Basic SPICE Simulation Model Parameters

Contents

Overview

The NI SPICE Simulation Fundamentals series is your free resource on the internet for learning about circuit simulation. The series is a set of tutorials and information on SPICE simulation, OrCAD pSPICE compatibility, SPICE modeling, and other concepts in circuit simulation.

For more information, see the SPICE Simulation Fundamentals main page.

The series is divided among a number of in-depth detailed articles that will give you HOWTO information on the important concepts and details of SPICE simulation.

Circuit simulation is an important part of any design process. By simulating your circuits, you can detect errors early in the process, and avoid costly and time consuming prototype reworking. You can also easily swap components to evaluate designs with varying bills of materials (BOMs).

 

Basic SPICE Simulation Devices

SPICE includes several different types of electrical components that can be simulated. These range from simple resistors, to sophisticated MESFETs. The table below lists these components and their SPICE syntax.

 

SPICE Model Syntax

Parameters in angular parentheses <> are optional. If left unspecified, the default SPICE parameter values will be used.

 Resistors

Syntax

Rname n1 n2 value

Example

Rin 2 0 100

Notes

n1 and n2 are the two element nodes. Value is the resistance (in ohms) and may be positive or negative but not zero.

 

 

 Semiconductor Resistors

Syntax

Rname n1 n2 <value> <Mname> <L=Length> <W=Width> <Temp=T>

Example

Rload 3 7 RMODEL L=10u W=1u

Notes

This is the more general form of the resistor and allows the modeling of temperature effects and for the calculation of the actual resistance value from strictly geometric information and the specifications of the process.

 

 

 Capacitors

Syntax

Cname n+ n- value <IC=INCOND>

Example

Cout 13 0 1UF IC=3V

Notes

n+ and n- are the positive and negative element nodes, respectively. Value is the capacitance in Farads. The (optional) initial condition is the initial (time-zero) value of capacitor voltage (in Volts).

 

 

 Semiconductor Capacitors

Syntax

Cname n1 n2 <value> <Mname> <L=Length> <W=Width> <IC=VAL>

Example

Cfilter 3 7 CMODEL L=10u W=1u

Notes

This is the more general form of the Capacitor and allows for the calculation of the actual capacitance value from strictly geometric information and the specifications of the process.

 

 

 Inductors

Syntax

Lname n+ n- value <IC=INCOND>

Example

LSHUNT 23 51 10U IC=15.7MA

Notes

n+ and n- are the positive and negative element nodes, respectively. Value is the inductance in Henries.  The (optional) initial condition is the initial (time-zero) value of inductor current (in Amps) that flows from n+, through the inductor, to n-.

 

 

 Coupled (Mutual) Inductors

Syntax

Kname Lname1 Lname2 value

Example

Kin L1 L2 0.87

Notes

Lname1 and Lname2 are the names of the two coupled inductors, and VALUE is the coefficient of coupling, K, which must be greater than 0 and less than or equal to 1.

 

 

 Switches

Syntax

Sname n+ n- nc+ nc- Mname <ON><OFF>
Wname n+ n- VNAM MnameL <ON><OFF>

Examples

Switch1 1 2 10 0 smodel1
W1 1 2 vclock switchmod1

Notes

Nodes n+ and n- are the nodes between which the switch terminals are connected. The model name is mandatory while the initial conditions are optional. For the voltage controlled switch, nodes nc+ and nc- are the positive and negative controlling nodes respectively. For the current controlled switch, the controlling current is that through the specified voltage source. The direction of positive controlling current flow is from the positive node, through the source, to the negative node.

 

 

 Voltage Sources

Syntax

Vname n+ n- <DC<> DC/TRAN VALUE> <AC <ACMAG <ACPHASE>>> <DISTOF1 <F1MAG <F1PHASE>>> <DISTOF2 <F2MAG <F2PHASE>>>

Examples

VCC 10 0 DC 6
Vin 13 2 0.001 AC 1 SIN(0 1 1MEG)

Notes

n+ and n- are the positive and negative nodes, respectively. Note that voltage sources need not be grounded. Positive current is assumed to flow from the positive node, through the source, to the negative node. A current source of positive value forces current to flow out of the n+ node, through the source, and into the n- node. Voltage sources, in addition to being used for circuit excitation, are the 'ammeters' for SPICE, that is, zero valued voltage sources may be inserted into the circuit for the purpose of measuring current. They of course have no effect on circuit operation since they represent short-circuits.

DC/TRAN is the dc and transient analysis value of the source. If the source value is zero both for dc and transient analyses, this value may be omitted. If the source value is time-invariant (e.g., a power supply), then the value may optionally be preceded by the letters DC.

 

 

 Current Sources

Syntax

Iname n+ n- <<DC> DC/TRAN VALUE> <AC <ACMAG <ACPHASE>>> <DISTOF1 <F1MAG <F1PHASE>>> <DISTOF2 <F2MAG <F2PHASE>>>

Examples

Igain 12 15 DC 1
Irc 23 21 0.333 AC 5 SFFM(0 1 1K)

Notes

ACMAG is the ac magnitude and ACPHASE is the ac phase. The source is set to this value in the ac analysis. If ACMAG is omitted following the keyword AC, a value of unity is assumed. If ACPHASE is omitted, a value of zero is assumed. If the source is not an ac small-signal input, the keyword AC and the ac values are omitted.

DISTOF1 and DISTOF2 are the keywords that specify that the independent source has distortion inputs at the frequencies F1 and F2 respectively (see the description of the .DISTO control line). The keywords may be followed by an optional magnitude and phase. The default values of the magnitude and phase are 1.0 and 0.0 respectively.

