Product Documentation

Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis XL User Guide
Product Version IC23.1, November 2023

Contents

1

Overview of Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis XL

Licensing Requirements

Supported Data Formats

Opening the Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis XL

Opening the Tool in Stand-Alone Mode

Opening the Tool Using CIW

Opening the Tool Using VirtuosoAnalog Design Environment

Closing the Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis XL

Saving a Session

2

Results Browser

Opening the Results Browser

Opening the Results Browser in Standalone Mode

Opening the Results Browser from Virtuoso

Opening the Results Browser from Virtuoso Analog Design Environment

Results Browser Graphical User Interface

Toolbar of the Results Browser

Top Panel of the Results Browser

Bottom Panel of the Results Browser

Opening a Results Directory

Setting the In-Context Results Directory

Selecting a Signal in the Results Browser

Plotting a Signal from the Results Browser

Plotting a Transient Signal Over a Time Range

Plotting an AC Signal over a Frequency Range

Plotting Parametric Sweep Data

Plotting the Difference of Two Signals

Plotting YvsY for Two Signals

Comparing Signals from Different Results Directories

Exporting Waveforms from a Single Results Directory

Contents of the Exported VCSV File

Exporting Waveforms from Multiple Results Directories

Sending a Signal to Calculator from Results Browser

Sending a Signal to Table from Results Browser

Setting Colors to Signal Types

Automatic Calculation of Two-Port Impedance Equivalent Parameters

Searching for Signals in the Results Browser

Filtering Signals in the Results Browser

3

Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis XL Table

Menu Bar of the Table

Toolbar of the Table

Opening the Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis XL Table

Opening the Table from the Results Browser

Opening the Table from the Graph Window

Opening Table from the Calculator

Saving Table Contents to a CSV File

Exporting Contents of the Table

Hiding Columns in the Table

Revealing Columns in the Table

Formatting Attributes of the Table

Sorting Columns in the Table

Transposing Rows and Columns of the Table

Merging X-Axis Data in a Single Column

Changing Column Colors in the Table

Renaming Column and Row Headers of the Table

Limiting the Number of Actions to Undo or Redo

Filtering Table Data

Changing the Format of Complex Data in the Table

Resizing Columns and Rows of the Table

Printing Contents of the Table

Setting Printer Properties

4

Working with Graphs

About the Graph Window

Opening the Graph Window

Graphical User Interface

Creating a Graph

Working with Subwindows

Customizing a Graph

Determining the Active Window

Setting the Graph Colors

Renaming and Closing Window

Handling Graph Objects

Panning and Zooming Graphs

Editing Graph Properties

Setting Properties for Multiple Graphs

Working with Graph Axis

Editing Graph Axis Attributes

Changing Digital Dependent Axis Properties

Changing Axes Scale to Logarithmic

Displaying X-Axis Labels in String Format

Adding Multiple Y-Axes

Changing Dependent Axis (Y-Axis)

Plotting Multiple Signals on a Common Axis

Merging Two Y-Axes

Evaluating Graph Expressions

Working With Assistants

Spectrum Assistant

Browser Assistant

Marker Toolbox Assistant

Eye Diagram Assistant

Working with the Eye Measurements Tab

Working with the Eye Mask Tab

Horiz Marker Table Assistant

Trace Info Assistant

Vert Marker Table Assistant

Transient Measurement Assistant

Direct Measurements Assistant

Editing Properties of Direct Measurements

Deleting Direct Measurements

Customize Trace Groups Assistant

Working with Workspaces

Workspace Types

Saving a Workspace

Loading a Workspace

Deleting a Workspace

Setting the Default Workspace

Showing and Hiding Assistants

Working with Traces

Filtering Trace Legends

Some Useful Features

Selecting Traces

Using Trace Menu Commands

Dragging Traces

Hiding and Showing Traces

Deleting Traces

Setting Trace Properties

Displaying Symbols on a Trace

Exporting a Trace

Working with Strips

Splitting Strips

Combining Graph Strips

Setting Strip Properties

Locking and Unlocking Strips

Working with Sweeps

Working with Graph Labels

Deleting Graph Labels

Creating Multiple Graph labels

Plotting WREAL Signals

Plotting YvsY Graph

Plotting Normal Quantile Graphs

Saving and Loading Graphs

Loading a Graph

Saving a Graph as an Image

Reloading Graphs

Reloading Graph When Opened in Stand-Alone Mode

Reloading Graph When Opened From Within ADE Explorer, or ADE Assembler

Disabling Trace Reload

Graph Settings Retained During Reloading

Printing Graphs

Supporting Mixed Signals

Loading Vector Files in Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis XL

