Cadence® PSpice® A/D is a full-featured analog simulator with support for digital
elements to help solve virtually any design challenge—from high-frequency systems to
low-power IC designs. The powerful simulation engine integrates easily with Cadence
PCB schematic entry solutions, improving time to market and keeping operating costs
in check. An interactive, easy-to-use graphical user interface provides complete control
over the design process. Availability of resources such as models from many vendors,
built-in mathematical functions, and behavioral modeling techniques make for an
efficient design process. Optional advanced analysis capabilities help designers
maximize circuit performance.
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Improves simulation times, reliability, and convergence on larger designs
- Improves speed without loss of accuracy via integrated analog and event-driven digital simulations
- Explores circuit behavior using basic DC, AC, noise, and transient analyses
- Allows system-level interfaces to be tested with actual electrical designs using SLPS
- Offers library selection of more than 18,000 analog and mixed-signal models
- Allows for automatic identification of analog and digital signals and applies A-to-D and D-to-A interfaces
- Explores design relationships with “what if” scenarios before committing to hardware
- Identifies and simulates functional blocks of complex circuitry using mathematical expressions,
functions, and behavioral devices
PSpice A/D integrates seamlessly with the Cadence front-to-back PCB design flow, making it possible
to have a single, unified design environment for both simulation and PCB design. Select from a library
of more than 18,000 symbols and models for simulation to design with Cadence PCB schematic design
entry technology. PSpice provides many features that allow you to easily capture and simulate analog
designs. Both integrations include one-button simulation and cross-probing, and many other simulation
utilities.
Access built-in functions that can be described parametrically or draw piece-wise linear (PWL) signals
freehand with the mouse to create any shape stimulus. Create digital stimuli for signals, clocks, and
buses; click-and-drag to introduce and move transitions.
Users can easily set up and run simulations, and then cross-probe simulation results from Probe,
an industry-standard waveform viewer. Support for multiple simulation profiles enables users to recall
and run different simulations on the same schematic. Simulation bias results can be viewed directly
on the schematic including node voltages, device power calculations, and pin and subcircuit current.
Support for Checkpoint Restart allows designers to reduce simulation times when the same circuit is
simulated multiple times with minor changes.
Integrated analog and event-driven digital simulations improve speed without loss of accuracy. A single
graphical waveform analyzer displays mixed analog and digital simulation results on the same time axis.
Digital functions support 5 logic levels and 64 strengths, load-dependent delays, and hazard/race
checking. PSpice simulation also features propagation modeling for digital gates and constraint
checking (such as setup and hold timing).
Probe Windows allows users to choose from an expanded set of mathematical functions to apply to
simulation output variables. Designers can create plot window templates and use them to easily make
complex measurements by simply placing markers directly on the desired pins, nets, and parts in the
schematic. The tool also enables users to measure performance characteristics of a circuit using
built-in measurement functions and creation of custom measurements. For data display, additional
capabilities allow plotting of both real and complex functions of circuit voltage, current, and power
consumption, including Bodé plots for gain and phase margin and derivatives for small-signal
characteristics.
Included are a large variety of accurate internal models—which typically include temperature effects—
that add flexibility to simulations. Models are available with R, L, C, and bipolar transistors plus: built-in
IGBTs; Seven MOSFET models, including industry-standard BSIM3v3.2 and the new EKV 2.6 model;
five GaAsFET models, including Parker-Skellern and TriQuint TOM-2, TOM-3 models; nonlinear
magnetic models complete with saturation and hysteresis; transmission line models that incorporate
delay, reflection, loss, dispersion, and crosstalk; digital primitives, including bi-directional transfer gates
with analog I/O models; and two battery models, which allow accurate simulation of the discharge cycle
and operating conditions.
A device equations developer’s kit (DEDK) allows implementation of new internal model equations.
Users can select from more than 18,000 analog and mixed-signal models of devices made in North
America, Japan, and Europe. Also included are more than 4,500 parameterized models for BJTs,
JFETs, MOSFETs, IGBTs, SCRs, magnetic cores and toroids, power diodes and bridges, operational
amplifiers, optocouplers, regulators, PWM controllers, multipliers, timers, and sample-and-holds.
It’s easy to extract a model of a supported device type—simply enter the required data from the
device’s datasheet.
