Product Documentation
Spectre AMS Designer and Xcelium Simulator Mixed-Signal User Guide
Product Version 22.09, September 2022

Circuit Checks for Spectre AMS Designer

With AMS Designer, you can perform static and dynamic checks. The following table specifies the static checks supported in AMS Designer.

Static Circuit Check

Description

Static Capacitor Check (static_capacitor)  

Reports all capacitors within or outside the range of cmin and cmax. 

Static Capacitor Voltage Check (static_capv)           

Reports capacitor devices fulfilling the conditional expression on device voltages.

Static Coupling Impact Check (static_coupling)              

Evaluates the possible coupling effects in the circuit.

Static DC Leakage Path Check (static_dcpath)     

 Reports the always conducting paths between the power supply nodes.

Static Diode Voltage Check (static_diodev)      

 Reports the diode devices fulfilling the conditional expression on device voltages.

Static ERC Check (static_erc)      

 Performs various electrical rule checks and reports the devices with violations.

Static HighZ Node Check (static_highz) 

 Reports the nodes that do not have any possible conducting path to a DC power supply or ground.

Static MOSFET Voltage Check (static_mosv)        

 Reports the MOSFET devices fulfilling the conditional expression on device voltages and device size (w, l).

Static NMOS to vdd count (static_nmos2vdd)     

 This check counts the unpaired NMOS in a charging path from a fanout node to VDD and report paths that have an NMOS count greater than specified count.

Static NMOS Forward Bias Bulk Check (static_nmosb)     

 Reports the NMOS devices with a forward-biased bulk condition. 

Static Always Conducting NMOSFET Check (static_nmosvgs)     

 Reports the NMOS devices that are potentially always conducting due to connectivity problems.

Static PMOS to gnd count (static_pmos2gnd)     

 This checks counts the unpaired PMOS in a discharging path from the fanout node to GND and report paths that have a PMOS count greater than the specified count.

Static PMOS Forward Bias Bulk Check (static_pmosb)      

 Reports the PMOS devices with a forward-biased bulk condition.

Static Always Conducting PMOSFET Check (static_pmosvgs)    

 Reports the PMOS devices potentially always conducting due to connectivity problems.

Static RCDelay Check (static_rcdelay)     

 Reports nodes with excessive rise or fall times. Rise and fall times are based on estimation.

Static Resistor Check (static_resistor)     

 Reports all resistors within or outside the range of rmin and rmax. It can also generate a distribution list of all the resistors in a circuit.

Static Resistor Voltage Check (static_resv)           

 Reports the resistor devices fulfilling the conditional expression on device voltages.

Static Subckt Port Voltage Check (static_subcktport)       

 Reports instances of the user-specified subckt fulfilling the conditional expression on port voltages.

Static Transmission Gate Check (static_tgate)     

 Reports the transmission gates which cause potential leakage currents between power supplies. 

Static Voltage Domain Conflict Check (static_vconflict)   

 Reports low voltage domain driving MOSFET devices from high voltage domain.
Static Voltage Domain Device Check (static_voltdomain)  Reports the high voltage driving the low-voltage MOSFET and low voltage driving the high-voltage MOSFET.

The following table specifies the dynamic checks supported in AMS Designer.

Dynamic Circuit Check

Description

Dynamic Subckt Instance Activity Check (dyn_activity)

Reports activity percentage of an instance relative to a circuit.
Dynamic Active Node Check (dyn_actnode) Detects nodes with voltage changes that exceed the user-defined threshold dv.
Dynamic Capacitor Voltage Check (dyn_capv) Reports capacitor elements fulfilling the conditional expression on element voltages for a duration longer than the user-specified threshold duration.
Dynamic DC Leakage Path Check (dyn_dcpath) Reports conductance paths between user-specified nets.
Dynamic Delay Check (dyn_delay) Checks timing delays between two signals and reports nodes with edge delay errors.
Dynamic Diode Voltage Check (dyn_diodev) Reports diode elements fulfilling the conditional expression on element voltages for a time longer than a user-specified duration threshold.
Dynamic Excessive Element Current Check (dyn_exi) Reports elements and devices carrying currents (absolute value) higher than the current threshold (ith) for a time longer than the duration threshold (duration).
Dynamic Excessive Rise, Fall, Undefined State Time Check (dyn_exrf) Reports the nodes with excessive rise times, fall times, or with an undefined state.
Dynamic Floating Node Induced DC Leakage Path Check (dyn_floatdcpath) Reports the DC leakage paths that are caused by floating nodes.
Dynamic Glitch Check (dyn_glitch) Checks the signal glitches in the blocks with single and constant power supply.
Dynamic HighZ Node Check (dyn_highz) Reports the nodes that are in high impedance state for a duration longer than the user-defined threshold.
Dynamic MOSFET Voltage Check (dyn_mosv) Reports MOSFET devices fulfilling the conditional expression on device voltages and device size (w, l) for a time longer than the user-specified threshold duration.
Dynamic Node Capacitance Check (dyn_nodecap) Reports the node capacitance at specified times (time) of a transient simulation.
Dynamic Noisy Node Check (dyn_noisynode) Identifies the nodes with unstable or noisy node conditions.
Dynamic Pulse Width Check (dyn_pulsewidth) Reports nodes with pulse width error.
Dynamic Resistor Voltage Check (dyn_resv) Reports the resistor elements fulfilling the conditional expression on element voltages for a duration longer than the user-specified duration threshold.
Dynamic Setup and Hold Check (dyn_setuphold) Reports nodes with setup or hold timing errors with reference to a clock signal. The transition time of the clock signal is refTime.
Dynamic Statistical HighZ Node Check (dyn_stahighz) Identifies and reports nodes that are in high impedance state at a user given time.
Dynamic Subckt Port Voltage/Current Check (dyn_subcktport) Reports instances of the user-specified subckt fulfilling the conditional expression on port voltages and port currents for a time longer than the user-specified duration.
Dynamic Subckt Port Power Check (dyn_subcktpwr) Reports port currents, port powers, and subcircuit powers.
The dynamic checks are not supported in the AMS +ms mode. 
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