Converting an Analog Signal into a Digital Signal

Converting a Digital Signal to an Analog Signal

Generating Derived Plots

Plotting Histogram

Working with Buses

Plotting Parametric Buses

Creating a Mnemonic Map

Applying a Mnemonic Map to a Bus

Importing Mnemonic Maps from SimVision

Setting Bus Properties

Expanding a Bus

Collapsing a Bus

Exporting a Bus

Sending a Bus Signal to Calculator

Sending a Bus Signal to Table

Working with Markers

Editing the Marker Label of a Point Marker

Adding a Point Marker

Adding a Fixed-Y Marker

Adding a Horizontal Marker

Adding a Vertical Marker

Adding an Edge Marker

Adding a Period Marker

Adding a Dx/Dy Marker

Adding a Delta Marker

Repositioning Marker Labels

Setting Marker Properties

Snapping Markers

Customizing Markers

Working with Delta Markers

Working With Edge Markers

Working with Circular Graphs

Creating a Circular Graph

Adding Markers on Circular Graphs

Snapping Markers on Circular Graphs

Plotting Circular Graphs with Different Axis Units

Zooming Circular Graphs

Editing Circular Graph Properties

Filtering Data Using the Frequency Slider Bar

Setting Smith Grid Properties

Setting Bindkeys

Working with Tabular Graph

Creating a Tabular Graph

Editing Tabular Graph Properties

Using Tabular Trace Properties Commands for a Column

Using Tabular Trace Properties Commands for a Row

Customizing Display of S-Parameter Data

Graph Summary Label

Hiding a Graph Summary Label

Viewing Graph Summary Information

Editing the Properties of a Graph Summary Label

Annotating Scalar Outputs for Single-Point Simulation

Hiding the Summary Label for Scalar Outputs

Viewing Summary Information of Scalar Outputs

Editing Properties of the Summary Label

Graph Properties Form (Circular Graphs)

5

Working with the Calculator

About the Calculator

Opening the Calculator Window

Using the Calculator Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Setting Calculator GUI Using .cdsenv Variables

Working with Expressions

Selecting Signals and Waveforms to Build Expressions

Building Expressions in the Buffer

Editing an Expression in Buffer

Building Dependent Expressions

Saving Expressions

Dragging Expressions across Buffer and Assistants

Loading Expressions from an Expression File

Evaluating and Plotting Expressions

Displaying Results in a Table

Creating Custom Calculator Functions

Working with the Calculator in ADE

Opening the Calculator using ADE

Additional Features in ADE

Creating Expressions For DC Operating Point Functions

Working with Expressions in ADE

6

Distributed Plot

Advantages of Distributed Plot

Enabling or Disabling Distributed Plot

Specifying Linger Time

Opening the Distributed Plot Assistant

Opening the Distributed Plot Remotely

7

Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis XL Forms

Apply Range Form

Create Bus Form

Create Graph Marker Form

Digital Bus Trace Properties Form

The Edit Marker Label form

The Export Waveforms Form

The Format Attributes Form

The Graph Properties Form (Circular Graphs)

