Mixed Signal Analyzer

Analyze circuit simulation data

Description

The Mixed-Signal Analyzer app enables you to visualize, analyze, and identify trends in mixed-signal simulation data. With the Cadence^® Virtuoso ADE-MATLAB^® Integration option you can import databases of circuit-level simulation results in MATLAB. To gain insights into the data, you can plot trends where you can vary different process parameters and see how the system behavior changes.

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Open the Mixed Signal Analyzer App

• MATLAB Toolstrip: In the Apps tab, under Signal Processing and Communications, click the app icon.

• MATLAB command prompt: Enter mixedSignalAnalyzer.

Examples

Analyze Clock Buffer Using Mixed Signal Analyzer

This example shows how you can use the Mixed Signal Analyzer app to analyze a clock buffer circuit and understand the effect of varying corner points using trend charts.

Open the Mixed Signal Analyzer app.

mixedSignalAnalyzer

Import an AdeInfo object from Cadence®. Click the Import button, select AdeInfo .mat file..., and select ClockBuffer.

The AdeInfo object loads the transient and DC analysis simulation data, analysis waveform, and performance metrics.

In the Data panel, click on /o1 under tran section, then click the Display Waveform button in the Analysis tab.

To get additional overshoot and undershoot metrics from the /o1 data, keep /o1 selected and select yMaximum and yMinimum functions from the Built-in Analysis section in the Analysis tab. The metrics are added under Analysis Metrics in the Data panel.

You can also add your custom analysis function using the Add Analysis button.

To add a custom analysis function that multiplies an waveform by five, click on the Add Analysis button. In the newly opened pop-up window, set Function Name to multiply5, Number of input waveforms to 1, Number of input parameters to 0. Click the Create Analysis button. A prepolulated MATLAB editor opens where you can add your custom code, in this case the code to multiply the input waveform amplitude along the y-axis by 5.

To multiply /o1 data by 5, keep it selected and click on the newly added multiply5 function from the Custom Analyses section in the Analysis tab. Select multiply5(tran/o1) under Analysis Waveforms section in the Data panel and click the Display Waveform button. The amplitude of /o1 data is multiplied by 5.

To get better insight about certain parameters, you can add a trend chart by clicking Trend Chart button in the Metrics tab. Select all three delayMeasure data from the Data panel, and click on the Trend Chart button.

Here the trend chart shows the delay of the signal as various process corners are varied. You can modify and add new fields to the trend chart.

From the Plot Options panel, select corModelSpec and wp in the Trend Chart Fields.

Once you are satisfied with the results, you can export it as a script or report or export to workspace using the Export button.

Programmatic Use

mixedSignalAnalyzer

mixedSignalAnalyzer opens a new blank Mixed-Signal Analyzer app.

mixedSignalAnalyzer('mixedSignalAnalysis.mat')

mixedSignalAnalyzer('mixedSignalAnalysis.mat') starts the Mixed-Signal Analyzer app, and loads it with mixedSignalAnalysis simulation data saved from a previous session.

More About

Extract Data from Cadence

You can extract simulation data from Cadence ADE Simulation run (Interactive or Ocean). You can save data from a specific simulation run or all simulation runs.

• To extract the data from a current AdeInfo object in the workspace to a MAT file, use the command:

  msblks.internal.cadence2matlab.readAdeInfo()

• To extract the data from a specific AdeInfo object in the workspace to a MAT file, use the command:

  msblks.internal.cadence2matlab.readAdeInfoSpecific()

• To extract the data from all the AdeInfo objects from the Cadence simulation run history to a MAT file, use the command:

  msblks.internal.cadence2matlab.readAllAdeInfoHistory()

Note

These three functions only runs in Linux with a MATLAB session opened from Cadence ADE containing a adeInfo object in the workspace

Simulation data are saved in a .mat file.

Simulation Data	Description
dbTables	Table containing results of ADE simulation.
totalCorners	Structure of tables containing corner parameter definitions from ADE.
paramTable	Structure of tables containing parameter definitions from ADE.
paramConditionTable	Structure of tables containing parameter conditions from ADE.
wfResults	Index entries of all results that have waveform.
wfCorners	Structure of corner labels that contain the saved waveforms.
wfOutput	Structure of containing net names for which waveforms exist.
scScalarOut	Structure of all output values which are not saved waveforms. Examples are intermediate SKILL waveforms and scalar number values.
scScalarInfo	Structure of all descriptions (equations, script names) that create scalars and Intermediate SKILL waveforms.
WaveformDB	Structure of waveform objects from ADE run number.
simDBS	Structure of simulation database containing single datapoint.
simDBC	Structure of simulation database containing all datapoints.

Once saved, you can use these .mat files in the Mixed-Signal Analyzer app. This allows you to run the app from any operating system: Windows, Linux or MAC.

Analysis

Use the Mixed Signal Analyzer to perform various analysis to get a better understanding of the system. Supported analysis functions are:

Function Name	Description
acos	Returns the arc cosine of a signal
acosh	Returns the arc hyperbolic cosine of a signal
asin	Returns the arc sine of a signal
asinh	Returns the arc hyperbolic sine of a signal
atan	Returns the arc tangent of a signal
average	Computes the average of an waveform over its entire range
clip	Returns the portion of a signal between two points along the x-axis
conjugate	Returns the conjugate complex number
cos	Returns the cosine of a signal
cosh	Returns the hyperbolic cosine of a signal
db10	Returns the waveform in decibels by a factor of 10 (dB10), given by 10log10(Absolute value of waveform)
db20	Returns the waveform in decibels by a factor of 20 (dB20), given by 20log10(Absolute value of waveform)
dutyCycle	Returns the duty cycle of a waveform
exp	Returns the exponential value of a waveform
fallTime	Returns the fall time value of a waveform
firstValue	Returns the first value where the waveform begins on the x-axis
imag	Returns the imaginary component of a waveform
int	Returns the integer value of a real number input waveform
inverse	Returns the inverse value of a waveform
lastValue	Returns the last value where the waveform ends on the x-axis
log10	Returns the 10-based logarithm of a waveform
log	Returns the natural logarithm of a waveform
mag	Returns the magnitude of a signal
phaseNoise	Returns the phase noise of a signal
phase	Returns the phase of a signal
pow10	Returns the ten to the power (10x) value of a waveform
real	Returns the real component of a waveform
riseTime	Returns the rise time value of a waveform
sin	Returns the sine of a signal
sinh	Returns the hyperbolic sine of a signal
sqrt	Returns the square root of a signal
square	Returns the squared value of a signal
tan	Returns the tangent of a signal
tanh	Returns the hyperbolic tangent of a signal
xMaximum	Returns the x-axis value for the peak value along the y-axis
xMinimum	Returns the x-axis value for the lowest value along the y-axis
xValue	Returns the vector of x-axis values
yMaximum	Returns the peak value along the y-axis
yMinimum	Returns the lowest value along the y-axis
yPower	Returns yx for two input waveforms x and y

You can also add your custom analysis using the Add Analysis button. This opens a MATLAB script where you can add your custom code. Do not modify the first section of the script. You can access your custom analysis function from the Analysis tab in the toolstrip.

Note

The custom analysis functions are saved in the \msblks\+msaCustom folder in your preferred directory. You can find your preferred directory using the prefdir command in the MATLAB command window.