Application of OpAmp Macromodels

You can use operational amplifier macromodels for a variety of applications. For example, these macromodels can be used for the following:

What-if exploratory system simulation
Fast system simulation
Library characterization and protection

These three applications are described in detail below:

What-if Exploratory System Simulation

You can perform the what-if exploratory system simulation with the following steps:

Implement a circuit with generic OpAmp macromodels early in an analog system design cycle. This way, you can quickly enter the OpAmps into the schematic, simulate, and independently set and change the OpAmp parameters (such as slew rate, bandwidth, and offset voltage) to understand their effects on system performance.
Center the design, locate an OpAmp as close as possible to the required specifications in a catalog, then enter its data sheet values to verify that your system functions with the real parameters.
Enter or design the OpAmp transistor level circuits to the defined specifications.

Because most macromodel parameters are independent, be careful not to specify difficult or unrealistic combinations of specifications, such as low power and high speed.

Fast System Simulation

It might be impractical to simulate the entire system interactively at the transistor level when the system includes many OpAmps.

Change and simulate the system quickly using macromodels.
Run final verification simulations on the entire system in background or noninteractive mode.

Library Characterization and Protection

The OpAmp macromodel also finds application in library characterization and protection (as described here).

Many CAD, semiconductor, and ASIC vendors provide qualified macromodel libraries of commonly used catalog components or cells.
Systems designers get faster simulations using these macromodels.
Vendors protect their circuit designs and process parameters.

Virtuoso Functional Block Library Reference
Product Version IC23.1, November 2023