

Thickness of displayed curves. Curves display much quicker if

this value is set to 1 but are clearer (but can lose detail) if set to
2.
Digital Axis Height

Sets height of axes (in mm) used to plot digital traces.

Min grid height

When a grid is added to a graph window, existing grids are

reduced in height to accommodate the new one. But they wont
be reduced to a height lower than specified by this setting.
When this limit is reached, the vertical space will be increased
by allowing the window to scroll.
Cursor readout

Controls where cursor values are displayed.

On graph

Values are displayed on the graph itself

Status bar

Values are displayed in status bar boxes at the bottom of the

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graph window
Both

Displayed in both locations as described above.

Histogram style

Controls the curve style used for histogram displays:

Stepped

Displays a flat line for the width of each bin. Similar to a bar
graph
Smooth

Joins the centre of each bin with a straight line to display a

continuous curve
How data is stored. For info only
Simulation data is stored in temporary data files as explained above. The data is not
read into system memory until it is needed - say - to plot a graph. However, the
location in the file of the various vectors is always in memory so that the data can be
extracted from the file as rapidly as possible. It is this latter location data that is
destroyed when a simulation run gets out of date. The file containing the data gets
deleted at a time set by the above options, not necessarily when the data is no longer
needed. As long as the file exists, the data can be recovered by calling File|Data|Load...
or File|Data|Load Temporary Data... which re builds the location data.
Model Library
Library Diagnostics

Determines whether messages are displayed when models are

found in the library.

Action on unknown model parameter

Specifies action to be taken when an unknown model parameter
is encountered. There are three options
Abort simulation: an error will be raised and the simulation will
be aborted
Issue warning: a warning message will be output to the list file
but the simulation will continue normally
Ignore: no warning or error will be raised and the simulation
will continue normally
File Locations
Locations in your files system of various files and folders needed for correct operation
of SIMetrix.
Scripts

Location of script directory. This directory is searched for any

scripts you run. Only change this setting if you are actually
moving the script directory. Changing this setting has no effect
until you restart SIMetrix.

Start up

Current working directory on start up.

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Temp Data

Location of temporary simulation data files. Changing this

setting has no effect until you restart SIMetrix. Note that this
should always be a local directory. That is, it must not be on a
remote network partition.

Built-in Scripts

This is the first location that SIMetrix searches for scripts. Much
of the user interface is implemented with scripts and these are
all internal to the program. These can be overridden by placing
scripts of the same name at this location. This allows
modification of the UI. Changing this setting has no effect until
you restart SIMetrix.

Start up Script

Name of script that is automatically run on startup. You can

place custom menu or key definitions in this file.

Editor

Text editor called by EditFile command as used by a number of

menus. Default is notepad.

PSpice inifile

Set this file location if you wish to use the PSpice Schematics
translator. See PSpice Schematics Translation on page 118 for
more information.

System Symbols Location

Directory location where the standard symbols are located.
User Symbols Location
Directory where user symbol libraries are expected to be
located. Note, you can place symbol libraries anywhere. This
directory is simply a location that some UI functions use as a
default.
Shell/Scripts
Script Options

Echo all messages

If set, all script lines will be displayed in the message window.

This will result in a great deal of output and will slow down the
whole program operation. Only set this if you are debugging
your own scripts.
Don't abort scripts on error

Normally scripts abort if an error is detected. Check this box to

disable this behaviour.
Keys disable

The built-in key definitions can be disabled, allowing you to

define your own. Refer to the DefKey command in the Script
Reference Manual.
Disable standard key definitions

Disable key definitions. Note that many of the key assignments

are defined as menu short-cuts (their name appears in the menu
text). These are not disabled by this option. Does not take effect
until you restart SIMetrix.
File Extensions
Defines extensions used for the various files used by SIMetrix.

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Note that the default settings for three file types have five letters rather than the usual
three. This is to avoid conflict with other applications where file associations are
involved. Some file servers on network systems do not support five letter extensions. If
you are using such a system you will need to change these settings.
For each setting, the supported extensions are separated by a semi-colon. The first in
the list is the default. So, for example, the default schematic extension is sxsch so when
you save a schematic without giving an extension, it will automatically be given the
extension sxsch.
Schematic Files

Extensions used for schematic files.

Schematic Components
Extensions used by schematic component files.
Data Files

Extensions used for simulation data files

Text files

Supported extensions for text files. (File|Scripts|Edit File will

list all files with these extensions)

Symbol Files

Extension used for binary schematic symbol files. This is for

future expansion. Currently this setting has no effect.

Logic Def. Files

Files used for logic definitions for the digital simulator's

arbitrary logic block. If the extension is omitted in the model
(FILE parameter) this will be used.

Scripts

Default extension for scripts if called without an extension

Device models

SPICE model files. For future expansion, currently unused.

Device catalogs

Extension for device catalogs used by parts browser system.

Using the Set and Unset commands

All options have a name and many also have a value. These are set using the Set
command (page 299) and can be cleared with UnSet (page 301). When an option is
cleared it is restored to its default value. A complete listing of available options with
possible values is given below. Note that option settings are persistent. This means that
their values are stored either in the .INI file or in the system registry (see
Configuration Settings on page 328) and automatically restored at the start of each
subsequent SIMetrix session.
List of Options
Upper and lower case letters have been used for the option names in the following
listing only for clarity. Option names and their values are not in fact case sensitive.
Many of the options described below are supported by the Options dialog box in which
case they are noted accordingly.
Unsupported Options
Some options in the following list are marked as unsupported. This means that they
may be withdrawn in the future or their functionality changed.

