The design rule checker (DRC) scans all the design and verifies that all the minimum design rules are respected. Click on the icon above or on Analysis ->Design Rule Checker to run the DRC. The errors are highlighted in the display window, with an appropriate message giving the nature of the error. Details about the position and type of the errors appear on the screen. To obtain more information about the design rules, click Help -> Design Rules, or the user's manual.
The parametric analysis within Microwind is a powerful tool for rapid investigation of the effect of some parameter variation on the behavior of the circuit. An example of analysis may be the effect of the load capacitance on the delay of a gate. The parametric analyzer will increase automatically the capacitance, run a set of simulations and plot the result on the screen.
- Click on Analysis -> Parametric Analysis
- Select the desired output node on which the delay measurement or frequency measurement is performed, then. Click on a cell output node in the layout. The parametric analysis window appears.
- In the parameter menu, choose the item "node capacitance". Give the appropriate range of analysis.
- In the measurement menu you may choose to monitor the rise and fall delay, the power consumption, or the frequency.
Click on " Start Analysis ". An iterative procedure will conduct simulations and extract the relevant parameters. Example results may show the evolution of the cell delay when its output node capacitance has been changed, or the influence of temperature variations on the final value of a polarization voltage.
The ruler gives the horizontal and vertical measurements (dx and dy) between two points, directly on the screen in lambda and in micron. The algebraic distance (d) is also given in µm. The ruler is simply erased any command of the View menu (Like View -> Refresh ) or by a press of <ESC>.
Use this command to compute the resonant frequency and characteristic impedance of a couple of inductor and capacitor. The resonnant frequency is 2.pi.1/sqrt(L.C), the characteristic impedance is sqrt(L/C), where sqrt is the square root operator. Furthermore, the impedance of the inductor and capacitor is estimated at a given frequency.