Functional blocks are described using mathematical expressions and functions, which allows
designers to leverage a full set of mathematical operators, nonlinear functions, and filters. Circuit
behavior can be defined in the time or frequency domain, by formula (including Laplace transforms),
or by look-up tables. Error and warning messages can be specified in different conditions. Users can
easily select parameters, which have been passed to subcircuits in a hierarchy, and insert them into
transfer functions. New behavioral capabilities include mathematical functions like in(x), exp(x), and
sqrt(x).
The Magnetic Parts Editor helps designers overcome issues involved in manually designing
transformers. Users can design magnetic transformers and DC inductors, and generate simulation
models for trans-formers and inductors. The Magnetic Parts Editor also allows designers to generate
data required for manufacturing the transformers or inductors. The manufacturer’s report that is
generated by MagDesigner after the completion of the design process contains the complete data
required by a vendor to develop the transformer for commercial use.
The encryption feature allows models to be encrypted using 56-bit DES algorithm.
PSpice and the MathWorks’ MATLAB Simulink package integrate two industry-leading simulation tools
into a powerful co-simulation environment (SLPS). Simulink is a platform for multi-domain simulation
and model-based design of dynamic systems. The SLPS integration allows designers to perform
system-level simulations that include realistic electrical models of actual components. Design and
integration problems can be discovered much earlier in the design process, reducing the number of
prototypes needed to execute the design. SLPS integration also lets designers of electro-mechanical
systems—such as control blocks, sensors, and power converters—perform integrated system and
circuit simulation.
SLPS integration allows designers to interface the PSpice circuit with Simulink.
This feature allows designer to store simulation states at various time-points and then restart
simulations from any of the simulation states, which saves time. The designer can modify simulation
settings and design parameters before starting a simulation from a pre-recorded time-state.
This option makes the simulator automatically change tolerances limits of convergence to make the
design converge. Designers can use this option to achieve convergence and then fine-tune
simulations by further modifying simulator options. This option is recommended for power electronic
designs.
Using optional PSpice Advanced Analysis capabilities, designers can automatically maximize the
performance of circuits. Four important capabilities—sensitivity analysis, optimization, Smoke (stress
analysis), and Monte Carlo (yield analysis)—enable engineers to create virtual prototypes of designs
and maximize circuit performance automatically. Measurements across multiple simulation profiles
can be processed together.
The sensitivity option identifies which component parameters are critical to the goals of a circuit’s
performance by examining how each component affects circuit behavior by itself and in comparison
to the other components. It allows designers to identify sensitive components and export them to the
optimizer to fine-tune circuit behavior.
The optimizer analyzes analog circuits and systems, fine-tuning designs faster than trial-and-error
bench testing. It helps find the best component values to meet performance goals and constraints.
Designers can use the optimizer to improve design performance, update designs to meet new
specifications, optimize behavioral models for top-down design and model generation, and tune a
circuit to match known results in the form of measurements or curves. The optimizer includes four
engines: least squares quadratic (LSQ), modified LSQ, random, and discrete.
The Smoke option warns of stressed components due to power dissipation, increases in junction
temperature, secondary breakdowns, or violations of voltage/current limits. Over time, these
components can cause circuit failure. Designers can use Smoke to compare circuit simulation results
to a component’s safe operating limits. If limits are exceeded, Smoke identifies the problem
parameters. It can also be used for creating, modifying, and configuring derate files for use with
Smoke analysis.
Smoke compares simulated values with manufacturers' limits.
Monte Carlo predicts the behavior of a circuit statistically when part values are varied within their
tolerance range. Monte Carlo also calculates yield, which can be used for mass manufacturing
predictions. Use Monte Carlo for calculating yield based on your specifications calculating statistical
data, displaying results in a probability density histogram, and displaying results in a cumulative
distribution graph.
Once a circuit is created and simulated, the parametric plotter is used for sweeping multiple
parameters. Any number of design and model parameters (in any combination) can be swept and
results viewed in tabular or plot form. Designers can use the parametric plotter for allowing
device/model parameters to be swept, displaying sweep results in spreadsheet format, allotting
measurement results in probe UI, and evaluating post-analysis measurement.
- Pentium 4 (32-bit) equivalent or faster
- Windows XP Professional, Vista Enterprise
- Minimum 512MB (1G or more recommended for XP and Vista Enterprise requirements)
- 300MB swap space (or more)
- CD-ROM drive
- 65,000 color Windows display with minimum 1024 x 768 (1280 x 1024 recommended)