Tutorial 1 *

Cadence Schematic Capture and Circuit Simulations

Background
The CADENCE environment allows access to libraries containing icons of basic circuit
components and the ability to place and connect theses devices into the form of a circuit
within a schematic editor. In addition, the default values of the properties of the various
elements can be edited and altered to fit the requirements of the actual system under
design. Files can then be extracted from the graphical circuits into forms compatible with
Spectra or Spice circuit simulators. The simulators can then be called to compute and plot
the various waveform results. Once the designer is satisfied with the operation of the
circuit, the schematic can then be put into the form of a symbol and used as a component
in higher-level circuits. Finally, at this higher level, the overall design can be simulated
and the results plotted. If it is found that the simulated results do not meet the technical
requirements, it is possible to go back through various layers of the design and alter
properties at each stage before continuing additional simulations. This iterative
interaction is a powerful tool that helps the circuit designer to quickly test design
concepts and debug circuits.

Basic Operations
In these exercises, you are expected to learn:
1. Use the schematic composer to connect a circuit using components from the
North Carolina State University (NCSU) Analog Library.
2. Simulate the design and plot the stimulus and the outputs.
3. Change the properties of devices within the design and iterate to reach a
suitable conclusion.

Start the Cadence under our Linux System:

1. Logon to the Linux system using your ID and PWD.
2. Open a terminal window, and type xhost +
3. Open a new terminal window,
telnet tyr (or tyr.cems.uvm.edu)
type in your ID and PWD
set the display mode as “ansi”
type: setenv DISPLAY machine_name:0
(On the monitor, you can find a paper stick which labels the name of the computer
that you are using)

You need to create a new directory

mkdir ee221
Go to the new directory
cd ee221
Then copy two files
cp /usr/local/apps/cadence2009/ic/example/.cdsinit ./
cp /usr/local/apps/cadence2009/ic/example/cds.lib ./
when use ls –a command, you should see these two files in the directory.
After copying files, please use command
chmod 755 cds.lib
chmod 755 .cdsinit
These commands will change the mode of two files, and enable them to be modified
later.

Now you are ready to start Cadence program for circuit design.

1. The first step in this assignment is to bring up the Cadence “Command Interpreter
Window” (CIW) by opening a window and typing:
virtuoso

This will open the CIW. Choose Tools -> Library Manager... from the CIW Menu.

2. In the Library Manager, use the left button of the mouse to select File

New

Library. This will result in a new window where you may create a “library” by
filling in a name. In Cadence, a library is nothing more than a directory in your home
account.

3. Once you have filled in the name of your new library, you should fill in the selection
“Attach Library to Technology library”. Select “NCSU_TechLib_HP06”, which
corresponds to a HP 0.6 micron technology, and then enter “OK”.

4. Go to the Library Manager and highlight your new library. Select File
New

Cell View. This will bring up a new window, “Create New File”. You will have to
give the cell a name (i.e. inverter) by filling in the blank space to the right of “Cell
Name”. The view will read “schematic”. Note that the "Application" is
automatically set to "Schematics L". Then select “OK”, which will bring you into a
new window, ‘Virtuoso Schematic Editing”.

You may see a warning about getting a license. Simply click YES to ignore this
warning or Always to never see it again.

5. In the Virtuoso window, you will want to “Add” (components, wire, pins, etc) circuit
elements; “Edit” (Move, Copy, Delete, etc); “Design” (Check and Save, etc.); and
under “Tools”, use the Analog Environment to perform analysis on the design.

• Adding Components: When you select Add
Instance, you will bring up a
window, “Add Instance”, referencing the “Library”, NCSU_Analog_Parts.
At this point you should select the button, “Browse”, which will bring up a
new window, “Library Browser – Add Instance” to allow you to choose the
part that you need, nmos (an NMOS transistor), pmos (a pMOS transistor),
vdc (a DC power supply), vpulse (a voltage pulse generator), or res (resistor).
Supply_Nets: Vdd and GND.
Just make sure that you select the “View”, “Symbol”. This, in turn will bring
up a new window, “Add Instance” that will allow you to specify the
 parameters of the instance that you have chosen. Be sure to fill in the proper
values that you expect to use in your design.