The General Tab

The Annotations Tab

The Markers Tab

The Horizontal Marker Properties Form

The Point Marker Properties Form

The Point Marker Properties for Circular Graph Form

The Polar Reference Point Marker Properties Form

The Preferences Form

The Printer Properties Form

The Job Options Tab

The Reference Point Marker Properties Form

The Reveal Columns Form

The Sample Values Form

The Save Image Form

The Save As CSV Form

The Save Image Form

The Select Color Form

The Select Waveform Database Form

The Set Sweep Ranges Form

The Smith Reference Point Marker Properties Form

The Swap Sweep Var Form

The Value At Form

The Vertical Marker Properties Form

The Waveforms to be Exported Form

The Window Properties Form

The Y vs Y Form

The Zoom To Form

A

Virtuoso Visualization and Analysis XL Tool Environment Variables

Graph Variables

Graph Frame Variables

useLinkAxesUnitFilter

linkAxesUnitFilterSet

Graph Environment Variables

Rectangular Graphs Environment Variables

Strip Environment Variables

Digital Strip Environment Variables

Circular Graph Environment Variables

plotToSmithView

showFreqFilterBar

traceMarkerDisplay

Axis Environment Variables

Dependent Axis Environment Variables

Independent Axis Environment Variables

String Independent Axis Environment Variables

Trace Environment Variables

Trace Legend Environment Variables

Digital Trace Environment Variables

Digital Bus Trace Environment Variables

Histogram Environment Variables

Horizontal Marker Environment Variables

Reference Line Marker Environment Variables

Vertical Marker Environment Variables

Point Marker Environment Variables

Reference Point Marker Environment Variables

Specification Marker Environment Variables

Intercept Marker Environment Variables

Circle Marker Environment Variables

Delta Marker Environment Variables

Transient Edge Markers Environment Variables

significantDigits

showMeasSummary

Graph Label Environment Variables

Probe Environment Variables

Polar Grid Environment Variables

Smith Grid Environment Variables

showCoefficientRing

showVSWRCircles

VSWRCircleValues

VSWRCirclePenColor

VSWRCirclePenWidth

VSWRCirclePenStyle

QContourPenColor

QContourPenWidth

QContourPenStyle

impedanceStandardGridPenColor

impedanceStandardGridPenWidth

impedanceStandardGridPenStyle

impedanceDetailedGridPenColor

impedanceDetailedGridPenWidth

impedanceDetailedGridPenStyle

impedanceCompressedGridPenColor

impedanceCompressedGridPenWidth

impedanceCompressedGridPenStyle

admittanceStandardGridPenColor

admittanceStandardGridPenWidth

admittanceStandardGridPenStyle

admittanceDetailedGridPenColor

admittanceDetailedGridPenWidth

admittanceDetailedGridPenStyle

admittanceCompressedGridPenColor

admittanceCompressedGridPenWidth

admittanceCompressedGridPenStyle

immittanceZStandardGridPenColor

immittanceZStandardGridPenWidth

immittanceZStandardGridPenStyle

immittanceZDetailedGridPenColor

immittanceZDetailedGridPenWidth

immittanceZDetailedGridPenStyle

immittanceZCompressedGridPenColor

immittanceZCompressedGridPenWidth

immittanceZCompressedGridPenStyle

immittanceYStandardGridPenColor

immittanceYStandardGridPenWidth

immittanceYStandardGridPenStyle

immittanceYDetailedGridPenColor

immittanceYDetailedGridPenWidth

immittanceYDetailedGridPenStyle

immittanceYCompressedGridPenColor

immittanceYCompressedGridPenWidth

immittanceYCompressedGridPenStyle

Application Environment Variables

confirmCloseWindow

confirmDeleteAll

confirmDeleteAllMarkers

confirmDeleteAllTraces

XRange Bookmark Variables

significantDigits

zoomScaleFactor

YRange Bookmark Variables

significantDigits

zoomScaleFactor

Region Bookmark Variables

significantDigits

zoomScaleFactor

Results Browser Variables

Calculator Variables

restoreCustomCalcFunctions

Table Environment Variables

B

Calculator Functions

Basic Steps For Running Calculator Functions

Performing Floating-Point Comparison

Using Unary Minus Operator

Using Division Operator in the Expression for a Calculator Function

Special Functions

eyePeakToPeakJitter

i

spectrumMeasurement

v

Modifier Functions

phaseDegUnwrapped

phaseRadUnwrapped

Trigonometric Functions

How to Run Examples?

sourceStability

Spectre RF Functions

rfGetMinDampFactor

C

More About Eye Diagrams

NRZ Eye Measurements

Additional Measurements

PAM4 Eye Measurements

NRZ vs PAM3 vs PAM4 Eye Measurements

PAM3 Eye Diagram

Eye Measurements for Different Levels

Eye Parameters and Eye Measurements

D

Constants

E

Defining New SKILL Functions

Defining a Form

Defining a Callback Procedure

Using Stack Registers in the Procedure

Registering the Function

Defining a Custom Function

F

Working With Function Templates

Function Templates

Function Template Search Paths

Template Catalog Summary File

Creating a template file

Working with Template File

The Analysis Section

Example 1: Sample template with single argument: average.ocn

Example 2: Sample template with multiple arguments: delay.ocn

Example 3: Signature described by a format statement: compression.ocn

Example 4: Creating your own template

Advanced Features to provide GUI Hints

Index

⠀ X