Analog Circuit Simulator Event-Driven Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional analog circuit simulators require extensive memory and time for verification, especially for large-scale circuits, and struggle to accurately represent circuits with impedance using hardware description language, leading to inefficient verification processes.
Innovation Solution
An analog circuit simulator that searches for analog nodes, collects and converts voltage and current variable information into time functions, and performs simulation only at specific events, reducing computational load and enabling fast functional verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional analog circuit simulators are used for verification, then calculation accuracy is improved, but verification time and memory usage increase tremendously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the analog circuit into multiple blocks, where each block is modeled independently with defined input and output ports. This allows the complex circuit to be divided into manageable sections that can be simulated more efficiently while maintaining overall accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces operation models as intermediary representations between the detailed analog circuit and the verification process. These operation models describe circuit behavior at a higher level of abstraction, reducing the computational burden while preserving essential functional characteristics.
2Productivity
If hardware description language is used to model analog circuits, then verification speed is improved, but ability to express impedance and circuit interactions is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different modeling approaches to different parts of the circuit. Analog blocks that require impedance representation are modeled with specific electrical characteristics, while digital portions use standard hardware description language constructs. This allows each section to be modeled with the appropriate level of detail and physical accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameters and variables used to describe circuit behavior. Instead of using only digital logic levels, the model incorporates voltage, current, and impedance parameters for analog portions, allowing the same hardware description language framework to express both digital and analog circuit characteristics.
3Measurement precision
If detailed simulation of all circuit nodes is performed, then measurement precision is improved, but computational complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential variables needed for verification from the full circuit model. By identifying and removing unnecessary detailed information while retaining critical electrical characteristics, the model achieves sufficient accuracy for verification purposes with reduced computational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An analog circuit simulator includes a processor that is configured to search design data for analog circuits and an analog node connecting the analog circuits; collect variable information that concerns voltage and current variables and is related to input to and output from the analog node; convert the variable information into time functions; and compute the time functions upon each occurrence of a given event and execute simulation of the analog node.