This is an old revision of the document!


Generating spice netlist and simulation with Xyce

Files required:

  • Simple BSIM3 model file from a (very old) MOSIS SCMOS_SUBM 0.6um run, from a time when everything was publicly posted. Save this to model.sp.

(1) Input file with gate sizing

The following inv.act file will be used as a test case for SPICE simulation.

defproc inv (bool? i; bool! o)
{
  prs {
    i => o-
  }
}

template<pint drive>
defproc szinv <: inv()
{
  sizing {
     o {-drive}
  }
}

defproc INVX1 <: szinv<1> () { }
defproc INVX2 <: szinv<2> () { }

INVX1 A1;
INVX2 A2;

(2) Creating SPICE netlist from ACT file

The prs2net tool can be used to create a SPICE netlist from the ACT file.

Usage: prs2net [-dltBR] [-C <conf>] [-p <proc>] [-o <file>] <act>
 -C <conf>  Configuration file name
 -c <cells> Cell file name
 -t         Only emit top-level cell (no sub-cells)
 -p <proc>  Emit process <proc>
 -o <file>  Save result to <file> rather than stdout
 -d         Emit parasitic source/drain diffusion area/perimeters with fets
 -B         Turn of black-box mode. Assume empty act process is an externally specified file
 -l         LVS netlist; ignore all load capacitances
 -S         Enable shared long-channel devices in staticizers

This tool can be used to create inv.sp as follows:

$ prs2net -p "INVX1<>" -o inv.sp inv.act

The file looks like this:

*
*---- act defproc: INVX1<> -----
* raw ports:  i o
*
.subckt INVX1 i o
*.PININFO i:I o:O
*.POWER VDD Vdd
*.POWER GND GND
*.POWER NSUB GND
*.POWER PSUB Vdd
*
* --- node flags ---
*
* o (combinational)
*
* --- end node flags ---
*
M0_ Vdd i o Vdd p W=3U L=0.6U
M1_ GND i o GND n W=1.5U L=0.6U
.ends
*---- end of process: INVX1<> -----

(3) Simulation with Xyce

A SPICE test harness that includes the models and inverter SPICE netlist is shown below.

* **************************************************
*   Xyce simulation example
* **************************************************

*** Default supply nodes  ***
.global vdd
.global gnd

*** Set Vdd to 5V, GND to 0V ***
vd vdd 0 dc 5.0v
vg gnd 0 dc 0.0v

** include nfet and pfet models ***
.inc model.sp

*** include circuit model ***
.inc inv.sp

*** set the voltage of "in" ***
vp in 0 PULSE(0 5 2n 1n 1n 4n 10n)

*** Instance of the inverter subcircuit ***
X1 in out INVX1

*** Specify simulation and options ***
.print tran format=gnuplot v(in) v(out)

*** Run a transient simulation for 20 ns with 1ps timestep ***
.tran 1p 20n

.end
$ Xyce inv_test.sp

(4) Plotting simulation result using Gnuplot

$ gnuplot
gnuplot> set style data lines
gnuplot> plot 'inv_test.sp.prn' using ($2*1e9):3 title 'v(in)', 'inv_test.sp.prn' using ($2*1e9):4 title 'v(out)'