SPICE3f5) SPICE formats and, preferably, a detailed knowledge of the two.
This is a manual process, requiring the user manuals for both source (e.g. If your model is in a format other than those supported by Altium Designer, or it is a PSpice model type that is currently not supported, you will need to convert it into the required format. The majority of manufacturers will provide pure SPICE (SPICE3f5) or PSpice formats. Discussion of these various formats and the models they support is beyond the scope of this document. There are many variants of SPICE out in the design world today - SPICE3f5, PSpice ®, HSPICE ®, NSPICE ® and Eldo ® to name but a few. With Altium Designer's support for PSpice models, very little will need to be done to the majority of models acquired in PSpice format, other than to paste the required model into a file with the MDL extension. When creating a simple MDL file for a built-in SPICE3f5 or supported PSpice model, you will need good knowledge of the parameters available for, and supported by, that device. This will typically require good knowledge of the language in which the model definition is being written, for example when creating a subcircuit, or a digital device definition using Digital SimCode™. By Hand - the required model can be created yourself, from scratch.Dedicated Modeling Companies - you may be able to source the required model from a third-party company which creates simulation models based on a given specification.This typically takes the form of a model wizard.
Third-Party Modeling Tools - various simulation software packages contain features for modeling a device.The following device model types are supported: Semiconductor Capacitor, Semiconductor Resistor, Current-Controlled Switch, Voltage-Controlled Switch, JFET, Lossy Transmission Line, Uniform Distributed RC Transmission Line, Diode and BJT. If linking to a new component, that component will be created automatically by the wizard. Altium Designer's SPICE Model Wizard - use this wizard to create and automatically link a SPICE3f5 device model to an existing or new library component.Models are commonly supplied in SPICE or PSpice ® format. Typically, there will be a link to any available model from the page dealing with the specific device. Manufacturer - a popular place to look for a model is on the website for the manufacturer that makes the device you want to use.
The following is a non-exhaustive list of possible places or methods to get the model you require for a target device you wish to use in your design: Acquiring the ModelĪ simulation model can be obtained from many and varied sources. As well as defining the component's symbol, a simulation model for that component needs to be acquired and then linked, in order to make that component simulation-ready. With such a vast pool of components available to designers in the real world, there will often be times where the component(s) required for use in a circuit will need to be created in libraries added by the user. Many of these components have linked simulation models, making creation of a simulation-ready circuit quick and efficient - a case of Place 'n Simulate if you will.
To simulate a design successfully, all components in the circuit must be simulation-ready, that is, they must each have a linked simulation model defined for them.Īltium Designer comes with a host of components stored within manufacturer-specific integrated libraries. Adding Sim Information to an External Database TableĪltium Designer provides a powerful mixed-signal circuit simulator, enabling you to thoroughly analyze a circuit - not only observing its behavior, but also ensuring that it operates within specific design constraints.Linking the Model to a Schematic Component.Readying the Model for the Altium Designer Arena.