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Users Manual

Name

Type

Description

700Extensions

Boolean Schematic symbols for the

700 series semi-custom
arrays are enabled if this is
set.

AlwaysUseMarkers

Boolean Graphs are printed with

markers even for colour
printers.

AnnoMinSuffix

Numeric Default = 1
Minimum suffix used for
automatic generation of
schematic component
references

AutoStartWire

Options
Boolean Default=False
dialog
Only effective if
AutoWireEnabled is False.
Selects mode whereby a
wire is started when the
cursor is brought close to a
pin or wire termination.
This mode is on
automatically when
AutoWireEnabled is True

AutoWireEnabled

Boolean Default=True
Smart wiring is on if this is
True

User
interface
support

Options
dialog

Options
dialog

Options
Controls whether the smart dialog
wire algorithm is allowed to
route wires through
existing wires that connect
to the destination or target

AWAllowRouteThruConnected Boolean Default=True

AxisPrintWidth

336

Numeric Default = 0.5

Width of printed axis in
mm. See also
CurvePrintWidth and
GridPrintWidth

Options
dialog

Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Name

Type

BiasAnnoPrecision

Numeric Default=6
Options
Precision of values
dialog
displayed for schematic DC
bias annotation

BiScriptDir

Text

This is the first location that Options

SIMetrix searches for
dialog
scripts. See File Locations
section of options dialog
above for more info.

BuildAssociations

Text

Default=ask
See Auto Configuration
Options on page 350

BuildModelLibs

Text

Default=ifempty
See Auto Configuration
Options on page 350

BuildPreferenceSettings

Text

Default=askmigrate
See Auto Configuration
Options on page 350

BuildSymbolLibs

Text

Default=ifempty
See Auto Configuration
Options on page 350

CachePathSymbols

Boolean Default=false
If true, SIMetrix will cache
symbolic paths

unsupported
CancelOnFocusLost

Description

User
interface
support

No
Boolean Default = True on
Windows, False on Linux
When true, interactive
actions are cancelled when
the window focus is lost.
This can cause problems if
the environment is set up
with Point to give focus as
moving the mouse outside
the active window then
cancels the users action.
Point to give focus is
available on Linux
systems.

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Name

Type

Description

CursorDisplay

Text

Default = Graph. Controls Options

initial graph cursor readout dialog
display.

User
interface
support

Display on graph
only
StatusBar Display on status
bar only
Both
Display on both
graph and status
bar
Graph

CurvePrintWidth

Numeric Default = 0.5mm

Width of printed graph
curves in mm. See also
GridPrintWidth.

CurveWeight

Options
Numeric Default = 1
Sets the line width in pixels dialog
of graph curves. Note that
although widths greater
than 1 are clearer they
normally take considerably
longer to draw. This does
however depend on the
type of adapter card and
display driver you are
using.

DataGroupDelete

Text

Default = OnStart
Options
dialog
Determines when
temporary simulation data
is deleted. Possible values,
Never, OnStart, OnClose
and OnDelete.
SeeGraph/Probe/Data
Analysis on page 331 for
details.

DefaultLib

Text

Default=%SHAREPATH%/
SymbolLibs/default.sxslb
Name and location of
default symbol library

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Options
dialog

Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Name

Type

Description

DevConfigFile

Text

Default=%SHAREPATH%/
DeviceConfig.cfg

User
interface
support

Name and location of

device configuration file.
See Simulator Reference
Manual for details
DigAxisHeight

Numeric Default = 8.0mm

Options
Height of digital axis in mm. dialog
(Screens are typically
75pixels/inch)

DisplaySimProgressMessage

Boolean Default=False
If true, a message will be
displayed in the command
shell indicating the start
and end of a simulation

EchoOn

Boolean When set, all commands

are echoed to the
command shell message
window. This is used
primarily for script
debugging.

Options
dialog

Editor

Text

Default = NOTEPAD.EXE
Default text editor.

Options
dialog

ExportRawFormat

Text

Default = SPICE3
Possible values, SPICE3,
SPECTRE and OTHER.
Controls format of raw
output. See Exporting
SPICE3 Raw Files on
page 281

No

GlobalCatalog

Text

Default=%SHAREPATH%/
all

unsupported
Location and base name of
global catalog file. (usually
referred to as ALL.CAT).

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340

Name

Type

Description

GridPrintWidth

Numeric Default = 0.3mm

Options
Width of printed graph grid dialog
lines in mm. See also
CurvePrintWidth

GroupPersistence

No
Numeric Default = 3
Sets the number of groups
that are kept before being
deleted. See Plotting the
Results from a Previous
Simulation on page 241

HideSchematicGrid

Boolean If set, the schematic grid

will be suppressed

Options
dialog

HighlightIncrement

Numeric Default = 1
Highlighted graph curves
are thicker than normal
curves by the amount
specified by this option

No

HistoCurveStyle

Text

InhibitAutoCD

No
Boolean The current working
directory is automatically
changed to the displayed
schematic when you switch
schematic tabs. Set this
option to disable this
feature.

InvertCursors

Boolean Default=false
If true, schematic and
graph mouse cursors are
modified to be suitable for
use on a black background

LibraryDiagnostics

Text

User
interface
support

Default=stepped
Options
Sets histogram curve style dialog

Default = Full
Possible values, Partial,
None and Full. Affects
progress information
displayed during model
library searching.

