IBIS Macromodel Task Group

Meeting date: 17 November 2009

Members (asterisk for those attending):
  Adge Hawes, IBM
  Ambrish Varma, Cadence Design Systems
* Anders Ekholm, Ericsson
* Arpad Muranyi, Mentor Graphics Corp.
  Barry Katz, SiSoft
* Bob Ross, Teraspeed Consulting Group
  Brad Brim, Sigrity
  Brad Griffin, Cadence Design Systems
* Chris Herrick, Ansoft
  Chris McGrath, Synopsys
  Danil Kirsanov, Ansoft
  David Banas, Xilinx
  Deepak Ramaswany, Ansoft
  Donald Telian, consultant
  Doug White, Cisco Systems
  Eckhard Lenski, Nokia-Siemens Networks
  Eckhard Miersch, Sigrity
  Essaid Bensoudane, ST Microelectronics
* Fangyi Rao, Agilent
  Ganesh Narayanaswamy, ST Micro
  Gang Kang, Sigrity
  Hemant Shah, Cadence Design Systems
  Ian Dodd, consultant
  Jerry Chuang, Xilinx
  Joe Abler, IBM
* John Angulo, Mentor Graphics
  John Shields, Mentor Graphics
  Ken Willis, Cadence Design Systems
  Kumar Keshavan, Sigrity
  Lance Wang, Cadence Design Systems
  Luis Boluna, Cisco Systems
* Michael Mirmak, Intel Corp.
* Mike LaBonte, Cisco Systems
  Mike Steinberger, SiSoft
  Mustansir Fanaswalla, Xilinx
  Patrick O'Halloran, Tiburon Design Automation
  Paul Fernando, NCSU
  Pavani Jella, TI
  Radek Biernacki, Agilent (EESof)
* Randy Wolff, Micron Technology
  Ray Komow, Cadence Design Systems
  Richard Mellitz, Intel
  Richard Ward, Texas Instruments
  Samuel Mertens, Ansoft
  Sam Chitwood, Sigrity
  Sanjeev Gupta, Agilent
  Shangli Wu, Cadence Design Systems
  Sid Singh, Extreme Networks
  Stephen Scearce, Cisco Systems
  Steve Kaufer, Mentor Graphics
  Steve Pytel, Ansoft
  Syed Huq, Cisco Systems
  Syed Sadeghi, ST Micro
  Ted Mido, Synopsys
* Terry Jernberg, Cadence Design Systems
* Todd Westerhoff, SiSoft
  Vladimir Dmitriev-Zdorov, Mentor Graphics
  Vikas Gupta, Xilinx
  Vuk Borich, Agilent
* Walter Katz, SiSoft
  Zhen Mu, Mentor Graphics

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Opens:

- None

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Call for patent disclosure:

- No one declared a patent.

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Review of ARs:

- Arpad update flow slides
  - Done

- Arpad modify 10/20/2009 flow to include Use_Init_Output boolean
  - In progress

- Arpad Write a clarification BIRD to discuss accuracy issues related to the 
  various AMI clock_tick algorithms in an IBIS-AMI DLL
  - TBD

- Todd: Update the BIRD for IBIS S-parameter box based on feedback from discussion
  - No update

- Arpad:  Write parameter passing syntax proposal (BIRD draft)
          for *-AMS models in IBIS that is consistent with the
          parameter passing syntax of the AMI models
          - TBD

- TBD:    Propose a parameter passing syntax for the SPICE
          - [External ...] also?
          - TBD

- Arpad:  Review the documentation (annotation) in the macro libraries.
          - Deferred until a demand arises or we have nothing else to do

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New Discussion:

Meeting schedule through the holiday season:
- Arpad showed the available meeting dates
- We will cancel for Nov 24 due to Thanksgiving
- Walter is traveling Dec 1, but we will meet
- Mike L unavailable Dec 8, but we will meet
- We will meet Dec 1 and 15
- People may be traveling Dec 22, no meeting
- Several people are unavailable Dec 29
- We will meet Jan 5 & 12

Arpad showed the Final AMI Flow slides:
- Slide 2:
  - The first slide is the "all in one" flow
  - Convolution 3 box has only 3 possible combinations
  - Fangyi: What if Tx Use_Init_Output is false?
  - Walter: Then you have to use the GetWave flow
- Slide 3:
  - Both GetWaves present
- Slide 4:
  - Rx Use_Init_Output can only be true
  - Fangyi: Don't have to do deconvolution?
  - Arpad: Not true
  - Fangyi: Convolution 3 & 4 should be combined into one step
  - Walter: They can be replaced with some logic that does not include convolution
  - Arpad: Note 2 can be removed now
- Slide 5:
  - Tx Use_Init_Output can only be true here
  - Boxes 3 & 4 can be merged here too
- Bob: The preferable flow is anything that avoids deconvolution

AR: Arpad fix AMI flow slides 4 & 5

Walter showed the AMI BIRD document:
- We should review this and discuss later
- Existing known models will work with these changes
- We should get rid of Tx_Jitter and Rx_Clock_PDF
  - No one has been able to use them
- It contains a "Summary of significant changes"
- It explains the contents of .ami file
- There is no difference between reserved and model specific parameters
- Bob: We are case-insensitive?
  - Walter: No, case sensitive
- We should require the first letter to be alpha for simulator compatibility
- Reserved parameters start with a capital letter
- Walter added "Array"
- Should support an AMISearchPath ENV variable
- Arpad: What if AMI file declares an Input parameter to be an Output?
- Type is required
- Labels are displayed in the GUI
- The Table format is gone
- We can't have different .ami files for same model with different executables
- Fangyi: Why is Use_Init_Output optional?
- Walter: It has a default
  - Some existing files will not have this
- Would like Tx_DCD to be Info type
  - That may be a major discussion point
- Clock PDF replaced with Mean and Rj
- Limit and Scale are new tap parameters
- Array type easily adds more than a few taps
- Examples are useful for understanding the changes
- AMI_Init should ignore null memory handles
- Explanation of Dirac impulse response
- Place for Arpad to add discussion of clock ticks
- Mike L: Should this be posted?
- Walter: It could be emailed or posted
- Bob: This is an overwhelming change
  - The 5.0 parser would be invalidated for AMI
- Walter: These would be 5.1 AMI models
  - A 5.0 AMI will be OK in the 5.1 parser
- Bob: Don't like Description as a reserved parameter
  - And Format would be deprecated
- Walter: Currently it is ignored if there
- Bob: The parser writer got hung up because of contradictory statements
  - We should have a parser writer review
- Walter: Agree
- Arpad: We should post this on the website

AR: Walter send AMI BIRD to Mike L for posting

Next meeting: 01 Dec 2009 12:00pm PT

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IBIS Interconnect SPICE Wish List:

1) Simulator directives
