In order to support the ability to run multiple analyses without the user making schematic changes, the Design Verification Module (DVM) uses a few special symbols.

Input Source

The DVM Input Source supports the following configurations:

• DC: a simple DC voltage source.
• Pulse: a piece-wise linear DC voltage source with parameters V_START, V_PULSE and V_FINAL.
• Ramp: a piece-wise linear DC voltage source with parameters V_START and V_FINAL.

All Input Source configurations support Equivalent Source Resistance.

Output Load

The DVM Output Load supports the following configurations:

• DC: a simple DC current source.
• Pulse: a piece-wise linear DC voltage source with parameters I_START, I_PULSE and I_FINAL.
• Ramp: a piece-wise linear DC voltage source with parameters I_START and I_FINAL.
• Res: a simple resistive load.

Analysis Setup

The following table specifies the source and load configurations used for each Analysis type:

DVM Control

The DVM Control symbol is the central data storage location for information about your circuit. Design demographic information and performance specification and specifications can be entered into the five main tabs of the DVM Control dialog (accessed by double clicking the DVM Control Symbol on the schematic).

• General: allows the user to set some basic characterization and housekeeping properties.
• Input: allows the user to set properties related to the circuit's input source.
• Output: allows the user to set properties related to the circuit's output load.
• Advanced: allows the user to customize the pre- and post-processing behavior for a schematic as well as the appearance of the simulation report.
• Analysis: allows the user to customize parameters for the following analysis types:
  • AC: parameters pertaining to AC Analyses (Bode Plot, Input Impedance, Output Impedance, Conducted Susceptibility).
  • POP: parameters pertaining to POP/Steady-State Analyses (Steady-State, Line and Load Regulation). A successful POP run is also a prerequisite for AC analyses.
  • Step Line: parameters pertaining to Step Line Analyses.
  • Step Load: parameters pertaining to Step Load Analyses.
  • Startup: parameters pertaining to Startup Analyses.
  • Short Circuit: parameters pertaining to Short Circuit Analyses.

General

• Circuit Name: for display purposes only, this information appears in the DVM Control symbol.
• Circuit Description: for display purposes only, this information appears in the DVM Control symbol.
• Switching Frequency: nominal switching frequency, used to determine actual timing events that are described in the testplan in "number of cycles".
• Min. Phase Margin: specification for minimum phase margin.
• Min. Gain Margin: specification for minimum gain margin.
• Supports Startup?: if checked, startup tests will be performed, if not, startup tests will be skipped.
• Supports Short Circuit?: if checked, short circuit tests will be performed, if not, short circuit tests will be skipped.

Input

• Input Voltage: minimum, nominal and maximum input voltages, used to setup simulation test conditions.
• Source Resistance: equivalent source resistance for the input source.

Output

• Output Voltage: nominal output voltage.
• Tolerances: specifications for positive, negative and overshoot output voltage tolerances.
• Maximum Current: specification for current at 100% load.
• Light Load: specifications for light load at Vin Min and Vin Max, circuit should be stable at these loads.

Advanced

• Report Customization: allows the user to specify custom CSS and image files for the HTML reports.
• Pre-process Script: SIMetrix script to be executed immediately before launching each simulation, allowing an advanced user full access to adjust a schematic before a test.
• Post-process Script: SIMetrix script to be executed immediately after each simulation successfully completes, allowing an advanced user full access to perform waveform manipulation and create custom scalar and spec values.

Analysis: AC

• Start Frequency: the start frequency of the AC sweep.
• Stop Frequency: the stop frequency of the AC sweep.
• Sweep Type: DEC, OCT or LIN.
• Points per Decade / Octave: number of data points collected per decade, octave or total (in the case of a LIN sweep).

For more information on these parameters, please see the SIMPLIS reference manual, specifically the section covering SIMPLIS-FX. If your circuit is pre-configured to run an AC analysis when the DVM Control symbol is placed, these values will be automatically extracted from your schematic.

Analysis: POP

• Trigger Gate: device name of a logic gate whose output defines a POP cycle.
• Trigger Condition: 0_TO_1 or 1_TO_0, defines whether a rising or falling edge is the start of a new POP cycle.
• Max. Period: defines the lowest frequency where POP will look for a Steady-State solution.
• Cycles Before Launch: number of cycles before the POP algorithm will attempt to determine a Steady-State solution.

For more information on these parameters, please see the SIMPLIS reference manual, specifically the section covering SIMPLIS-POP. If your circuit is pre-configured to run an AC analysis when the DVM Control symbol is placed, these values will be automatically extracted from your schematic.

Analysis: Step Line

• Slew Rate: maximum rate of change of the source voltage.
• Cycles Before Event: combined with the nominal switching frequency, determines the length of time before the start of the line transient.
• Cycles to Recover: combined with the nominal switching frequency, determines the length of time after the end of the line transient that the circuit has to recover.

Analysis: Step Load

• Slew Rate: maximum rate of change of the output load.
• Cycles Before Event: combined with the nominal switching frequency, determines the length of time before the start of the load transient.
• Cycles to Recover: combined with the nominal switching frequency, determines the length of time after the end of the load transient that the circuit has to recover.

Analysis: Startup

• Slew Rate: maximum rate of change of the source voltage.
• Cycles Before Event: combined with the nominal switching frequency, determines the length of time before the start of the startup transient.
• Cycles to Recover: combined with the nominal switching frequency, determines the length of time after the end of the startup transient that the circuit has to recover.
• Cycles Before Stop Time to Check Output Regulation: combined with the nominal switching frequency, determines the length of time at the end of the simulation in which the circuit is examined to determine that it's in regulation.

Analysis: Short Circuit

• Short Circuit Load Resistance: on resistance of the switch used to implement the short circuit.
• Short Circuit Duration: length of the short circuit event.
• Cycles Before Event: combined with the nominal switching frequency, determines the length of time before the start of the short circuit.
• Cycles to Recover: combined with the nominal switching frequency, determines the length of time after the termination of the short circuit in which the circuit is expected to recover.
• Cycles Before Stop Time to Check Output Regulation: combined with the nominal switching frequency, determines the length of time at the end of the simulation in which the circuit is examined to determine that it's in regulation (only applicable to Short Circuit and Recover tests).