In this design, we will implement a CMOS inverter, so you should add one
PMOS and one NMOS transistors.

• Placing Components: Once you have selected your components, you can
place it in the Virtuoso Schematic window by using the mouse to locate the
icon where you want it deposited and then striking the left mouse button.
Once you have deposited a particular component, just strike the “Esc” key.

• Connecting With Wires: Connections are made between components using

Create
Wire (narrow). Use the left mouse button to attach one end of the
wire to a node of the component. The wire can then be routed to the next
component and attached in a like manner. Again, strike the “Esc” key to
terminate this operation. (It is recommended that you always have wire
between components rather than directly connecting a node of one component
to the node of a second. The reason is that you can only use wires to display
voltages. Nodes are restricted to current measurements).

• Moving Objects: To move an object, go to Edit
Move. Then centering the

cursor over the object until you get a rectangle with sides appearing. Then
click with the leftmost button of the mouse and you will get a copy of the
object. You can then move the object to any point in the window. Once the
object is located where you wish it to be newly located, just strike the Esc key
and it will be deposited at that location.

• Selecting Objects: To change the properties or delete object, you must first
select them using the mouse and the mouse’s leftmost button. You first
envision that you want to locate a rectangle completely enclosing the object,
including its nodes. Then place the cursor to the left-hand lower corner of the
envisioned rectangle, press the leftmost button, and without releasing the
button, stretch a diagonal path to where envision that upper rightmost corner
of the envisioned rectangle must be. This will result in a rectangle surrounding
the object, which indicates its selection.

Properties: One of the purposes of selecting an object is to edit its properties.

After selection, the properties may be altered with Edit
Properties

Object. This will bring up a window, “Edit Object Properties” .
Once you have changes the device properties, strike “Apply” and then “OK”.

In this design example, we will set the transistor sizes to be:

PMOS transistor: width/length=3.6u/600n
NMOS transistor: width/length=1.8u/600n
 You may also need to specify the MOS transistor model name. For instance,
the PMOS device in the model file is defined as hp14tbP and the NMOS
device name is hp14tbN.

For the DC power supply voltage source, its value is set to be 3.3 (v)

The property of voltage source “Vpulse” is a little complex. Several

parameters should be set:
Voltage 1: 0
Voltage 2: 3.3
Delay time: 1n
Rise time: 1n
Fall time: 1n
Pulse width: 9n
Period: 20n

• At the output terminal, an output pin is needed when no other load device
exists. At the top of the schematic window, click an icon called Pin. A new
window “add pin” is created. Then fill in the Pin Name, for instance
“Inv_out”, the pin Direction is set as “output”.

• Deleting Objects: A second reason for selecting an object is to delete it. After
selection, this is done with Edit
Delete. If you immediately decide you
have made a mistake, you can undo the deletion with Edit
Undo.

• Saving and Simulation: Once you have completed a design, you may
simulate it to see if you get the results you expect. However, you must first
have the circuit checked and saved. This is done with Check
Current
View. After this operation, check in the CIW widow to see if you have any
errors. If not, you will see a message, “Schematic check completed with no
errors”. Now to set up for simulation.

6. Simulate the Schematic with Spectre within Analog Artist

From the Schematic Window menu, select Launch -> ADE L. You may get another
message saying that the license need to be upgraded. Simply click Ok to proceed. A
window will pop-up. This window is the Analog Design Environment Window.

In the Analog Circuit Design Environment window, you will have to perform several
tasks. First, you will have to tell the program where the models for your transistor
devices are located. Next, you will have to select the form of analysis and the outputs
that you wish to observe. Finally, you will ask for a netlist and a graphical display of
the results of the analysis. The particular steps and their order that you must follow
while in this window are given in the bullet list below.
 Choose a Simulator
By default the Spectre simulator is chosen. If you want to change it, from the Analog
Artist menu, select Setup -> Simulator/Directory/Host. Your simulation will run in
the specified Project Directory. You may choose any valid pathname and filename
that you like. Cadence generates many temporary files for simulation, so you do not
want to leave them in your home directory.

