SPICE 3 User's Manual

Table of Contents

• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • 1.1. TYPES OF ANALYSIS
    • 1.1.1. DC Analysis
    • 1.1.2. AC Small-Signal Analysis
    • 1.1.3. Transient Analysis
    • 1.1.4. Pole-Zero Analysis
    • 1.1.5. Small-Signal Distortion Analysis
    • 1.1.6. Sensitivity Analysis
    • 1.1.7. Noise Analysis
  • 1.2. ANALYSIS AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES
  • 1.3. CONVERGENCE
• 2. CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION
  • 2.1. GENERAL STRUCTURE AND CONVENTIONS
  • 2.2. TITLE LINE, COMMENT LINES AND .END LINE
    • 2.2.1. Title Line
    • 2.2.2. .END Line
    • 2.2.3. Comments
  • 2.3. DEVICE MODELS
  • 2.4. SUBCIRCUITS
    • 2.4.1. .SUBCKT Line
    • 2.4.2. .ENDS Line
    • 2.4.3. Subcircuit Calls
  • 2.5. COMBINING FILES: .INCLUDE LINES
• 3. CIRCUIT ELEMENTS AND MODELS
  • 3.1. ELEMENTARY DEVICES
    • 3.1.1. Resistors
    • 3.1.2. Semiconductor Resistors
    • 3.1.3. Semiconductor Resistor Model (R)
    • 3.1.4. Capacitors
    • 3.1.5. Semiconductor Capacitors
    • 3.1.6. Semiconductor Capacitor Model (C)
    • 3.1.7. Inductors
    • 3.1.8. Coupled (Mutual) Inductors
    • 3.1.9. Switches
    • 3.1.10. Switch Model (SW/CSW)
  • 3.2. VOLTAGE AND CURRENT SOURCES
    • 3.2.1. Independent Sources
      • 3.2.1.1. Pulse
      • 3.2.1.2. Sinusoidal
      • 3.2.1.3. Exponential
      • 3.2.1.4. Piece-Wise Linear
      • 3.2.1.5. Single-Frequency FM
    • 3.2.2. Linear Dependent Sources
      • 3.2.2.1. Linear Voltage-Controlled Current Sources
      • 3.2.2.2. Linear Voltage-Controlled Voltage Sources
      • 3.2.2.3. Linear Current-Controlled Current Sources
      • 3.2.2.4. Linear Current-Controlled Voltage Sources
    • 3.2.3. Non-linear Dependent Sources
  • 3.3. TRANSMISSION LINES
    • 3.3.1. Lossless Transmission Lines
    • 3.3.2. Lossy Transmission Lines
    • 3.3.3. Lossy Transmission Line Model (LTRA)
    • 3.3.4. Uniform Distributed RC Lines (Lossy)
    • 3.3.5. Uniform Distributed RC Model (URC)
  • 3.4. TRANSISTORS AND DIODES
    • 3.4.1. Junction Diodes
    • 3.4.2. Diode Model (D)
    • 3.4.3. Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)
    • 3.4.4. BJT Models (NPN/PNP)
    • 3.4.5. Junction Field-Effect Transistors (JFETs)
    • 3.4.6. JFET Models (NJF/PJF)
    • 3.4.7. MOSFETs
    • 3.4.8. MOSFET Models (NMOS/PMOS)
    • 3.4.9. MESFETs
    • 3.4.10. MESFET Models (NMF/PMF)
• 4. ANALYSES AND OUTPUT CONTROL
  • 4.1. SIMULATOR VARIABLES (.OPTIONS)
  • 4.2. INITIAL CONDITIONS
    • 4.2.1. .NODESET: Specify Initial Node Voltage Guesses
    • 4.2.2. .IC: Set Initial Conditions
  • 4.3. ANALYSES
    • 4.3.1. .AC: Small-Signal AC Analysis
    • 4.3.2. .DC: DC Transfer Function
    • 4.3.3. .DISTO: Distortion Analysis
    • 4.3.4. .NOISE: Noise Analysis
    • 4.3.5. .OP: Operating Point Analysis
    • 4.3.6. .PZ: Pole-Zero Analysis
    • 4.3.7. .SENS: DC or Small-Signal AC Sensitivity Analysis
    • 4.3.8. .TF: Transfer Function Analysis
    • 4.3.9. .TRAN: Transient Analysis
  • 4.4. BATCH OUTPUT
    • 4.4.1. .SAVE Lines
    • 4.4.2. .PRINT Lines
    • 4.4.3. .PLOT Lines
    • 4.4.4. .FOUR: Fourier Analysis of Transient Analysis Out-
• 5. INTERACTIVE INTERPRETER
  • 5.1. EXPRESSIONS, FUNCTIONS, AND CONSTANTS
  • 5.2. COMMAND INTERPRETATION
