Method and system for implementing, controlling, and interfacing with circuit simulators

Abstract

A system and method for performing circuit simulation is described. Revisions and history of the operating parameters of circuit designs subject to simulation are tracked. Mechanisms are provided that allow for viewing, measurement or other manipulation of signals at specific locations in a circuit design for simulation, such as parameters that include observation points which are implemented using probes. One approach to executing a measurement is via a controllable and flexible control statement, which in one embodiment is the “run” statement. Improved interfaces for viewing, controlling, and manipulating simulations and simulation results are also provided.

1 . A computer implemented method for creating an interface to specify parameter values for a measurement, comprising:
 creating a measurement;   identifying parameters in the measurement;   identifying output results in the measurement; and   automatically generating an interface form corresponding to the parameters and the output.   
     
     
         2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , in which the parameters are self-documenting. 
     
     
         3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 2 , in which the self-documenting parameters comprise parameters with range limits, units, or text descriptions. 
     
     
         4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , in which the parameters is grouped with a common label and description for the group. 
     
     
         5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the parameters correspond to one or more circuit objects that are selected from a schematic, layout, or design database. 
     
     
         6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , in which the parameters comprise probe or instance parameters. 
     
     
         7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 6 , in which the probes allow measurement one or more points to be specified as one or more of the parameters. 
     
     
         8 . The computer implemented method of  claim 6 , in which the probes support single-ended, differential or common-mode quantities. 
     
     
         9 . The computer implemented method of  claim 6 , in which the probes support node, terminal or instance potentials and terminal or instance flows. 
     
     
         10 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , in which the measurement is from a library of measurements. 
     
     
         11 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , in which the interface form has fields corresponding to the parameters and the output. 
     
     
         12 . An interactive user configurable form that displays measurement results and is used to run measurements. 
     
     
         13 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 12  which is used to display results, modify the circuit, control the simulator, check on the status of the simulations, or browse previous results and conditions. 
     
     
         14 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 12 , in which at least a portion of the form resembles a datasheet. 
     
     
         15 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 14  in which rows are associated with measurements and columns are associated with various aspects of the measurements. 
     
     
         16 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 12  in which measurement results are scalars or thumbnails of graphics. 
     
     
         17 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 12  in which measurements may be configured. 
     
     
         18 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 12  in which full measurement results can be viewed and compared against previous measurement results. 
     
     
         19 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 12  in which conditions may be viewed for current and past results. 
     
     
         20 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 12  comprising a datasheet that can generate a report comprising a summary of results. 
     
     
         21 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 20  in which the datasheet further comprises supporting graphs, tables, or conditions. 
     
     
         22 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 20  in which the report is produced in a common document format. 
     
     
         23 . The interactive user configurable form of  claim 20  further comprising a library of datasheets. 
     
     
         24 . A computer implemented method for implementing a measurement without requiring a user to know complexities of a simulation control language, comprising
 using at least one process that is configured or programmed for performing a process, the process comprising:   defining a template;   associating the template with a template file;   performing activity causing visual display;   determining whether the template is associated with the activity causing the visual display;   if the template is associated with the activity causing the visual display, then identifying the associated template;
 using the identified associated template to display data; 
 interactively refining the graph or table; and 
 storing changes in the template file. 
   
     
     
         25 . The computer implemented method of  claim 24 , in which the template comprises a graph or table template. 
     
     
         26 . The computer implemented method of  claim 24 , in which the method accesses a collection of templates. 
     
     
         27 . The computer implemented method of  claim 24 , in which the template might exist from a prior iteration of the computer implemented method. 
     
     
         28 . The computer implemented method of  claim 24 , in which template file is keyed to a plot or table by names of traces being displayed. 
     
     
         29 . The computer implemented method of  claim 28 , in which, the next time the traces are displayed, the template is activated and the plot or table recreated with updated settings. 
     
     
         30 . The computer implemented method of  claim 24 , in which the activity causing the visual display is a view or plot command. 
     
     
         31 . The computer implemented method of  claim 30 , in which the template is created using a display tool. 
     
     
         32 . The computer implemented method of  claim 31 , in which users customize the way the results are displayed using a GUI. 
     
     
         33 . The computer implemented method of  claim 24 , in which existing graphs are automatically updated. 
     
     
         34 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium having executable code to execute a method for creating an interface to specify parameter values for a measurement, the method comprising:
 using at least one processor that is configured or programmed for performing a process, the process comprising:   creating a measurement;   identifying parameters in the measurement;   identifying output results in the measurement; and   automatically generating an interface form corresponding to the parameters and the output.   
     
     
         35 . A system for creating an interface to specify parameter values for a measurement, comprising:
 at least one processor that is configured or programmed for performing a process, the process comprising:   creating a measurement;   identifying parameters in the measurement;   identifying output results in the measurement; and   automatically generating an interface form corresponding to the parameters and the output.   
     
     
         36 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium having executable code to execute a process for implementing a measurement without requiring a user to know complexities of a simulation control language, the process comprising:
 using at least one processor that is configured or programmed for performing a process, the process comprising:   defining a template;   associating the template with a template file;   performing activity causing visual display;   determining whether the template is associated with the activity causing the visual display;   if the template is associated with the activity causing the visual display, then identifying the associated template;
 using the identified associated template to display data; 
 interactively refining the graph or table; and 
 storing changes in the template file. 
   
     
     
         37 . A system for implementing a measurement without requiring a user to know complexities of a simulation control language, comprising
 at least one processor that is configured or programmed for performing a process, the process comprising:   defining a template;   associating the template with a template file;   performing activity causing visual display;   determining whether the template is associated with the activity causing the visual display;   determining if the template is associated with the activity causing the visual display, in which the action of determining if the template is associated with the activity comprises:   identifying the associated template;   using the identified associated template to display data;   interactively refining the graph or table; and   storing changes in the template file.   
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , in which the parameters are self-documenting and comprise one or more parameters with one or more range limits, units, or text descriptions. 
     
     
         39 . The computer program product of  claim 34 , in which the parameters comprise one or more probes or one or more instance parameters. 
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 39 , in which the one or more probes are configured or programmed for specifying one a measurement point as one parameter of the parameters. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 35 , in which the parameters are self-documenting and comprise one or more parameters with one or more range limits, units, or text descriptions. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 35 , in which the parameters comprise one or more probes or one or more instance parameters. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42 , in which the one or more probes are configured or programmed for specifying one a measurement point as one parameter of the parameters. 
     
     
         44 . The computer program product of  claim 36 , the process further comprising:
 accessing a collection of templates.   
     
     
         45 . The computer program product of  claim 36 , in which the template comprises a graph or a table template and is created using a display tool. 
     
     
         46 . The computer program product of  claim 36 , in which a template file is keyed to a plot or table by one or more names of traces being displayed. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 37 , the at least one processor configured or programmed for performing the process, the process further comprising:
 accessing a collection of templates.   
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 37 , in which the template comprises a graph or a table template and is created using a display tool. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 37 , in which a template file is keyed to a plot or table by one or more names of traces being displayed.