Choose Model Library

From the Analog Artist menu, select Setup ->Model Library…. Add model files as
below

• The next step is to select form of analysis. Let’s assume it will be a transient
response, an output voltage or current as a function of time. This selection is
made through Analysis
Choose. Select the button, “tran” and type in the
stop time in the blank space to the right of “Stop Time”. (e.g. 200n for 200
nanoseconds). Note, there is no space between the characters.

• You must now select the output you wish to follow. This is begun with
Outputs
To Be Plotted
Select on Schematic. You now go back to the
Virtuoso window and use the leftmost mouse to select either the voltage of
current you wish to follow. If you select a node, you will measure current; if
you select a wire between tow nodes, you will measure voltage. If you select
current, the node will be encircled with an ellipse; if you select voltage, the
wire will become highlighted.

• The final step is to perform the analysis. This is done by selecting Simulation

Run. You may watch the CIW to see if you are going to be successful. If
you are not successful, you need to correct error in your design.
 • If your simulation is successful, you will get a window, “Waveform
Window”, showing the signal traces. These are manipulations that you can do
within this window on the signal.

Appendix:
A. You can create a symbol from the schematic composer after you have completed the
connection of a circuit: Design
Cellview
From Cellview. The circuit may or may
not contain power supplies or grounds, but, instead have pins with the proper
directionality: input or output.

B. The symbol can then be placed in a higher level schematic design that is used as a
“testbench”. The circuit, excluding the symbol, may contain only a capacitive load;
optionally, a DC voltage source to define the value of the ground and Vdd you potential
used in your symbol as well as any other pulse generators whose voltage values, rise
times, fall times, and periods will have to be specified. These connections will have to be
made with wires to the symbol and the wires whose output you will later wish to plot will
have to be labeled so that they can be referenced by the simulator.

C. In iteratively debugging a schematic, you may have to go in and changes the circuit
substantially. You can save the state of the Analog Artist Simulation window (the
nodes where you wan the voltage measured, the type of analysis, etc.) by using
Session  Save State. After modifying properties of the devices or symbols in your
Load State.
circuit, this state can be reloaded with Session

D. Session

Reset will allow you to select devices within the Schematic Composer and
to edit their properties.

E. In the Schematic Composer, you can click on your symbol and edit it by
Design

Hierarchy

Descend Edit, which will open a Schematic Composer
window with your original circuit in it.

F. In this new Schematic Composer that results, you can changes the properties of your
transistors with Edit
Properties
Object.

G. You may “ascend” back to the original design by either Design
Return to Top or
iteratively using Design
Return. You may have to retrieve the test bench
schematic by using Design

Open.

To Strip to separate signal

H. In the Waveform window, it is useful to use Axis

waveforms.

I. On the left side of the Waveform window, there are some icons including “Crosshair
Marker A” and “Crosshair Marker B”. When you put these two markers on
waveforms, the distance between the markers will be given at the bottom of the
window. Please measure the propagation delay of the inverter that you just
implemented.
Assignment:
1. Implement three CMOS inverters using HP0.60u AMOS14TB technology.
The inverters sizes are:
1). Inverter 1:
PMOS: W/L=3.6u/600n
NMOS: W/L=1.8u/600n

2). Inverter 2:
PMOS: W/L=7.2u/600n
NMOS: W/L=3.6u/600n

3). Inverter 3:
PMOS: W/L=1.8u/600n
NMOS: W/L=900n/600n

The voltage sources are the same as those introduced in the tutorial part.

2. Implement the schematic of a two-input NOR gate

f = a+c
Run the transient analysis: (You should select the proper voltage sources with
reasonable parameters).
Transistor sizes:
PMOS: W/L=3.6u/600n
NMOS: W/L=1.8u/600n

Report:
1. Inverter and NOR gate Schematics
2. The transient analysis waveforms for each gate
3. Draw a table and list each inverter’s propagation delay