  • 5.3. COMMANDS
    • 5.3.1. Ac*: Perform an AC, small-signal frequency response
    • 5.3.2. Alias: Create an alias for a command
    • 5.3.3. Alter*: Change a device or model parameter
    • 5.3.am Altermod*: Change a model parameter
    • 5.3.4. Asciiplot: Plot values using old-style character
    • 5.3.5. Aspice: Asynchronous spice run
    • 5.3.6. Bug: Mail a bug report
    • 5.3.7. Cd: Change directory
    • 5.3.co Compose: Compose a vector
    • 5.3.cs Cross: Create a vector
    • 5.3.8. Destroy: Delete a data set
    • 5.3.9. Dc*: Perform a DC-sweep analysis
    • 5.3.10. Define: Define a function
    • 5.3.dt Deftype: Define type of plot or vector
    • 5.3.11. Delete*: Remove a trace or breakpoint
    • 5.3.12. Diff: Compare vectors
    • 5.3.13. Display: List known vectors and types
    • 5.3.14. Echo: Print text
    • 5.3.15. Edit*: Edit the current circuit
    • 5.3.16. Fourier: Perform a fourier transform
    • 5.3.17. Hardcopy: Save a plot to a file for printing
    • 5.3.18. Help: Print summaries of Spice3 commands
    • 5.3.19. History: Review previous commands
    • 5.3.20. Iplot*: Incremental plot
    • 5.3.21. Jobs: List active asynchronous spice runs
    • 5.3.22. Let: Assign a value to a vector
    • 5.3.23. Linearize*: Interpolate to a linear scale
    • 5.3.24. Listing*: Print a listing of the current circuit
    • 5.3.25. Load: Load rawfile data
    • 5.3.ns. Noise*: Perform a noise analysis
    • 5.3.26. Op*: Perform an operating point analysis
    • 5.3.27. Plot: Plot values on the display
    • 5.3.28. Print: Print values
    • 5.3.29. Quit: Leave Spice3 or Nutmeg
    • 5.3.30. Rehash: Reset internal hash tables
    • 5.3.31. Reset*: Reset an analysis
    • 5.3.32. Reshape: Alter the dimensionality or dimensions of
    • 5.3.33. Resume*: Continue a simulation after a stop
    • 5.3.34. Rspice: Remote spice submission
    • 5.3.35. Run*: Run analysis from the input file
    • 5.3.36. Rusage: Resource usage
    • 5.3.37. Save*: Save a set of outputs
    • 5.3.38. Sens*: Run a sensitivity analysis
    • 5.3.39. Set: Set the value of a variable
    • 5.3.40. Setcirc*: Change the current circuit
    • 5.3.41. Setplot: Switch the current set of vectors
    • 5.3.ss. Setscale: Set the scale vector for current plot
    • 5.3.42. Settype: Set the type of a vector
    • 5.3.43. Shell: Call the command interpreter
    • 5.3.44. Shift: Alter a list variable
    • 5.3.45. Show*: List device state
    • 5.3.46. Showmod*: List model parameter values
    • 5.3.47. Source: Read a Spice3 input file
    • 5.3.sp. Spec: Create a frequency domain plot
    • 5.3.48. Status*: Display breakpoint information
    • 5.3.49. Step*: Run a fixed number of timepoints
    • 5.3.50. Stop*: Set a breakpoint
    • 5.3.51. Tf*: Run a Transfer Function analysis
    • 5.3.52. Trace*: Trace nodes
    • 5.3.53. Tran*: Perform a transient analysis
    • 5.3.54. Transpose: Swap the elements in a multi-dimensional
    • 5.3.55. Unalias: Retract an alias
    • 5.3.56. Undefine: Retract a definition
    • 5.3.57. Unset: Clear a variable
    • 5.3.58. Version: Print the version of Spice
    • 5.3.59. Where: Identify troublesome node or device
    • 5.3.60. Write: Write data to a file
    • 5.3.61. Xgraph: use the xgraph(1) program for plotting.
