Adding a Simulation Model to a Component Definition

Old Content - see latest equivalent
Modified by Jason Howie on May 31, 2017
Contents

Parent article: Releasing a Component Definition to a Vault

On the design side, each design component released to an Altium Vault is specified using a source Component Definition. A component definition is simply just that – a definition of a particular design component. A definition that ties together the required models and parameters for that component in a clean and ordered fashion.

In terms of its representation in the various design domains, a vault-based component doesn't contain the domain models themselves, but rather links to these models. Along with the typical Schematic Symbol and PCB 2D/3D component model – released to the vault as Schematic Symbol and PCB Component Items respectively – you can also link to a required simulation model, released to the vault as a Simulation Model Item.

This document takes a look at adding a simulation model to a component definition within a Component Library (*.CmpLib), including component-level simulation parameter definition and configuration of pin mapping.

This document assumes that all relevant domain models (schematic symbol, PCB 2D/3D component model, and simulation model) have already been released as Items in an Altium Vault. For information on releasing schematic symbols and PCB component models, see Releasing a Schematic Symbol to a Vault and Releasing a PCB 2D/3D Model to a Vault respectively. For information on releasing simulation models, see Releasing a Simulation Model to a Vault.

Component Library with a definition for a Schottky Diode. The Schematic Symbol and PCB Component Item Revisions are already linked. All it needs now is for the Simulation Model Item (which has already been released to the vault) to be added!

Specifying the Requirement of a Simulation Model

Firstly, the simulation model type needs to be added to the Required Models/Parameters list within the Component Library. This simply adds a field for that model type to the component's definition. To do this, click the Add control at the bottom of the Required Models/Parameters region, and choose the SIM entry from the menu.

Specify the SIM model type to be made available for use in component definitions.

By default the SIM column is enabled for display. This can be controlled using the Show option, to the right of the SIM entry in the Required Models/Parameters region.

Adding the Simulation Model Link

With the SIM model type added to the list of required models, you can now proceed to add the actual link to the required (and previously released) Simulation Model Item. Simply click on the Add control at the bottom of the Model Links region and choose the SIM entry from the menu. The Choose Models dialog will appear, from where you can browse within the targeted vault and select the required model. The link will be added to the region and a preview of the SimModel file displayed in the preview window to the right.

Add a link to the specific revision of a Simulation Model Item that will represent the component in the simulation domain.

Any number of SIM model links may be added, including links to different revisions of the same model Item. Each link is to a specific named-revision of a Simulation Model Item (e.g. SIM-001-0001-1, for revision 1 of Simulation Model Item SIM-001-0001). Using the Show in Explorer command on the right-click menu for a selected model link will quickly access the Vaults panel, with the chosen Simulation Model Item Revision in focus.

To change a SIM model link, rather than add an additional one, simply click on its Item field, then click on the ... button. The Choose Model dialog will appear, from where you can browse for and choose, a different Simulation Model Item, or a different revision of that same Item. If the revision of the Item being used is not the latest – as reflected in the Revision Status no longer being Up to date – and you need it to be, simply right-click on the current model link entry and choose the Update To Latest Revision command.

Once added as a model link, a Simulation Model can be accessed by any component definition in the Component Library document. Assignment is simply a case of specifying to use the link as part of the definition. To remove a SIM model link, simply select it and click the Remove control.

Adding Component-Level Simulation Parameters

When using a simulation model for a component in a design, parameters specific to that model can be specified at two different levels:

  • Model-Level Parameter –specified as part of the simulation model definition itself (in the SimModel file), and released with that definition into a revision of the linked Simulation Model Item.
  • Component-Level Parameter – specified as part of the component definition (here in the CmpLib), and released with that definition into a revision of the linked Component Item.

Component-level parameters are used for parameters that are shared between multiple models or where the designer wants to make such a parameter visible/editable on the schematic (e.g. value, frequency etc).

Parameters are added at the component-level in the Required Models/Parameters region of the Component Library document. It is important to note that the naming of parameters must be the same as those parameters defined at the model-level. To see the model-level parameters, and therefore which parameters can be added at the component-level (and their names!), select the SIM model link and click the View Parameters control, at the bottom of the preview window.

View the model-level parameters for a Simulation Model Item, to see which parameters can be added at the component-level - and how they are named!

Armed with the available model-level parameters, you can now proceed to add any of those same parameters at the component-level – to be available to any component definition in the library. To do so, simply click the Add control at the bottom of the Required Models/Parameters region. A new parameter entry will be added to the list. Change the name as required – remembering to match exactly the name of the corresponding model-level parameter.

Add sim-related parameters at the component-level.

To remove a parameter, simply select it and click the Remove control.

When an instance of the released component is placed in a design, a simulation parameter can have a different value at the component-level, to that for the same parameter at the model-level. When the netlist is generated, the component-level parameter will have priority.

For some of the built-in SPICE3f5 models, entering a value for a parameter at the component-level will override a related parameter defined in a linked model file (*.mdl). For a semiconductor capacitor, for example, specifying a value for the component-level Width parameter will override any value specified for the DEFW parameter in the associated model file. If a parameter is specified at the component-level for a subcircuit model, that value will override the value defined for it in the linked subcircuit file (*.ckt). If a parameter is specified at the component-level for a digital device, that value will override the value specified for that parameter in the source SimCode definition (*.scb).