Options
dialog

Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Name

Type

MaxVectorBufferSize

Numeric Default=32768
See the Simulator
Reference Manual for a full
explanation

MinGridHeight

Numeric Minimum allowed height of Options

graph grid
dialog

MinorGridPrintWidth

Numeric Default=0.05
Print width in mm of
graphs minor grid

Options
dialog

MRUSize

Numeric Default = 4
Number of items in
File|Reopen menu.

Options
dialog

NewModelLifetime

Numeric Default=30
Number of days that user
installed models remain
displayed in the * Recently
Added Models * parts
browser category

NoEditPinNamesWarning

Boolean Default=false
If true, the warning given
when using the Edit Pin
Names button in the
associate models dialog
box is inhibited

unsupported

Description

User
interface
support

NoInitXaxisLimits

Boolean Default=false
Inverse of default value of
the initxlims parameter of
the .GRAPH statement.
See Simulator Reference
Manual for details

NoKeys

Boolean If on, the default key

Options
definitions will be disabled. dialog
Note this will not take affect
until the next session of
SIMetrix.

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Name

Type

NoMenu

Options
Boolean If on, the default menu
definitions will be disabled dialog
and no menu bar will
appear. This will not take
affect until the next session
of SIMetrix.

NoStopOnError

Boolean If disabled, scripts and

multi-command lines (i.e.
several commands on the
same line separated by ';')
are aborted if any
individual command
reports an error.

NoStopOnUnknownParam String

Description

User
interface
support

Options
dialog

Specifies action to be taken Options

in the event of an unknown dialog
parameter being
encountered in a .MODEL
statement. Choices are:
TRUE: No action taken,
simulation continues
normally
FALSE: An error will be
raised and the simulation
will abort
WARN: A warning will be
displayed but the
simulation will continue
This will be overridden by a
.OPTIONS setting of the
same name. Refer to
Simulator Reference
Manual for details

OldUserCatalog
unsupported

342

Text

Default=%sxappdatapath% No
/user
Location and base name
without extension of user
catalog file used by
versions 5.2 and earlier.
This file is used to populate
the current user catalog file

Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Name

Type

OmitAsciiRevision

Boolean Default=false
No
If true, the revision value is
not written to ASCII
schematic files. For
backward compatibility.

unsupported

Description

User
interface
support

OpenIntro

Boolean If set the Welcome dialog

box is opened on startup.

PassUnresTemplate

Boolean Default=false
No
If true, unresolved template
values in netlists will be
passed literally. Default
behaviour is no output

unsupported

Check
box in
Welcome
dialog

Precision

Numeric Default = 10
Precision of numeric
values displayed using
Show command.

No

PrintOptions

Text

Print
dialog

PrintWireWidth

Numeric Default=5
Width in pixels of
schematic wires when
printed

ProbeStartDelay

Numeric Default = 1
Options
Delay after start of
dialog
simulation run before fixed
probe graphs are first
opened.

ProbeUpdatePeriod

Numeric Default = 0.5 seconds

Update period for fixed
probe graphs

Options
dialog

PSpiceIniPath

Text

Option
dialog

RebuildConfig

Boolean Default=true
See Auto Configuration
Options on page 350

Options set in print dialog

Path of PSPICE.INI file

needed for the PSpice
Schematics translator.

No

No

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Users Manual

344

Name

Type

Description

User
interface
support

RepeatPlace

Text

Default = Toolbar
Controls when schematic
placement is repeated.
Possible values, Always,
Toolbar (toolbar symbols
only) and Never.

Options
dialog

SchematicEditMode

Text

Options
Default=NoSnap
Schematic behaviour when dialog
double clicking. If set to
Classic a wire is started. If
set to NoSnap a script
defined by
SchemDoubleClickScript is
called. Standard behaviour
is to edit a component if
mouse is located inside
one

SchematicMoveMode

Text

Options
Default=ClassicMode
Controls wiring behaviour dialog
with schematic move
operations. Values are
ClassicMove, GrowWire
and Orthogonal. See Edit
Modes on page 77 for
details

SchematicReadOnly

Boolean Default=false
If set all schematics are
opened in read only mode

SchemDoubleClickScript

Text

Default=on_schem_double
_click /ne
Script that is called when a
double click action is
detected in the schematic.
Only active if
SchematicEditMode=
NoSnap

ScriptDir

Text

Options
Directory used to search
for scripts and symbol files dialog
if not found in the current
directory. Changes to this
option do not take effect
until next session.

No

Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Name

Type

Description

SimDataGroupDelete

Text

No
Default=Never
Same as DataGroupDelete
(see page 338) when
simulator is run
independently. I.e. not
called from the front end

SIMPLISComponentButtons

Text

As ComponentButtons but Schematic

Toolbar
for SIMPLIS operation

User
interface
support

menu

SIMPLISPath

Text

Default=%EXEPATH%/sim No
plis.exe
Path of SIMPLIS binary

StartUpDir

Text

Current directory set at

start of session.

StartUpFile

Text

Default = Startup.SXSCR Options

Script that is automatically dialog
run at start of each
session.

StatusUpdatePeriod

Numeric Default = 0.2 seconds

No
Minimum delay in seconds
between updates of
simulator status window
during run.

SymbolsDir

Text

Default=%SHAREPATH%/ Option
SymbolLibs
dialog
Path of directory where
system symbol libraries are
located.

TempDataDir

Text

Default = %TEMPPATH%\ Options

dialog
SIMetrixTempData

Options
dialog

See Default Configuration

Location on page 328 for
definition of
%TEMPPATH%
Directory where temporary
simulation data files are
placed.

