ELEC5402 Digital Integrated Circuit Design

How to use SwCAD III/LTSPICE

1. After you’ve opened the application click on New Schematic. To place

components click on Component.

Run
New Schematic Ground Component
Net Label

2. Use NMOS4 and PMOS4 as your transistor symbols. Select to place on the
schematic.

3. Select Voltage as the input to your logic gate and power supply.

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4. After placing your transistors and voltage sources wire up your circuit. (And
don’t forget to put in a ground)

5. To change the value of your voltage source right click on the V.

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6. Place labels on important nodes such as inputs and outputs.

7. In order to simulate the correct transistor models you need to copy the model
definitions from the website and save them to a text file.

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8. In the model definition files the PMOS transistor is called CMOSP and the
NMOS is called CMOSN. Change the names of the transistors in the schematic
to correspond to these names.

9. We need to tell the simulator where to find the model definitions for the CMOSP
and CMOSN transistors. Click on Edit -> SPICE Directive. In the box type:
.include “file_location\file_name”. Do this for both the CMOSN and CMOSP
models.

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10. To change the width and length of the transistors right click to bring up the
MOSFET dialogue box. Use minimum length 0.5u and minimum width 1.5u (for
NMOS; for PMOS you need to run a DC sweep to get the correct minimum
width).

11. To run a DC simulation click Simulate -> Edit Simulation Cmd. Then click DC
Sweep. In “Name of first source to sweep” type the name of the source you want
to sweep (most probably the source at the gate; in this case V1).

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12. To simulate click on the icon with the running man. Select the voltage you wish
to view. To select more than one waveform hold down the Ctrl button.

13. The results of the DC sweep show the voltage you swept along the x-axis and the
output on the y-axis.

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14. To run a transient analysis, change the voltage source at the gate to a PULSE
source by right clicking on it and selecting Advanced. Select PULSE and put in
values for Vinitial, Von, Tdelay, Trise, Tfall, Ton and Tperiod (see below)

15. Change the analysis from a DC Sweep to a transient analysis by right clicking on
.dc. Enter the time you wish to run the simulation.

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16. Click Ok and run the simulation. Again you will see a box with the voltage and
current waveforms that you can view. Select the waveforms that you wish to see.
The output shows the voltage at the output on the y-axis and time on the x-axis.