Foundations of Electronic Circuit Simulation Introduction

In recent years in the fields of electronic circuit design and evaluation, software-based simulations have come into widespread use. There are various reasons for this. For example, in addition to faster operation and faster signals, electronic component miniaturization, surface mounting, and other developments have resulted in an increasing number of cases in which evaluations using traditional breadboards are no longer realistic. However, the most important advantages have probably been the ability to quickly and simply confirm circuit operation and characteristics, so that actual evaluations could be conducted under conditions that are nearly optimal, and the ability to greatly reduce the time and number of processes involved in development, including the number of prototype cycles. In order to support this new trend, electronic component manufacturers now provide component data for use in such simulations, and there are now numerous simulation software packages, called simulators, available for use.

Here, we consider simulations based on SPICE, which is in relatively wide use and is available in a free version, and explain the basics of circuit simulations, including the software installation.

• ・About SPICE
• ・SPICE Simulators and SPICE Models
• ・Types of SPICE simulation: DC Analysis, AC Analysis, Transient Analysis
• ・Types of SPICE simulation: Monte Carlo
• ・Convergence Properties and Stability of SPICE Simulations
• ・Types of SPICE Model
• ・SPICE Device Models: Diode Example–Part 1
• ・SPICE Device Models: Diode Example–Part 2
• ・SPICE Subcircuit Models: MOSFET Example―Part 1
• ・SPICE Subcircuit Models: MOSFET Example―Part 2
• ・About Thermal Models
• ・About Thermal Dynamic Model
• ・SPICE Subcircuit Models: Models Using Mathematical Expressions
• ・Summary