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IBIS Advanced Technology Modeling Task Group

The Advanced Technology Modeling Task Group exists to create and promote a system for modeling advanced electronic interfaces, with a current emphasis on SerDes-based designs.

The Task Group began as the Macromodeling Library Task Group, but a new name was agreed to after it became apparent that the group was expending significant effort on several other advanced modeling topics, and joined forces with the IBIS Futures Task Group.

The chair of the Task Group is Arpad Muranyi (Arpad_Muranyi@mentor.com).

Task Group Products

To see individual working documents produce by the Task Group see the Work Archive. Collections of "release" products are listed below.

Macromodel Library Products

A library of analog macromodel elements is defined such that it is possible to create advanced models by wiring these elements into a circuit. The implementation of this library may be unique to each simulator as long as the library macro elements function as specified. The task group provides reference library implementations written using the analog portions of Verilog-AMS and VHDL-AMS, as a means for precisely specifying the function of each library element and the names of passed parameters. Equivalent library elements can be written for SPICE simulators to support advanced models written using the macromodel library. Minimal translation is required to convert the model netlists from the [External Circuit] language to the simulator language.

  • The Macromodel Element Library allows tools that support Verilog-AMS and VHDL-AMS to directly use library AMS code; tools which do not support the AMS languages may use code defined in SPICE, with guaranteed equivalency. Minimal translation is required to convert a circuit written in one language to another, since they consist simple of subcircuit calls with parameter passing.
  • The Macromodel Template Library contains circuits implementing common advanced models using the macromodel library. These are provided as examples, but are potentially useful for creating specific IBIS [External Circuit] implementations of a particular type of device.
  • Free tools are also available to help developers of macromodel element implementations and macromodel netlist circuits.
Advanced Technology Modeling Products

In September of 2006 the task group set off in a new direction and changed its name to the IBIS Advanced Technology Modeling Task Group. This change followed a decision by the group to pursue "algorithmic models" delivered as plug-in software. The group then focused on refining an architecture and standard for algorithmic models.

  • The BIRD Algorithmic Modeling API (AMI) Support in IBIS defines the Algorithmic Model Interface (AMI) was submitted in October of 2007 and accepted in November of 2007.
  • EDA vendor members of the task group have produced AMI test bench tools which help prove the concept.

Email discussion

To join the email discussion list, visit: http://www.freelists.org/list/ibis-macro. There you can signup to receive list email, and visit the archive of messages.

Meetings

An Advanced Technology Modeling Task Group teleconference is held weekly on Tuesdays from 3:00pm to 4:00pm Eastern Time. Meeting notices including call-in information are sent to the discussion list. Meeting minutes are archived here and on the discussion list.