[SI-LIST] Re: [SI-LIST]: Which tool is the best - LINPARdisc ussion

  • From: Chris Cheng <Chris.Cheng@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Fri, 23 Apr 2004 17:35:39 -0700

The problem is not just what the differential waveform looks like at the
receiver after the interconnect. There are very subtle common mode variation
at the receiver that can impact the OUTPUT of these multi-Gb/s receivers
some of which have very limited common mode range.
Those who know me should know how anal I am to define I/O timing at the
OUTPUT of the receiver rather than the input. Try that on your IBIS model.
To add more fun, try that with those built-in multi-stage equalizing
receivers.
Any smart IBIS proponent out there can show me how to model that ?

-----Original Message-----
From: George Tang [mailto:gtang@xxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 5:22 PM
To: Chris.Cheng@xxxxxxxxxxxx; steven.corey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [SI-LIST] Re: [SI-LIST]: Which tool is the best -
LINPARdisc ussion


Chris,

You are exactly right.  In a simulation, there are certain parts of your
system which dominates the simulation time, i.e.., the transistor models.
But there are also certain parts of your system that dominates the system
performance.  For example, after you finish your system simulation with the
actual drivers, you can replace the transistor driver model with an ideal
driver with a fixed rise-time and output impedance.  If you vary the
rise-time from 30ps to 50ps to 70ps, you may find that after 35 inches in
FR4 and a few connectors, the resulting waveforms are almost the same ( >
1ns rise-time).  Only in this case, you can choose to use a simplified
driver in place of the transistor model.  But you are right.  In general,
transistor level models are always preferred for better accuracy.

Kind regards,

George



-----Original Message-----
From: si-list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:si-list-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Chris Cheng
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 3:08 PM
To: 'steven.corey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx'; 'si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: [SI-LIST]: Which tool is the best - LINPARdisc
ussion


Totally agree.

The key is cross check the model with measurement and trusted field solver
results.

Like I said before, my personal favorite tool is ADS which has all the
distributed, lumped and S-param models you want. However, once in a while I
have encrypted HSPICE model from vendors that forces me to switch back to
HSPICE. As mentioned in another thread, I have zero faith in the field
solver W element in HSPICE. That leaves me with either paying a few $$K for
an expensive field solver tool or using Linpar. I'll take the later anyday.
But I can always calibrate the interconnect models with ADS before using it
in full circuit simulations.

While there are very smart people here that claim they can simulate
multi-Gb/s I/O's with IBIS. I am just too dumb to do so and I only trust
full transistor level SPICE I/O models. With that, you can pretty much
ignore any impact of your interconnect models on your simulation time.

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Corey [mailto:steven.corey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 2:14 PM
To: 'si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'
Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: [SI-LIST]: Which tool is the best - LINPARdisc
ussion


Chris -- I break "bad" approximations into roughly two categories:

1.  inaccurate fit to the measured data
2.  non-passivity

#1 can be quantified prior to running system simulations by comparing
against measurements or trusted field-solver results.  If a rational
approximation algorithm breaks down, it will show up as #1.

#2 tends to result in more catastrophic failure, such as oscillation or
exponential growth.  However, the oscillations may not be crazy enough
to cross your personal threshold, and those are probably the most
insidious.  The best approach is to guarantee #2 mathematically prior to
simulation, especially if you're a model provider.

If you've convinced yourself that interconnects aren't contributing
heavily to your simulation time, you're probably right.  It definitely
depends on the nature of the system you're simulating.  In the question
of lumped (i.e., rational approximation) vs. distributed models, we
aren't apologists for any particular approach.  We provide the ability
to extract both, and let the user determine which is more appropriate
based on the application.

   -- Steve

-------------------------------------------
Steven D. Corey, Ph.D.
Time Domain Analysis Systems, Inc.
"The Interconnect Analysis Company."
http://www.tdasystems.com

email: steven.corey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
phone: (503) 246-2272
fax:   (503) 246-2282
-------------------------------------------



Chris Cheng wrote:
> Steve,
> My question is, if the approximation is bad, what does it exhibit itself
in
> the simulation ?
> If it results in "internal time step too small" or crazy oscillation, I
know
> immediately the model has problem and move on. If however, it generates
the
> wrong waveform with incorrect delay, I will be very worry.
> Interconnect model impact on simulation memory and time is not a concern
for
> me, I believe my I/O circuits and package models dominates that by far.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Steve Corey [mailto:steven.corey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 8:43 AM
> To: 'si-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx'
> Subject: [SI-LIST] Re: [SI-LIST]: Which tool is the best - LINPARdisc
> ussion
>
>
> Ray -- although your statement is correct, it is numerically difficult
> to achieve.  Not all algorithms are robust enough to fit long, nearly
> lossless delays.  Furthermore, simulations of electrically large, nearly
> lossless systems take longer as well.  How to extract delay and treat it
> separately when fitting such data is a current area of research.
>
> Of course, this phenomena isn't isolated to rational approximations, but
> is a general problem with stiff systems -- those which have both
> microscopic and macroscopic behaviors excited simultaneously.  A long
> cable with little loss driven with a fast-risetime signal is a good
> example.  As a broad generalization, the wider the range of behaviors
> being simulated, the more memory and time that will be required to
> simulate it.
>
> Different simulation and modeling techniques are optimized for different
> types of systems.  For example, good distributed transmission line
> models are often better for simulating long transmission lines at fast
> risetimes than are straight rational approximations.
>
>    -- Steve
>
> -------------------------------------------
> Steven D. Corey, Ph.D.
> Time Domain Analysis Systems, Inc.
> "The Interconnect Analysis Company."
> http://www.tdasystems.com
>
> email: steven.corey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> phone: (503) 246-2272
> fax:   (503) 246-2282
> -------------------------------------------
>
>
> Raymond Anderson wrote:
>
>>Raj Raghuram wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>>I am not sure modeling with S-params would work for long transmission
>>>>lines i.e. metres in length. Most s-parameter simulators use a rational
>>>>fit which in the end is a lumped model. Maybe you can comment on this.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>The delay information required to model an electrically long structure
>>such as a transmission line is contained in the phase information of the
>>complex s-parameters.
>>
>>Most instruments output the phase of s-parameters in the range of +180
>>to -180 degrees.  Plotted wrt frequency it resembles a sawtooth. This
>>modulo 360 phase info needs to be unwrapped into a linear phase
>>progression to interpret it as delay.
>>
>>When a rational polynomial approximation is fitted to the unwrapped
>>s-parameter data, if the phase part of the approximation is the same as
>>the phase of the original s-parameter then I'd expect the resultant
>>macromodel to exhibit the same delay characteristics.
>>
>>Comments ???
>>
>>
>>-Ray Anderson
>>
>>Sun Microsystems Inc.
>>
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>
>
>


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