Competitive Features Chart

OP. pts. displayed throughout schematic

Cross-probe Schematic to Waveforms: During an active debug cycle the engineer cannot always ascertain what design nodes to plan ahead and set waveform markers for viewing. Therefore, the ability to arbitrarily probe around the schematic following a simulation run and instantaneously view waveforms in the wave viewer, or even on the schematic, can be a tremendous convenience and time saver.

Display DC Operating Points on Schematic: Often with IC and board designers, it is advantageous to quickly display a design's DC operating point information directly on the schematic. Voltage and current are easily viewed with a mouse click, thus saving time during debugging of any analysis type.

Custom SPICE Algorithms: Enhancement to a SPICE kernel (i.e., SPICE 3F5, XSPICE) is an unequivocally important aspect of providing a truly robust analog and mixed-signal simulator. SPICE kernels that have not been significantly modified often fall short on tough design such as switch mode, oscillator, time-varying control loop and large-scale topology. It requires several years to successfully augment SPICE technology, for which Intusoft continues to invest its resource.

On-the-fly component sweeps: This rare and valuable feature has been with the ICAP/4 offering for many years because of the time it saves during design debug. Component values can be set, continuously swept by holding a button, set as equations or set as a function of other component changes, all with no schematic intervention. It's "on the fly" because it can be performed while pausing a simulation or prior to rerunning another.

Waveform Viewer/Calculator: Though there are several capable waveform viewers on the market today, the provision of specialized waveform viewing and calculator capability can save an abundance of time for the designer. On-the-fly cross probing to the schematic, simultaneous display of differing analysis types, truly specialized functions with the waveform calculator and provision of a powerful scripting language for custom waveform operations are part of Intusoft's commitment to a faster debug cycle. More than 170 thoroughly documented commands comprise the entire ICAP/4 scripting language, though hundreds of predefined scripts are available for use or easy modification. Powerful pre-defined scripts for waveform calculator functions, such as EMI standard, Hanning taper, several frequency filters, Black body wave, wavelet filters and polynomial transformation, are setting new levels of industry standard. Dozens of other scripts are available for special simulation runs, while 150 serve as waveform calculator operations.

Special Simulation Analyses: When design criteria calls for extremely high performance from a simulator, ICAP/4 pulls from its repertoire of features that reach beyond competitive offerings. Sensitivity-based worst-case analysis and extreme-value analysis vary designs to maximally adverse conditions. For select types of non-linear circuitry, root summed squares analysis takes component parameters to their worse case state, which actually lies between traditional (less accurate) worst-case parametric extremes. Other analyses, such as AC and transient sweeps; fault synthesis; GFT analysis of open loop properties in an unbroken closed loop; and enhanced sensitivity analysis push the capability of SPICE beyond any present-day standard. The last analysis enables SPICE sensitivity to include DC, AC and Transient runs, plus monitoring of several new measurements affected by inter-component sensitivity - i.e., peak voltage, rms voltage, mean value, rise time, setup/hold, etc. ICAP/4's new VSECTOL simulation parameter significantly increases simulation speed by optimizing time step and percentage error during runs.

Frequency-varying R,L & C Models: When designs rise to high frequency operation, frequency can influence the modeling accuracy of passive components. Having passive devices that accommodate frequency variation helps ensure truer design accuracy.

BSIM & MESFET Models: Intusoft was first SPICE3 simulator to market with the BSIM MOSFET model. Today it continues its leading position with the latest BSIM4 model and several MESFET devices.

Power Electronic Design: ICAP/4 is committed to power-electronic designers by providing the industry's largest collection of power simulation models. It then adds more than 30 pre-existing power supply design templates (circuit topologies) for SMPS and related simulation. Intusoft strengthens this offering through its marketing and technological collaboration with ON Semiconductor, providing a number of SMPS topologies and ICs for SMPS design. Special hysteretic average models, modified passive components and magnetic devices have been created for accurate simulation of power electronic circuitry. GFT models measure open loop characteristics in closed loop SMPS design portions where the loop should not be broken. An optional Magnetics Designer application furnishes the analog-EDA industry's only non-linear magnetic design and synthesis offering for inductors, chokes and transformers. Magnetics Designer works in conjunction with Intusoft's IsSpice4 simulation kernel.

Automated Measurements & Stress Alarm: Intusoft furnishes a wealth of circuit measurements (i.e., rise time, max voltage, rms, pk-pk.), and assignment of their limits at design nodes and components, including automatic monitoring for pass/fail. This saves the engineer an abundance of time by automatically running one type of simulation, or different types in sequence. Also, different design setups can be run (i.e., circuit configurations for regression testing, commercial verses military grade design versions, design being debugged using special models, etc.). ICAP/4 easily enables assignment of a multitude of user-selected measurements throughout any design configuration. Following simulation, numerical readout for nodal and component measurements with visual pass/fail bars is displayed. Limits are easily set as desired value, from lab measurement, or by outcome of multi-run analyses such as Monte Carlo, Worst Case and Extreme Value. "Stress Alarms" flag components that have exceeded their safe (or user specified) operating range.

Fault Injection: Whether it's fully automated, or manually inserted, this valuable time saver enables designers to impose shorts, opens and stuck-at values on devices. Design nodes are automatically flagged as out-of-limit, while corresponding fault conditions are recorded on components. Fault detection coverage and synthesized pseudo code for automated test equipment are provided with Intusoft's "Test Designer" SPICE simulation and test synthesis offering.

Quarterly Newsletters: Intusoft is the only EDA supplier that furnishes quarterly newsletters to its customers and the design community at large. These are packed with technical information dealing with design, models, product features and application tips for engineers. In addition, Intusoft has produced more than 100 technical articles for popular trade journals such as IEEE Spectrum, Power Electronics Technology, Electronic Design, Magnetics Business & Technology and several others.

Price: Intusoft maintains its best in class dominance by providing the most powerful mixed-signal simulation offering for the mainstream end-user. An ICAP/4 customer receives, at a price point of less capable or less extensive offerings, today's leading SPICE-based simulation technology, direct phone access to an unparalleled customer service program and a relationship-marketing approach for customer input to Intusoft.

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