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Basic SPICE info needed

Good Afternoon,
I just had a few general questions about SPICE. I am curious if
parameters for one SPICE program might be named differently in
another. I'd also be interested in knowing whether a "converter"
exists for translating one version to another (ex. PSPICE to Xspice
and vice versa).

Best regards,
Fahad
 
T

Tom Bruhns

Jan 1, 1970
0
Good Afternoon,
I just had a few general questions about SPICE. I am curious if
parameters for one SPICE program might be named differently in
another. I'd also be interested in knowing whether a "converter"
exists for translating one version to another (ex. PSPICE to Xspice
and vice versa).

Best regards,
Fahad

Yes, Fahad, unfortunately there are differences. The differences tend
to be largest between programs based on SPICE2 and those based on
SPICE3, but even among those based on a single version there are
differences. Some of the "value added" to justify charging money for
SPICE simulators is in added capability, and if a simulation takes
advantage of that added capability, it's almost certainly not going to
be the same in some other version of SPICE.

A lot of models such as op amp behavioral models supplied by op amp
manufacturers use syntax specific to SPICE2, and require conversion to
work properly in SPICE3 based programs. I once tried a program that
claimed to do the conversion, but was disappointed that it didn't get
everything right. Maybe by now there exists something more reliable.
I'd rather just to the conversion "by hand" than try to straighten out
something that a converter got wrong!

Cheers,
Tom
 
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