 Linear Voltage-Controlled Current Sources

Syntax

Gname n+ n- nc+ nc- value

Example

G1 2 0 5 0 0.1MMHO

Notes

n+ andn- are  the  positive  and  negative  nodes, respectively.   Current  flow is from the positive node, through the source, to the negative node.  nc+  and nc- are the positive and negative controlling nodes, respectively.  VALUE is the transconductance (in mhos).

 

 

 Linear Voltage-Controlled Voltage Sources

Syntax

Ename n+ n- nc+ nc- value

Example

E1 2 3 14 1 2.0

Notes

n+ is the positive node, and n- is the negative node. nc+  and nc- are the positive and negative controlling nodes, respectively. Value is the voltage gain.

 

 

 Linear Current-Controlled Current Sources

Syntax

Fname n+ n- Vname value

Example

F1 13 5 Vsen 5

Notes

n+ andn- are the positive and negative nodes, respectively.  Current flow is from the positive node, through the source, to the negative node.  Vname is the name of a voltage source through which the controlling current flows. The direction of positive controlling current flow is from the positive node, through the source, to the negative node of Vname. Value is the current gain.

 

 

 Linear Current-Controlled Voltage Sources

Syntax

Hname n+ n- Vname value

Example

Hx1 5 17 Vz 0.5K

Notes

n+ and n- are the positive and negative nodes, respectively. Vnameis the name of a voltage source through which the controlling current flows. The direction of positive controlling current flow is from the positive node, through the source, to the negative node of Vname. Value is the transresistance (in ohms).

 

 

 Non-linear Dependent Sources

Syntax

Bname n+ n- <I=EXPR> <V=EXPR>

Example

B1 0 1 I=cos(v(1))+sin(v(2))

Notes

n+ is the positive node, and n- is the negative node. The values of the V and I parameters determine the voltages and currents across and through the device, respectively. If I is given then the device is a current source, and if V is given the device is a voltage source. One and only one of these parameters must be given. The small-signal AC behavior of the nonlinear source is a linear dependent source (or sources) with a proportionality constant equal to the derivative (or derivatives) of the source at the DC operating point.

 

 

 Lossless Transmission Lines

Syntax

Oname n1 n2 n3 n4 Mname

Example

O23 1 0 2 0 LOSSYMOD

Notes

This is a two-port convolution model for single-conductor lossy transmission lines. n1 and n2 are the nodes at port 1; n3 and n4 are the nodes at port 2. Note that a lossy transmission line with zero loss may be more accurate than than the lossless transmission line due to implementation details.

 

 

 Uniform Distributed RC Lines (lossy)

Syntax

Uname n1 n2 n3 Mname L=LEN <N=LUMPS>

Example

U1 1 2 0 URCMOD L=50U

Notes

n1 and n2 are the two element nodes the RC line connects, while n3 is the node to which the capacitances are connected. Mname is the model name, LEN is the length of the RC line in meters. Lumps, if specified, is the number of lumped segments to use in modeling the RC line (see the model description for the action taken if this parameter is omitted).

 

 

 Junction Diodes

Syntax

Dname n+ n- Mname <Area> <OFF> <IC=VD> <TEMP=T>

Example

Dfwd 3 7 DMOD 3.0 IC=0.2

Notes

n+ and n- are the positive and negative nodes, respectively. Mname is the model name, Area is the area factor, and OFF indicates an (optional) starting condition on the device for dc analysis.

 

 

 Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJT)

Syntax

Qname nC nB nE <nS> Mname <AREA> <OFF> <IC=VBE, VCE> <TEMP=T>

Example

Q23 10 24 13 QMOD IC=0.6, 5.0

Notes

nC, nB, andnE are the  collector,  base,  and  emitter nodes,  respectively.  nS is the (optional) substrate node. If unspecified, ground is used.  Mname is the model name, Area is the area factor, and OFF indicates an (optional) initial condition on the device for the dc analysis.

 

 

 Junction Field-Effect Transistors (JFET)

Syntax

Jname nD nG nS Mname <Area> <OFF> <IC=VDS, VGS> <TEMP=T>

Example

J1 7 2 3 JM1 OFF

Notes

nD, nG, and nS are the drain, gate, and  source  nodes, respectively.   Mname  is  the  model name, Area is the area factor, and OFF indicates an (optional) initial condition on the  device for dc analysis.

 

 

 MOSFETs

Syntax

Mname ND NG NS NB MNAME <L=VAL> <W=VAL> <AD=VAL> <AS=VAL> <PD=VAL> <PS=VAL> <NRD=VAL> <NRS=VAL> <OFF> <IC=VDS, VGS, VBS> <TEMP=T>

Example

M31 2 17 6 10 Mname L=5U W=2U

Notes

nD, nG, nS, and nB are the drain,  gate,  source,  and  bulk (substrate)  nodes,  respectively.  Mname is the model name. L and W are the channel length and width, in meters.  AD and AS  are  the  areas  of  the drain and source diffusions, in 2 meters .  Note that the suffix U specifies microns (1e-6  m)  2 and  P  sq-microns (1e-12 m ). If any of L, W, AD, or AS are not specified, default values are used.

 

 

 MESFETs

Syntax

Zname nD nG nS Mname <Area> <OFF> <IC=VDS, VGS>

Example

Z1 7 2 3 ZM1 OFF

Notes

nD, nG, andnS are the drain, gate, and  source  nodes, respectively.   Mname  is  the  model name, Area is the area factor, and OFF indicates an (optional) initial condition on the  device for dc analysis.

 

 

 

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