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Users Manual

346

Name

Type

Description

TotalVectorBufferSize

Numeric See the Simulator

Reference Manual for a full
explanation

TranscriptErrors

Boolean Default=false
If true, incorrectly typed
commands will be entered
in the history box. (The
drop down list in the
command line that shows
previously entered
commands)

UndoBufferSize

Numeric Default = 10
Options
Number of levels of
dialog
schematic undo. See
Creating a Schematic on
page 51

UpdateClosedSchematics

Boolean Allows SIMetrix to write to

closed schematic if
required. See Closed
Schematics on page 234

UpdateCurvesNoDeleteOld

Boolean Default=false
If true, old curves are not
deleted when using the
Update Curves feature.

Plot |
Update
Curve
Settings

UpdateCurvesNoFixSelected

Boolean Default=false
If true update includes
selected curves when
using the Update Curves
feature

Plot |
Update
Curve
Settings

UseAltGraphPrintStyles

Boolean Determines method of

differentiating curves on
monochrome hardcopies.
See Graph Printing on
page 331

Options
dialog

UseGreekMu

Boolean Default=false
If true, the u used to
denote 10e-6 will be
displayed as a greek in
graph axis labels

No

User
interface
support

Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Name

Type

UseNativeXpSplitters

No
Boolean Default=false
The standard splitter bar
in windows XP is flat and
usually not visible. In some
SIMetrix windows the
standard style has been
bypassed in order to make
these visible. For example
the legend panel in graphs.
Set this option to true to
revert to standard XP
behaviour. You may need
to use this if using a non
standard XP theme

UserCatalog

Text

Default=%sxappdatapath% No
/user_v2
Location and base name
without extension of the
user catalog file

UserScriptDir

Text

Alternative location for user No

scripts. See Script
Reference Manual for more
information

UserSymbolsDir

Text

Path of directory where the Options

users symbol libraries are dialog
stored.

UserSystemSymbolDir

Text

Default=%sxappdatapath% No
/SysSymbols
Location of symbol libraries
containing edits to system
symbols

UseSmallGraphCursor

Boolean Default=false
Cursors |
If true, a small graph cursor Cursor
will be used instead of the Style
full crosshair

unsupported

Description

User
interface
support

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Users Manual

Name

Type

Description

VertTextMode

Text

No
Default=Alt
Controls vertical text
display when copying
graphs to the Windows
clipboard. Default setting
has been found to be
reliable and it isnt usually
necessary to change it. If
you find a target application
does not display the y-axis
labels correctly, try values
of:
Normal (use a different
method to rotate text), Hide
(hides vertical text) or Horiz
(displays vertical text
horizontally).

WarnSubControls

Boolean Default=false
If true, a warning will be
issued if unexpected
simulator commands are
found in subcircuits.

No

WireWidth

Numeric Width in pixels of

schematic lines. Default =
1.

No

WorkingCatalog

Text

unsupported

User
interface
support

Default=%sxappdatapath% No
/out
Location and basename
without extension of
working catalog file.
(OUT.CAT)

File Extension
The following options set default file extensions. See options dialog for more details.

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Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Option name

Default
value

Description

CatalogExtension

cat

Catalog files

ComponentExtension sxcmp

Schematic component files

DataExtension

sxdat;dat

Data files

GraphExtension

sxgph

Graph binary files

LogicDefExtension

ldf

Arbitrary block logic definition files

ModelExtension

lb;lib;mod;cir

SPICE model files

SchematicExtension

sxsch;sch

Schematic files

ScriptExtension

sxscr;txt

Scripts

SnapshotExtension

sxsnp

Simulator snapshot files

SymbolExtension

lib

Binary symbol files

TextExtension

txt;net;cir;mod; Text files

ldf;sxscr;lib;lb;
cat

Toolbar Buttons
The buttons displayed on each of the standard toolbars are defined with an option
variable - that is one for each toolbar. The value of the option consists of a series of
semi-colon delimited button names. A complete list of button names and full
information concerning user defined toolbars can be found in the Script Reference
Manual. The toolbar option variable names are listed below.

Option name

Description

ComponentButtons

Schematic parts in SIMetrix mode

CommandShellMainButtons Command shell toolbar

SIMPLISComponentButtons Schematic parts in SIMPLIS mode
SchematicMainButtons

Schematic main toolbar

SchematicFileButtons

Schematic file operations toolbar

SymbolMainButtons

Symbol editor toolbar

GraphMainButtons

Graph window toolbar

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Users Manual

Startup Auto Configuration

Overview
When SIMetrix is started for the first time, it automatically sets up its configuration to
default values. Details of this process are provided in the following sections. There are
a number of settings that can be made to control this process and these are also
explained.

What is Set Up
During this phase, the following is set up:
1.

Installs system supplied symbol libraries

2.

Installs system supplied model libraries

3.

Migrates preference settings from earlier installed versions if available

4.

Associates file extensions with the operating system. (Windows only)

5.

Sets up default window positions according to the system screen resolution (only
if preference settings not migrated in 3.)

6.

Define default values for various fonts (only if preference settings not migrated
in 3.)

Auto Configuration Options

Configuration settings are stored in a file called base.sxprj. See Configuration
Settings on page 328 for details of where this file is located. Auto configuration
writes values to this file but will also read values from this file to decide how it will
proceed. In the usual sequence of events for installing and setting up SIMetrix, this file
will not actually exist when auto configuration occurs. In this case auto configuration
uses default values for the settings it tries to read.
However, if you are a system administrator may wish to customise the way SIMetrix is
configured when started by each user. In this case you may manually create a
base.sxprj file or alternatively a common skeleton that SIMetrix will use to create this
file. Your base.sxprj file can, if desired, be completely populated with all required
settings and configured to disable auto configuration altogether. Alternatively, you can
inhibit some of the auto configuration operations while allowing others to proceed
normally.
There are five settings that control auto configuration. These must be placed in the
[Options] section of the base.sxprj file. The settings are shown in the following table:

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Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Option Name

Possible Values Description

(Default in bold)

RebuildConfig

true, false

BuildPreferenceSettings askmigrate, true,

false

Auto configuration proceeds if

this is set to true. Auto
configuration automatically sets
this to false on completion
Build user preference settings
askmigrate: ask the user whether
he wants to migrate settings from
an earlier version if available
true: Build default values
false: do nothing

BuildAssociations

ask, true, false

Build file associations (Windows

only)
ask: ask the user if he wants file
association to be performed
true: file associations performed
unconditionally
false: file associations not
performed

BuildModelLibs

ifempty, merge, no Install system model libraries

ifempty: install libraries if there

are no libraries currently installed
merge: merge system libraries
with currently installed libraries
no: do not install system libraries
BuildSymbolLibs

ifempty, merge, no Install system symbol libraries

ifempty: install libraries if there

are no libraries currently installed
merge: merge system libraries
with currently installed libraries
no: do not install system libraries
The settings in the above table should be placed in the file in [Options] section in the
form:

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Users Manual
[Options]
name=value
For example:
[Options]
BuildSymbolLibs=merge
Skeleton Configuration File
The skeleton configuration file, if it exists, will be copied to base.sxprj if base.sxprj
does not exist.
The skeleton configuration file must be called skeleton.sxprj and be located in the
same directory as the executable file SIMetrix.exe (windows) or SIMetrix (Linux).

Installation - Customising
It isnt possible to customise the Windows install program. However, the SIMetrix
installer doesnt do much more than simply uncompress files to the chosen location. It
is therefore possible for you to create your own SIMetrix install process using a fresh
install tree as a source image. You can then add your own files to this including the
skeleton.sxprj file described above.

Colours and Fonts

Colours
Colours for schematic symbols, wires, graph curves and graph grids may be
customised using the colour dialog box. This is opened using the File|Options|Colour
menu item.
Select the object whose colour you wish to change then select Edit button to change it.
The colours you select are stored persistently and will remain in effect for future
sessions of SIMetrix.

Fonts
Fonts for various components of SIMetrix may be selected using the font selection
dialog box. This is opened using the File|Options|Font... menu item.
Select the item whose font you wish to change the press Edit to select new font. Items
available are:

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Chapter 13 Sundry Topics

Font object name

Where font used

Associate Model Text

Model display window in associate model

dialog box

Command Line

Command line at top of command shell

F11 Window

Schematic F11 window used for simulator

commands

Graph

Graph windows

Graph Caption

Graph Caption objects placed using

Annotate|Add Caption

Graph Free Text

Graph Free Text object placed using

Annotate|Add Free Text

Legend Box

Graph Legend Box object placed using

Annotate|Add Legend Box

Message Window

Bottom part of command shell

Print Caption

Font used at base of printed schematic and

graph

Schematic

Default for schematics. Note that the size for all

schematic fonts is relative. The actual font size
used also depends on current zoom level. The
font you select will be the size used for zoom
magnification 1.0 as displayed in the status bar
of the schematic.

Schematic - annotation

Schematic used by bias annotation markers

Schematic - caption

Schematic captions. (Popup menu Add

Caption...)

Schematic - free text

Schematic free text. (Popup menu Add Free

Text...)

Schematic - user 1-4

Unassigned schematic fonts. You can assign

any of these fonts (or in fact any of the other
schematic fonts) to any symbol property at the
symbol definition stage. You can also change
the font assignment of any unprotected
property on a schematic using the popup menu
Edit Properties... .

View File Window

Window opened for viewing files - such as the

simulator list file or netlist file

Notes on Schematic Fonts

There are 8 fonts assigned for use on schematics. This means that you can have up to
eight different fonts on a schematic. The actual definition of that font is defined in the
Font dialog and stored with your user settings and is not stored in the schematic. Only

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Users Manual
the name (as in the list above) is stored with the schematic property. This means that if
you give a schematic file to a colleague, it may display differently on his machine
depending on how the font options are set up. So for this reason it is best to keep to the
allocated purpose for each font. Caption fonts should be large and possibly bold, free
text should be smaller etc. etc.

Using a Black Background

SIMetrix uses a white background for all its windows as is convention with GUI
applications.
But it is possible to change to a black background if this is preferred. To do this, select
menu File | Options | Background Colour... . This will change the schematic, symbol
and graph windows to use the background colour selected. Note that in order to use a
black background, the various graphical elements (e.g. fonts and grids) that need to
contrast with the background will also need to have their colour changed. The above
menu will deal with this automatically, but be aware that these changes will override
any previous colour changes that you may have made.

Startup Script
The startup script is executed automatically each time SIMetrix is launched. By default
it is called startup.sxscr but this name can be changed with in the options dialog box.
(File|Options|General...). The startup file may reside in the script directory (defined by
ScriptDir option variable) or in a user script directory (defined by UserScriptDir option
variable).
The most common use for the startup script is to define custom menus and keys but
any commands can be placed there.
To edit the startup script, select the File|Scripts|Edit Startup menu item.

354

Index

Index

.LIB 167
.OUT file 263
.PARAM 157
.param 157
700Extensions option variable 336

A
abs function 303
ABSTOL 195
AC sweep analysis 184
SIMPLIS 206
ALL.CAT 166
AlwaysUseMarkers option variable 336
Analog behavioural modelling
laplace 146
non-linear 145
Analog-digital converter 142
Analysis modes
AC sweep 184
choose analysis dialog 170
DC sweep 182
Monte Carlo sweep 181
multi-step 196
noise 185
operating point 177
options 194
pole-zero 193
real time noise 189
sensitivity 193
SIMPLIS 202
AC 206
Periodic operating point (POP) 204206
transient 202
specifying 58, 170
sweep modes 178182
sweeping devices 178
sweeping frequency 181
sweeping model parameters 179
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Users Manual
sweeping parameters 179
sweeping temperature 179
transfer function 190
transient 172177
restarting 175
transient snapshots 175
AnnoMinSuffix options variable 336
APPDATAPATH system path 325
Application data directory 328
arg function 304
arg_rad function 304
atan function 304
AutoStartWire options variable 336
AutoWireEnabled options variable 336
AWAllowRouteThruConnected options variable 336
Axes
creating new 239
deleting 239
editing 240
reordering digital 241
selecting 239
AxisPrintWidth option variable 336

B
Bandwidth
function 272
Bias Point 263
BiasAnnoPrecision options variable 337
BiScriptDir option variable 326, 337
Blackman FFT window 227
Bode plot 215
BPBW function 272
BuildAssociations options variable 337
BuildModelLibs options variable 337
BuildPreferenceSettings options variable 337
BuildSymbolLibs options variable 337
Bus connections - see Schematic; bus connections

C
CachePathSymbols options variable 337
CancelOnFocusLost option variable 337
Capacitor
editing values 138
initial condition 139
non-linear 148
356

Index
sweeping 178
Catalog files 166
ALL.CAT 166
OUT.CAT 166
USER.CAT 166
CatalogExtension option variable 349
CentreFreq function 273
Chokes 134
see also Inductor
Choose analysis dialog 170
Circuit rules 53
Circuit stimulus 54
Clipboard
copying graphs 260
copying schematics 78
Colours, customising 352
Command history 284
Command line 284
maximum line length 285
Commands, full list 293
ComponentExtension option variable 349
Configuration settings 328
Core materials 134
cos function 304
Current
plotting 67, 68
Current source
controlled 141
fixed 141
sweeping 179
CursorDisplay option variable 338
Cursors, graph 244249
see also Graph cursors
CurvePrintWidth option variable 338
CurveWeight option variable 338

D
DataExtension option variable 349
DataGroupDelete 338
dB
function 304
plotting 68, 215, 220
DC sweep analysis 182
decscript property 106
DefaultLib option variable 326
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Users Manual
DefaultLib options variable 338
Defining keys
DefKey command 293
Defining menus
DefMenu command 295
DelMenu command 297
DefKey command 293
Deleting schematic wires 72
DelMenu command 297
DevConfigFile options variable 339
Device power, probing 221
diff function 304
Differential voltage, probing 69
DigAxisHeight option variable 339
Digital-analog converter 142
Disconnecting schematic wires 52, 72
DisplaySimProgressMessage option variable 339
Distortion
calculating 254
DOCSPATH system path 325
Duplicate models 168
Duty function 273

E
EchoOn option variable 339
Editor option variable 339
EXEPATH system path 325
exp function 304
Exporting data 281
ExportRawFormat 339
Expressions 156
Extensions, file 334

F
Fall function 274
Fall time, calculating 254
Fast start, for transient analysis 174
ferrite 134
FFT
function 304
of selected curve 255
phase 225
plotting 224
File extensions 334
Filter response functions 147
358

Index
FIR function 305
Flipping schematic components 52, 71
Floor function 305
Fonts, customising 352
Fourier analysis 223227
Frequency
function 275
sweeping 181
with multi-step analysis 198
Functional modelling
arbitrary non-linear passive devices 148
generic ADCs and DACs 142
generic digital devices 143
laplace transfer function 146
non-linear transfer function 145
Functions, full list 301

G
Global nets 84
Global pins 84
GlobalCatalog options variable 339
Goal functions 270
full list 270272
Graph cursors 244249
changing styles 247
displaying 245
freezing 246
moving 245
moving to peak or trough 245
readout 247
Graph toolbar 214
GraphExtension option variable 349
Graphs 213
annotation 256260
AutoAxis 238
captions and free text 260
changing curve weight 332
changing digital axis height 332
copying to clipboard 260
creating new axes 239
creating new grids 239
cursors 244249
see also Graph cursors
deleting axes and grids 239
deleting curves 243
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Users Manual
editing axes 240
hiding curves 243
highlighting curves 244
logarithmic 218, 233
measurements 249
moving curves 239
multiple y-axes 237
naming curves 243
plotting 213
printing options 331
saving and restoring 262
scrolling 255
selecting axes and grids 239
selecting curves 243
showing curves 243
zooming 255
GridPrintWidth option variable 340
Grids
creating new 239
deleting 239
reordering 241
Group curves, multi-step analysis feature 197
Group delay
plotting 220
GroupDelay
function 306
GroupPersistence option variable 241, 340

H
Hamming (FFT window) 227
handle property 106
Hanning (FFT window) 227
HideSchematicGrid option variable 340
Hierarchical schematics - see Schematic; hierarchical
HighlightIncrement option variable 340
HistoCurveStyle options variable 340
Histogram function 306
Histograms 267
HPBW function 275

I
if (template property keyword) 113
ifd (template property keyword) 114
Iff function 306
IIR function 307
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Index
im function 308
Impedance, probing 221
Importing data 280
incscript property 106
Inductor
editing values 138
initial condition 139
mutual 137
non-linear 134, 148
sweeping 179
InhibitAutoCD option variable 340
Initial condition
capacitor 139
force resistance 195
inductor 139
inode (template property keyword) 110
Installation 16
integ function 308
Integration method 174
Interp function 308
InvertCursors option variable 340
IsComplex function 308

J
join (template property keyword) 114
join_num (template property keyword) 114
join_pin (template property keyword) 114

K
Keyboard 288

L
Laplace expression 147
length function 308
LibraryDiagnostics option variable 340
Licensing 19
network 20
stand alone 19
List file 263
ln function 308
log function 309
log10 function 309
LogicDefExtension option variable 349
lot property 106
LPBW function 276
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Users Manual

M
mag function 310
mappednode (template property keyword) 109
mappedpinnames (template property keyword) 109
mapping property 106
match property 106
maxidx function 310
Maxima function 310
MaxVectorBufferSize option variable 341
MC_ABSOLUTE_RECT option variable 320
MC_MATCH_RECT option variable 320
Mean
function 310
Mean1 function 311
Menu reference 288
Message window 288
MinGridHeight option variable 341
minidx function 311
Minima function 311
Minimum function 311
MinorGridPrintWidth option variable 341
Mirroring schematic components 52, 71
Model libraries
.LIB 167
associating models with symbols 163
diagnostics 168
duplicates 168
importing to schematic 167
indexes 168
installing 47, 160
removing 163
SPICE to SIMPLIS conversion 128
model property 105, 153
ModelExtension option variable 349
Module port 81
Monte Carlo analysis 316
analysing results 322
distributions 320
example 316
plotting single curve 322
running 320
setting seed 196, 321
sweep 181, 320
tolerance
362

Index
device 318
matching 319
model 319
Moving schematic components 72
MRUSize option variable 341
Multiple schematic placement 80

N
Navigating hierarchical designs 82
netname property 106
Nets
global 84
NewModelLifetime option variable 341
node (template property keyword) 110
nodelist (template property keyword) 110
nodename (template property keyword) 110
NoEditPinNamesWarning option variable 341
NoInitXaxisLimits option variable 341
Noise analysis 185
plotting results 222
real time 189
NoKeys option variable 341
NoMenu option variable 342
norm function 311
NoStopOnError option variable 342
NoStopOnUnknownParam option variable 342
Nyquist, plots 220

O
OldUserCatalog option variable 342
OmitAsciiRevision option variable 343
OpenGroup command 297
OpenIntro option variable 343
Operating point analysis 177
viewing results 263
Options 330349
bus probes 228
colours 352
dialog box 330
fixed probe 216
fonts 352
SIMPLIS 206
simulator 194
variables
full list 335349
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Users Manual
GroupPersistence 241
Set command 299
UnSet command 301
UpdateClosedSchematics 234
OUT.CAT 166
Overshoot
calculating 254
function 277

P
parallel (template property keyword) 113
Parameters 156
list file output 196
passing through hierarchy 86
passing through subcircuits 154
start up 327
sweeping 179
with multi-step analysis 198
params property 106
Parts browser 159
PassUnresTemplate option variable 343
Path names
symbolic 324
PeakToPeak function 278
Period function 278
Periodic operating point 204206
ph function 312
Phase
function 312
plotting 68, 215, 220
phase_rad function 312
pinlist (template property keyword) 110
pinnames (template property keyword) 110
Pins
global 84
Plotting
arbitrary expressions 229
noise analysis 222
results from earlier run 241
see also Probing
transfer function analysis 222
X-Y 230
Pole-zero analysis 193
viewing results 193
POP 204206
364

Index
Potentiometer 140
Precision option variable 343
PrintOptions option variable 343
PrintWireWidth option variable 343
ProbeStartDelay option variable 343
ProbeUpdatePeriod option variable 343
Probing 6669, 213, 214236
arbitrary expressions 69, 229
busses 227
device power 221
fixed 66, 215219
after run has started 219
changing update delay and period 219, 331
current 67
differential voltage 67, 69
in hierarchy 219
list of types 215
options 216
persistence 216
voltage 67
fixed vs random 214
fourier phase 225
fourier spectrum 223
impedance 221
in hierarchical designs 234
old results 241
random 67, 219236
busses 227
current 68
dB 68
fourier 223
functions 220
phase 68
voltage 68
results from earlier run 241
Properties - see Schematic; properties
PSP 203
PSpice schematic translator 118
configuring 118
opening schematics 119
symbol libraries 119
PSpiceIniPath option variable 326, 343
PulseWidth function 278

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Users Manual

R
Random Probes 67
Range function 312
re function 312
ReadLogicCompatibility 298
real function 312
Real time noise analysis 189
RebuildConfig option variable 343
ref (template property keyword) 111
Ref function 312
ref property 105, 153
RELTOL 195
repeat (template property keyword) 111
RepeatPlace option variable 344
Reset command 299
Resistor
additional parameters 138
editing values 138
non-linear 148
sweeping 179
Restarting transient analysis 175
Rise function 279
Rise time, calculating 254
RMS
function 312
RMS1 function 312
rnd function 313
RootSumOfSquares function 313
Rotating schematic components 52, 71
Running simulation 65
basic steps 51
hierarchical designs 65

S
Saturation 134
SaveRhs command 299
Saving
graphs 262
simulation data 264
Schematic
annotating 78
bus connections 77
add 77
in hierarchy 83
probing 227
366

