Syntax for device checks associated to just one type of simulation

Hi Matt,

Unfortunately it's not that straightforward - at least using the method that the UI uses. This is done via the checklimit statement in spectre (see "spectre -h checklimit") but it's not done by specifying a list of analyses to the checklimit statement. Instead it enables and disables the checks between analyses when netlisted:

//Device Checks created using ADE Device Checking Interface
fredAssert assert expr="(V("out"))" min=1.0 max=2.0

//End Device Checks
dcOpCheckLimit checklimit checkallasserts=yes disable=[ "fredAssert" ] \
severity=none
dcOp dc write="spectre.dc" maxiters=150 maxsteps=10000 annotate=status
dcOpInfo info what=oppoint where=rawfile
acCheckLimit checklimit checkallasserts=yes enable=[ "fredAssert" ] \
severity=none
ac ac start=100 stop=150M dec=20 annotate=status
tranCheckLimit checklimit checkallasserts=yes enable=[ "fredAssert" ] \
severity=none
tran tran stop=3u write="spectre.ic" writefinal="spectre.fc" \
annotate=status maxiters=5
finalTimeOP info what=oppoint where=rawfile

However, the assert statement itself can specify which analyses types the check applies to. From "spectre -h assert" : 

17 anal_types=[...] List of analysis types for which the assert instance
    will be checked. By default the check is performed
    for all analyses. Possible values are ac, dc, noise,
    pz, sp, and tran.

So you can (on your assert definition) add (say):

myAssert assert ... anal_types=[dc tran]

for example.

Regards,

Andrew.

Hi Andrew,

Thanks for such a rapid reply on the subject.

The point you describe at the bottom of your post is exactly what I'm looking for. I tried it out with the following results.

An assert that FAILED (correctly) in a tran simulation with anal_types=tran changes to PASSED when I switch to anal_types=dc and rerun the tran simulation.

So I deduce that this is how the analysis type works. It sets the asserts that shouldn't be considered to PASSED. If that sounds correct to you then I have my solution.

Thanks again.

Matt

Hi Matt,

Asserts don't really "PASS" - they only fail. So all anal_types says is which analyses should they be applied in - effectively it says which analyses the assertion has the opportunity to produce failures.

I think I'm agreeing with you - it's just different terminology ;-)

Regards,

Andrew

Andrew,

That's fine by me. It was just the fact that the assert remains in the Violations display list even thought it's not applied. No problem with that. The designers will only look for FAILED asserts.

Thanks again,

Matthew