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EEL 6328C - Microwave Integrated Circuit Design

Spring 2005

Cadence Instructions
This document contains instructions for setting up the Cadence for the TSMC0.40u
CMOS035 (4M 2P) process we will use in class. There are also instructions for simulating Sparameters in SpectreRF. If there are questions or problems, e-mail Ning Zhang at
nzhang@tec.ufl.edu

Before Running Cadence...(If you have run Cadence for HW4, you can skip
this step)
1. In the root directory of your ECEL account, make a subdirectory called microwave. When
running Cadence for this class, please run from this microwave directory. From within the
microwave subdirectory, make another subdirectory called models.
2. There are files in the directory home/users/1/nzhang/public: 1. cds.lib, which has the listing of
libraries used in Cadence. 2. tsmc35P.m and tsmc35N.m, the Model files for the MOSFETs
we will use in the class. 3. display.drf - Contains layout display information for the layers used
in this process.
3. Copy the cds.lib file and display.drf to your microwave directory.
4. Copy the tsmc35P.m and tsmc35N.m model file to your microwave/models directory.

Getting Started
1. From your microwave directory, type icfb to run Cadence. The Command Interpreter Window (CIW) will appear at the bottom of the display.
2. From the Tools menu, select Library Manager.... The Library Manager window will
appear.
3. Make sure the library TSMC0.40uCMOS035(4M,2P) is listed. If not, make sure youve
copied the files (specifically the cds.lib file) mentioned above to the appropriate directories.

Creating a Schematic
1. First, you need to create a library. Do this from the Library Manager by clicking File-NewLibrary.... Give it a name, say test1, and click OK.
2. You will be asked about the Technology File for the new library. Click Attach to an existing
techfile. When the Attach Design Library to Technology File window appears, choose
TSMC0.40uCMOS035(4M,2P) as your Technology Library.
3. Select your test1 library from the Library Manager and click File-New-Cell View. Give it
a generic cell name cell1, the view name should be schematic and the tool should be
Composer-Schematic.
4. The Virtuoso Schematic Editing window will open. You can add components either by clicking Add-Instance, or if you are using the bind keys, you can just type i. This will open a

Component Browser window, and an Add Instance window. Use the Component Browser
window to select your part, then enter appropriate parameters in the Add Instance window.
Almost all components you will need are in the NCSU_Analog_Parts library.
5. (Passive elements are in the R_L_C category,voltage/current sources are in Voltage
Sources/Current Sources respectively, and the nmos and pmos transistors are under
Ntransistors/Ptransistors respectively, ground gnd is under Supply_Nets.).
analogLib library is useful too. (Passive elements are in the Passives category,voltage/
current sources are in Sources, and the nmos and pmos transistors are under Actives.)
6. You can explore these two libraries by yourself to see what other components you have there.
7. Remember for the nmos and pmos FET from analog library, you must enter a model name
in the Add Instance window. The name for the model is tsmc35N and tsmc35P.For FETS
from NCSU_Analog_Parts library, you do not need to do that. It has been automatically
filled in for you.
8. If you want to edit a components properties, you can select the component by clicking it, and
then click Edit-properties-objects, or select the component and type q.
9. To wire components in your schematic together, you can click on the Wire (narrow) icon on
the left-hand side of the Schematic Editing window. The bindkey is w. Also, you can
snap a wire to connect to the nearest component terminal using the s bindkey.
10. Save your schematic by clicking the Check and Save button on the left side of the schematic
window. You will be notified of any errors or warnings (such as unconnected terminals).

Simulating S-Parameters in Spectre RF


1. In your schematic, you will need to specify input and output ports. From the Component
Browser, select analogLib, then Sources, then Ports. Choose psin.
2. Make sure you specify the port numbers in the properties of your ports. Input should be 1,
output should be 2. This is not the same thing as the Instance Name, which will default to
something like PORT0 or PORT1. The Instance Name doesnt matter, the port number property does.
3. Make sure your port has resistance set to the characteristic impedance. The default is 50.
4. Once youve saved your schematic, you can open up the simulator by clicking Tools-Analog
Environment. The Affirma Analog Circuit Design Environment (aka Analog Artist) will
open.
5. Click Setup-Simulator/Directory/Host, and make sure that the simulator is set to spectreS
(not spectre!). This is the SpectreRF tool, which allows for S-parameter simulation. Also
change the project directory to /tmp. This will put your simulation data to the temperary
directory to save your own disk space.
6. If you have transistors or other devices requiring models, make sure the appropriate model
paths are setup. Click Setup-Model Path.... If youve copied the files as specified, the
MOSFETs model should be located at ~username/microwave/models. In the Setting Model
Path window, delete any other model paths listed, and type in the path for the MOSFETs
model.
7. Choose the simulation type by going to Analyses-Choose. Here you can select transient,
AC, or whatever analysis you like. For now, well choose sp for s-parameter.
8. Youll probably be looking at s-parameter vs. frequency so pick Frequency as your sweep
variable, and enter your start and stop frequencies in the Sweep Range. Also, you can pick

linear or logarithmic sweeps. For linear sweeps, specify step size, for log sweeps, specify
number of points. Once youre done, click OK.
9. Now the sp analysis should appear under the Analyses section of the Analog Artist window.
Start your simulation by clicking the green traffic light on the right side of the Analog Artist
window.
10. Information about the simulation will appear in the CIW. You may get an Artist Netlisting
message about a shell environment variable needing to be set to Analog. If so, click OK. If
all went well, CIW will say something like reading simulation data... ... successful. If there
are problems with your simulation, look in the CIW to find out what went wrong.
11. To plot the S-parameters, from the Analog Artist window go to Results-Direct Plot-S-parameter. The S-parameter results window will open. Select SP, and the type of plot (rectangular, polar, etc.). Click the button corresponding to the plot you wish to see (S21, S11...).

Simulation Noise Figure in Spectre RF


1. When you can successfully simulate S parameter by following the instructions above, its easy
to simulate NF now. Going to Analyses-Choose, choose sp like before. In the S Parameter Analysis window, click Noise which is located on the lower side of the window. Click
the select behind output port, then go to your schematic and click the port on the output
side. Do the same to select the input port. Keep all the other setting in the S Parameter Analysis same as before when you do the S parameter simulation. Click OK
2. Run the sp simulation
3. To plot the Noise Figure, from the Analog Artist window go to Results-Direct Plot-S-parameter. In the S-parameter results window, Select NF, and the type of the y-axis (magnitude/
dB10). Click plot, and you will see the NF plot.

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