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Cadence Analog Tutorial 2
Cadence Analog Tutorial 2
Created for the MSU VLSI program by Professor A. Mason and the AMSaC lab group.
Revision Notes:
July 2004
Document Contents
Introduction
Environment Setup
Creating a Schematic Cell View
Functional Simulation (DC, AC and transient analysis)
Introduction
This document is designed as a follow-up to Tutorial 1 for simulation of analog characteristics of
transistors and circuits. Tutorial 1 covers device characterization and this tutorial describes
common measurements for a simple CMOS integrated circuit amplifier using CADENCE
Custom IC Design Tools (IC5.0) with the AMI06 process technology and the NCSU design kit.
Convention: To show the sequence of steps for the pull down menu, following convention is
used. For example,
Tools => Analog Artist => Simulation
Statement above indicates that you pull down the Tools menu, then click on the Analog Artist
button and finally click on the Simulation button.
Note: If at anytime during this tutorial you want to quit Cadence, make sure you save your work
by selecting Design => Save and close the design windows by selecting Close from the menu.
After you have closed all your working windows, then select File => Exit and click Yes in the
pop-up confirmation window to end the Cadence session.
Environment Setup
This tutorial assumes you know how to start cadence and have already launched the program in
the proper working directory. Please refer to Cadence Analog Tutorial 1 and your class-specific
setup guide to launch Cadence.
Move your mouse to the Schematic Editing window and drop the vdd! label on the wire that
connects to the vdd pin. Follow the same procedure to drop gnd! label on the wire that
connects gnd pin. Press ESC when you are done.
Note: In a single instance of Add Wire Name as shown above, you can define as many
wire names, as you want but be careful to drop them at their respective wire instances.
Select component vdc connected to the pMOS load (VBIAS) and change the DC voltage to
2.5V and press OK. Do not change other parameter values of either vdc. Keep default values
as they are.
In Cadence Analog Design Environment window, select Setup => Stimulus => Edit Analog.
In the Edit Stimulus File window select text as the Editor, enter a File Name such as
stimulus.txt and click OK.
A Text Editor window will open. Type in the following line to define the DC supply voltage
named vdd between nodes vdd! and 0 (ground) with value of 5V..
vdd vdd! 0 5V
Use markers A and B and find out the input linear range (constant gain range) of a commonsource amplifier. Input linear range is a range over which output value varies linearly with
input value.
Plot Gain in dB
In the Waveform window, select Tools => Calculator. A calculator will pop up.
Press wave button. First select VOUT waveform and then select VIN waveform
Press button /. (You are requesting calculator to compute VOUT/VIN for entire waveform)
and now press enter.
Since you want Gain in dB,
press db20 button.
Now press plot button and you
will see the gain of a source
amplifier is plotted vs.
frequency.
Select VIN waveform. Select
Edit => Delete or delete
button to erase the VIN
waveform. Delete VOUT
waveform also.
Now the Waveform window contains gain plotted vs. frequency as shown below.
Gain Bandwidth
Using the markers, measure the maximum gain at lower frequencies. This is often called the
DC gain since it holds this value down to frequency = 0 = DC.
Find the frequency where gain reduced by 3dB. This is known as the -3dB frequency and is
often referred to as the 3dB bandwidth.
This ends the tutorial for design and analysis of a common-source amplifier.
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