Defining the Component from a Simulation Perspective

With the model link added and any component-level simulation parameters defined as required, you can proceed to add/define the simulation 'portion' of the component's definition.

Model

Clicking on the SIM field for the definition will provide access to a dedicated model link pop-up window. This presents a grid of all existing simulation model links, complete with all data columns. Simply select the model link required to be used to represent that component in the simulation domain, and either press Enter or double-click to assign that model.

Specify the SIM model to be used for the component.

Alternatively, drag and drop the required model link from the Model Links region, directly onto the SIM field for the component definition.

Parameters

Locate the fields corresponding to the component-level simulation parameters that you have entered in the Required Models/Parameters region of the document. There is one field per parameter. Simply enter values for these parameters as required.

Specify values for component-level simulation parameters.

A parameter defined in the Required Models/Parameters 'bucket' doesn't have to be used in a component definition. Only parameters with specified values will be released as part of the component.

Depending on the component(s) being defined, there could be a considerable number of parameters available. If you're finding it difficult to locate a parameter in a sea of parameters down in the component definition region, simply use controls in the Required Models/Parameters region (Show option for each parameter and related controls on the right-click menu) to hide parameters from view.

Pin Mapping

Once the link to the required SIM model has been chosen, you need to ensure that the pins of the component – when represented in the schematic domain – are correctly mapped to the pins of the simulation model. This is performed in the Pin Mapping dialog, accessed by right-clicking on the SIM model entry and choosing Edit Pin Mapping from the context menu. For each schematic pin, simply use the available drop-down to change the associated Model Pin entry accordingly. If the device is multi-part, be sure to check the mapping for each part.

Ensuring correct schematic pin-to-model pin mapping.

For a multi-part component, the ability to exclude a part from simulation is also determined through the Pin Mapping dialog.

For the built-in SPICE3f5 and supported PSpice models, the function of each of the pins in a model can be found in the general form section for that model, in the SPICE 3f5 user manual. For subcircuit models, the manufacturer will typically insert comments for each pin of the model, describing that pin's function. If no commenting is evident, then the pinout of the model will typically be that of the physical device itself. Consult the datasheet for the device in this case. For Digital SimCode models, the mapping of the component pins to the INPUTS and OUTPUTS declared in the SimCode file will depend on the input and output node list entries in the netlist template.

Verifying the Model in the Released Component

Once the component definition has been released to the target Altium Vault, the resulting Component Item can be browsed in the Vaults panel. Direct access can be made after release by right-clicking on the component definition and choosing Show in Explorer from the context menu.

View the released component directly in the target vault, courtesy of the Vaults panel. Note the linked Simulation Model Item (altium-simulation-model) and the component-
level simulation parameters.

The simulation model link and associated component-level simulation parameters can also be verified when an instance of the Component Item-Revision is placed on a schematic sheet.

Verifying the simulation model link and component-level simulation parameters after placing an instance of a particular revision of the Component Item.

Auto-Generation of a CmpLib

Related article: CmpLib Generation from Active Schematic Library

One particularly useful tool in the context of Component Libraries is the ability to generate these automatically from source Schematic Libraries:

  • Either from the active Schematic Library, using the Tools » Generate Component Library command.
  • From multiple Schematic Libraries stored in a nominated source folder, using the batch-style Release Manager (File » Release Manager).

This tool takes the manual labor and potential for error out of the equation when creating the source component definitions from which the vault-based Component Items are generated.

Generation of Component Libraries in this way first requires that the domain model Items it needs to reference are themselves released first. The source symbol, simulation model definition, and PCB 2D/3D Component model (where applicable) for an original source schematic component must therefore be released to the target vault, before a new component definition can be created from that schematic component.

The effort you have already spent in building a collection of simulation-ready components in you source Schematic Libraries is not ignored or discarded and you are not required to duplicate that effort! The tool uses the information for each original source schematic component in such a library to essentially fill-in the required fields of the component definition:

  • The Items created from the release of schematic symbol, simulation model definition and linked PCB 2D/3D Component model are used as the model links for the definition.
  • The Symbol Reference and Description parameter values are used as the values for the Comment and Description parameters in the definition.
  • All user parameters defined for the schematic component – including those simulation-related parameters added as component-level parameters – are added as required parameters for the definition.
Component Libraries can also be generated directly from an active Database Library. For more information, see CmpLib Generation from Active Database Library.

Full Support for Digital SimCode Models

When using a vault-based component that references a Simulation Model Item featuring a SimCode definition (in a *.scb file), that scb file (released with the SimModel file to the vault) is used for subsequently run simulations. In the generated simulation netlist (*.nsx file), the model reference will contain the full path to the scb file, cached locally from the vault. For example:

.MODEL 74LS90 xsimcode(file="C:\ProgramData\Altium\AD {A586F887-1E00-4F36-9EC8-61C78B91FA73}\VaultsFileCache\0072B38F-E431-40BB-B462-FD262DB9CDAB\9A7AB3DA-D4A5-43B3-9C88-33A56E86A0BF\Released\LS.SCB" func=ls90)

An .scb file typically contains multiple scb models. When the simulation model definition is released, the .scb file – released and stored with the SimModel file in the vault – is stripped back to include only the single scb model referenced by the simulation model definition, and not the full listing of models.

You are reporting an issue with the following selected text and/or image within the active document: