IBIS Macromodel Task Group

Meeting date: 12 October 2010

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
  Eric Sweetman, Vitesse Semiconductor
  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, Sigrity
  Kellee Crisafulli, Celsionix
  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
* Scott McMorrow, Teraspeed Consulting Group
  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
  Wenyi Jin, LSI Logic
* Zhen Mu, Mentor Graphics

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Opens:

- Mike L: Would like to address task group protocol changes suggested by
  Michael Mirmak

--------------------------
Call for patent disclosure:

- none

-------------
Review of ARs:

- Arpad address BIRD 114.2 escape sequences in strings
  - Have not heard back from Anders
  - It may be voted as is

- 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
  - Done, BIRD 117 & 118 submitted

- TBD:    Propose a parameter passing syntax for the SPICE
          - [External ...] also?
  - Done, BIRD 117 & 118 submitted

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

-------------
New Discussion:

Arpad: Should we discuss BIRD 119 and IBIS 5.0 AMI corrections?
- Walter: I only want to know when we can discuss BIRD 119
- Arpad: Both are targeted for IBIS 5.1, so it can be delayed
  - It may take another month or two for the corrections
  - We need rules for the string passed to the DLL
- Ken: It is crucial to get the Flow BIRD out
  - We could focus 2/3 on incremental corrections
- Mike L: We should multi-task only if one can be discussed in short segments
- Arpad: We should discuss BIRD 119 after the corrections are done
  - Anything can be discussed on the reflector
- Todd: That would not be a good use of our time
  - Would rather discuss mixed topics

Walter motioned to set the agenda for the next meeting, each meeting:
- Mike L seconded
- No one objected in an acclamation vote
- The motion passed

Arpad: Do we want to deprecate Format?
- Todd: We said in emails:
  - SiSoft sees it as an accident
  - Some would have to update models and code
  - This would be the first time the parser would have to parse
    differently for each version
  - Three options:
    - Option 1: Format not allowed
    - Option 2: Format optional
      - The parser change would be minimal
    - Option 3: Format required
  - Option 2 would be best
- Arpad: Do we want to go so far as to disallow it?
- Bob: Two vendors favored keeping Format
  - There could be a "not recommended for future use" comment
- Arpad: If we allow the keyword Format then Value and Default have to be OK
- Arpad showed item 21 in the work list
  - Parentheses would have to be inserted before Table to make it work
   -It would be easier to take Format out
- Walter: When a parser sees Format it only has to discard and parse as
  though it was never there
  - Our documentation would not show Format, other than a note
- Todd: Format creates a self-consistent language
  - We could say a keyword in {} has no arguments
- Ken motioned to vote on the 3 options
- Bob: We can have a runoff if there is a tie
- Votes:
  Agilent                         illegal
  Cisco Systems                   optional
  Intel Corp.                     optional
  Mentor Graphics Corp.           illegal
  Nokia-Siemens Networks          optional
  Sigrity                         required
  SiSoft                          optional
  Teraspeed Consulting Group      optional
- Finally tally: 
  optional 5
  illegal 2
  required 1

Arpad: Should Format be removed from docs?
- Walter: Bob disagrees with that
- Walter motioned that Format is removed from examples and described in a
  note about it's use in 5.0
- Arpad seconded
- Some discussion:
  - Bob motioned that example should be consistent
    - All syntactical descriptions should include Format as allowed
  - Arpad: It will be difficult to write the spec for this
  - John: A footnote could explain the use of Format
  - Arpad: Default makes a new leaf
    - We would have to clearly describe both old and new rules
  - Bob: This 
  - Mike: Maybe we need to see the proposed changes in the draft
  - Walter: I would like to see it without the {}
  - Michael M: The motion can be tabled until next time
- Walter withdrew his motion

AR: Arpad rework BIRD draft to include Walter's ideas about Format documentation

Next agenda:
- Arpad's new BIRD draft with 
- Walter's Default wording email
- BIRD 119
- Any other new BIRDs

Next meeting: 19 October 2010 12:00pm PT

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IBIS Interconnect SPICE Wish List:

1) Simulator directives

