Online resources

Cadence tutorials

In our classes we use the cadence design environment.

Cadence tutorials from Prof. Shepard's EE4321 class

Manuals: All the cadence manuals are (only) available in electronic version. You can get the manual by issuing the command 'cdsdoc' or by hitting Help in some of the tools. The section under Analog IC design is of interest for this class.

Remark 1: These tutorials are using the hspice simulator; we will be using the Spectre and SpectreRF simulator. Make sure you select that simulator in Analog Artist under Setup -> Simulator.

Remark 2: These tutorials are using the TSMC 0.25um technology; we will be using a version of the TSMC 0.18um technology for this class; you will need to load a different model file as outlined below.

Setting up the TSMC018 technology

You need to include the tsmc 0.18u library in your cds.lib if you don't see it when you run icfb for the first time. Add the following line to your cds.lib file:
INCLUDE /usr/tech/tsmc018/cdslib/tsmc018.lib
If you don't have a cds.lib file, put this one in your home directory and add the line in it.

Using the TSMC018_teaching.scs model file

Save the following model library file (spectre syntax) into your directory tree as TSMC018_teaching.scs and use it in Artist -> Set-up -> Models. This file only has a model for the regular 1.8V devices for a typical (section tt), slow (section ss), and fast (section ff) process corner.

This model file is based on data available on the internet at the MOSIS website (see file for details on how the model library was constructed). You can copy this model library to your own computer and use it to run simulations locally if you have a circuit simulator available.

Check on your course website which model you should use for the homeworks and design project.

Using the files in /usr/tech/tsmc018

The files in /usr/tech/ cannot be copied due to non-disclosure restrictions! This applies to models, manuals, documentation or any other file in that directory tree.

Use the following model file in spectre for typical models:
/usr/tech/tsmc018/tsmc018/mm018.scs
DeviceModel nameSection
1.8V pMOS, nMOS regular devices nch, pch tt
3.3V pMOS, nMOS regular devices nch3, pch3 tt_3v
1.8V zero Vt nMOS nanch tt_na
3.3V zero Vt nMOS nanch3 tt_3vna
1.8V medium Vt nMOS mench tt_m
3.3V medium Vt nMOS mench3 tt_3m

Replace tt by ss for slow/slow or ff for fast/fast process corners.

Brief documentation about the technology design kit (preliminary)

http://www.cisl.columbia.edu/courses/spring-2000/ee4332/virtuosoxl.html

Important References