Index
ripper 77
wiring 78
checking 79
copy to clipboard 78
creating 70
displaying bias point 263
editing 71
adding free text 74
copying across schematics 73
deleting wires 72
disconnecting wires 52, 72
duplicating items 73
labelling nets 80
move single component 72
moving labels 72, 75
placing components 71
rotate, mirror or flip a component 52, 71
undo 74
undo, setting level 330
wiring 72
getting started 51
grid, hiding 331
hierarchical 80
ascending 82
bottom-up method 81
connecting busses 83
creating blocks 81
descending 82
global nets 84
global pins 84
navigating 82
passing parameters 86
probing 219, 234
running simulation 65
top-down method 81
importing models 167
modes 70
net names
displaying 80
user defined 80
preferences 79
component placement options 80
toolbar 79
properties 91, 103
367

Users Manual
decscript 106
editing in schematic 107
handle 106
incscript 106
lot 106
mapping 106
match 106
model 105, 153
netname 106
params 106
ref 105, 153
restoring 107
schematic_path 106
scterm 106
simulator 106
template 106
tol 106
value 105, 153
valuescript 106
selecting 71
components only 73
multiple 73
wires only 73
symbols
adding properties 98
changing search order 117
copying 117
creating 95
creating from script 103
defining pins 96
drawing arcs 95
drawing segments 95
editing 95
editing properties 101
graphical editor 94
how they are stored 122
installing 116
library manager 115
pin order 97
properties 91, 103
renaming 117
symbol generator 89
uninstalling 117
Xspice pin attributes 98
368

Index
toolbar
editing 79
placement options 330
unselecting 73
in box 73
using for IC design 120
automatic area and perimeter calculation 121
window 70
worksheets - adding and removing 80
zooming
box 74
in 74
out 74
to fit 74
schematic_path property 106
SchematicEditMode option variable 344
SchematicExtension option variable 349
SchematicMoveMode option variable 344
SchematicReadOnly option variable 344
SchemDoubleClickScript option variable 344
ScriptDir option variable 326, 344
ScriptExtension option variable 349
Scripts 285
location 333
options 334
startup 354
Scrolling
graph 255
scterm property 106
Selecting schematic components and wires 71
Sensitivity analysis 193
sep (template property keyword) 111
series (template property keyword) 112
Set command 299
Show command 300
sign function 313
SimDataGroupDelete option variable 345
SIMPLIS
Analysis modes
AC 206
Periodic operating point (POP) 204206
transient 202
analysis modes 202
options 206
369

Users Manual
primitive components 133
using SPICE models 128
SIMPLISComponentButtons option variable 345
SIMPLISPath option variable 345
Simulation
modes 51
Simulator controls
manual entry 65
Simulator options 194
simulator property 106
SIMXIDX.n 168
sin function 313
Singular matrix 53
SnapshotExtension option variable 349
Snapshots (SIMPLIS) 204
sqrt function 313
STARTPATH system path 325
Startup script 354
STARTUP.INI 328
StartUpDir option variable 345
StartupDir option variable 326
StartUpFile option variable 345
StatusUpdatePeriod option variable 345
step (template property keyword) 113
Stimulus 54
Subcircuits 151
calling from a schematic 153
creating from schematic 151
expanding 196
passing parameters 154
SumNoise function 313
Sweep modes 178182
Switch
voltage controlled 141
with hysteresis 142
Switches, command line 285
Symbol editor 94
SymbolExtension option variable 349
Symbolic path names 324
Symbols - see Schematic; symbols
SymbolsDir option variable 326, 345
System requirements 29

T
tan function 313
370

Index
TempDataDir option variable 326, 345
Temperature
setting 195
sweeping 179
with multi-step analysis 198
template property 106, 107
TEMPPATH 325
TextExtension option variable 349
Timestep too small error 174
tol property 106
Tolerance
current 195
relative 195
voltage 195
Toolbar
graph 214
schematic 70
configure 79
TotalVectorBufferSize option variable 346
TranscriptErrors option variable 346
Transfer function analysis 190
plotting results 222
Transformer
ideal 136
non-linear 134
Transient analysis 172177
SIMPLIS 202
Transient snapshots 175
Transmission line
lossy 141
Truncate function 313
Tutorial 32

U
UIC 139
Undo
Graph Zoom 256
UndoBufferSize option variable 346
Uninstalling 17
unitvec function 314
Unselecting schematic items 73
Unset command 301
UpdateClosedSchematics option variable 234, 346
UpdateCurvesNoDeleteOld option variable 346
UpdateCurvesNoFixSelected option variable 346
371

Users Manual
Upgrade notes 31
UseAltGraphPrintStyles option variable 346
UseGreekMu option variable 346
UseNativeXpSplitters option variable 347
USER.CAT 166
UserCatalog option variable 347
UserScriptDir option variable 347
UserSymbolsDir option variable 347
UserSystemSymbolDir option variable 347
UseSmallGraphCursor option variable 347

value property 105, 153

valuescript property 106
vector function 314
VertTextMode option variable 348
VNTOL 195
Voltage
plotting 67, 68
plotting differential 67
Voltage source
controlled 141
fixed 141
sweeping 179

W
WarnSubControls option variable 348
Window
graph 213
schematic 70
symbol editor 94
WireWidth option variable 348
WorkingCatalog option variable 348
Worksheets - schematic 80

X
XatNthY function 279
XatNthYn function 279
XatNthYp function 280
XatNthYpct function 280
XFromY function 314
XY function 314

Y
YatX 280
YatXpct 280
372

Index
YFromX function 314

Z
Zooming
graph 255

373