  • 5.4. CONTROL STRUCTURES
    • 5.4.1. While - End
    • 5.4.2. Repeat - End
    • 5.4.3. Dowhile - End
    • 5.4.4. Foreach - End
    • 5.4.5. If - Then - Else
    • 5.4.6. Label
    • 5.4.7. Goto
    • 5.4.8. Continue
    • 5.4.9. Break
  • 5.5. VARIABLES
  • 5.6. MISCELLANEOUS
  • 5.7. BUGS
• 6. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• APPENDIX A: EXAMPLE CIRCUITS
  • A.1. Circuit 1: Differential Pair
  • A.2. Circuit 2: MOSFET Characterization
  • A.3. Circuit 3: RTL Inverter
  • A.4. Circuit 4: Four-Bit Binary Adder
  • A.5. Circuit 5: Transmission-Line Inverter
• APPENDIX B: MODEL AND DEVICE PARAMETERS
  • B.1. URC: Uniform R.C. line
  • B.2. ASRC: Arbitrary Source
  • B.3. BJT: Bipolar Junction Transistor
  • B.4. BSIM1: Berkeley Short Channel IGFET Model
  • B.5. BSIM2: Berkeley Short Channel IGFET Model
  • B.6. Capacitor: Fixed capacitor
  • B.7. CCCS: Current controlled current source
  • B.8. CCVS: Linear current controlled current source
  • B.9. CSwitch: Current controlled ideal switch
  • B.10. Diode: Junction Diode model
  • B.11. Inductor: Inductors
  • B.12. mutual: Mutual inductors
  • B.13. Isource: Independent current source
  • B.14. JFET: Junction Field effect transistor
  • B.15. LTRA: Lossy transmission line
  • B.16. MES: GaAs MESFET model
  • B.17. Mos1: Level 1 MOSfet model with Meyer capacitance
  • B.18. Mos2: Level 2 MOSfet model with Meyer capacitance
  • B.19. Mos3: Level 3 MOSfet model with Meyer capacitance
  • B.20. Mos6: Level 6 MOSfet model with Meyer capacitance
  • B.21. Resistor: Simple linear resistor
  • B.22. Switch: Ideal voltage controlled switch
  • B.23. Tranline: Lossless transmission line
  • B.24. VCCS: Voltage controlled current source
  • B.25. VCVS: Voltage controlled voltage source
  • B.26. Vsource: Independent voltage source
• APPENDIX C: SPICE2 NONLINEAR DEPENDENT SOURCES
  • C.1 Voltage-Controlled Current Sources
  • C.2 Voltage-Controlled Voltage Sources
  • C.3 Current-Controlled Current Sources
  • C.4 Current-Controlled Voltage Sources
• APPENDIX D: SPICE3 BUGS AND PATCHES
• APPENDIX E: SPICE3 HISTORY SUBSTITUTION

This User's Manual has been edited for the WWW by Charles Williams to support module PHY2003 and was originally based, with permission, on text from Kevin Thomas's html version of the SPICE3 Version 3f User's Manual. The copyright statement for that manual is reproduced here:

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Note: corrections, additions, and HTML mark-up added in order to create this edition are Copyright © (1998 onwards) Charles Williams, and all rights are reserved.