• Skip to main content
  • Skip to search
  • Skip to footer
Cadence Home
  • This search text may be transcribed, used, stored, or accessed by our third-party service providers per our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.

  1. Community Forums
  2. Mixed-Signal Design
  3. Transient convergence problem

Stats

  • Locked Locked
  • Replies 2
  • Subscribers 64
  • Views 14001
  • Members are here 0
This discussion has been locked.
You can no longer post new replies to this discussion. If you have a question you can start a new discussion

Transient convergence problem

Ritayan
Ritayan over 4 years ago

I am simulating a buck-boost converter of 1 V input and low power (50uW) with 100kHz switching frequency.

The transient is not converging. Following is the log file:

************************************************
Transient Analysis `tran': time = (0 s -> 20 ms)
************************************************

Opening the PSFXL file ../psf/tran.tran.tran ...
Important parameter values:
start = 0 s
outputstart = 0 s
stop = 20 ms
step = 20 us
maxstep = 200 us
ic = all
useprevic = no
skipdc = no
reltol = 1e-06
abstol(V) = 10 nV
abstol(I) = 10 fA
temp = 27 C
tnom = 27 C
tempeffects = all
errpreset = conservative
method = gear2only
lteratio = 10
relref = alllocal
cmin = 0 F
gmin = 1 pS


Output and IC/nodeset summary:
save 7 (current)
save 11 (voltage)


Notice from spectre at time = 345 us during transient analysis `tran'.
Newton iteration fails to converge at time = 345 us step = 20.0035 as.
Disaster recovery algorithm is enabled to search for a converged solution.
Notice from spectre at time = 355 us during transient analysis `tran'.
Newton iteration fails to converge at time = 355 us step = 20.0035 as.
Disaster recovery algorithm is enabled to search for a converged solution.
Notice from spectre at time = 365 us during transient analysis `tran'.
Newton iteration fails to converge at time = 365 us step = 20.0035 as.
Disaster recovery algorithm is enabled to search for a converged solution.
Notice from spectre at time = 375 us during transient analysis `tran'.
Newton iteration fails to converge at time = 375 us step = 20.0035 as.
Disaster recovery algorithm is enabled to search for a converged solution.
Notice from spectre at time = 385 us during transient analysis `tran'.
Newton iteration fails to converge at time = 385 us step = 20.0035 as.
Disaster recovery algorithm is enabled to search for a converged solution.
Further occurrences of this notice will be suppressed.

tran: time = 500 us (2.5 %), step = 1.471 ns (7.36 u%)
tran: time = 1.5 ms (7.5 %), step = 1.471 ns (7.36 u%)
tran: time = 2.5 ms (12.5 %), step = 692 ps (3.46 u%)
tran: time = 3.5 ms (17.5 %), step = 2.099 ns (10.5 u%)
tran: time = 4.5 ms (22.5 %), step = 1.891 ns (9.46 u%)
tran: time = 5.5 ms (27.5 %), step = 1 ps (5 n%)
tran: time = 6.5 ms (32.5 %), step = 1 ps (5 n%)
tran: time = 7.5 ms (37.5 %), step = 2.168 ns (10.8 u%)
tran: time = 8.5 ms (42.5 %), step = 1.891 ns (9.46 u%)
tran: time = 9.5 ms (47.5 %), step = 1.891 ns (9.46 u%)
tran: time = 10.5 ms (52.5 %), step = 1.891 ns (9.46 u%)
tran: time = 11.5 ms (57.5 %), step = 1.891 ns (9.46 u%)
tran: time = 12.5 ms (62.5 %), step = 1.891 ns (9.46 u%)
tran: time = 13.5 ms (67.5 %), step = 1 ps (5 n%)
tran: time = 14.5 ms (72.5 %), step = 1.891 ns (9.46 u%)
tran: time = 15.5 ms (77.5 %), step = 1.891 ns (9.46 u%)
tran: time = 16.5 ms (82.5 %), step = 1.891 ns (9.46 u%)
tran: time = 17.5 ms (87.5 %), step = 1.891 ns (9.46 u%)
tran: time = 18.5 ms (92.5 %), step = 1.325 ns (6.62 u%)
tran: time = 19.5 ms (97.5 %), step = 2.17 ns (10.8 u%)
Number of accepted tran steps = 217917

Maximum value achieved for any signal of each quantity:
V: V(VL) = 17.27 kV
I: I(V9:p) = 10 A

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Post-Transient Simulation Summary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- To further speed up simulation, consider
add ++aps on command line
- Non-default settings that could significantly slow down simulation
errpreset = conservative, default moderate
reltol = 1e-06, default 100e-06 (conservative)
abstol(V) = 10 nV, default 1 uV
abstol(I) = 10 fA, default 1 pA
- The circuit contains signals of the voltage > 10V, consider to set highvoltage=yes to get better accuracy and convergence ability.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


During simulation, the CPU load for active processors is :
Spectre 0 (99.5 %) 1 (100.0 %) 2 (99.8 %) 3 (99.2 %)
Other
Initial condition solution time: CPU = 0 s, elapsed = 308.037 us.
Intrinsic tran analysis time: CPU = 9.93949 s, elapsed = 12.4201 s.
Total time required for tran analysis `tran': CPU = 9.94149 s, elapsed = 12.4381 s.
Time accumulated: CPU = 10.2974 s, elapsed = 13.7754 s.
Peak resident memory used = 129 Mbytes.


Notice from spectre.
516 notices suppressed.

finalTimeOP: writing operating point information to rawfile.

Opening the PSF file ../psf/finalTimeOP.info ...
modelParameter: writing model parameter values to rawfile.

Opening the PSF file ../psf/modelParameter.info ...
element: writing instance parameter values to rawfile.

Opening the PSF file ../psf/element.info ...
outputParameter: writing output parameter values to rawfile.

Opening the PSF file ../psf/outputParameter.info ...
designParamVals: writing netlist parameters to rawfile.

Opening the PSFASCII file ../psf/designParamVals.info ...
primitives: writing primitives to rawfile.

Opening the PSFASCII file ../psf/primitives.info.primitives ...
subckts: writing subcircuits to rawfile.

Opening the PSFASCII file ../psf/subckts.info.subckts ...

  • Cancel
  • ShawnLogan
    ShawnLogan over 4 years ago

    Dear Ritayan,

    Please include the entire spectre.out file. Your post is missing important information concerning the spectre version you are using, the command line options and other helpful information. It will prevent me from asking you a myriad of other questions if you include the entire file. 

    Shawn

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up 0 Vote Down
    • Cancel
  • Andrew Beckett
    Andrew Beckett over 4 years ago in reply to ShawnLogan

    Also, given that in an earlier question you were using ideal or behavioural components, if you can include the netlist (input.scs) as well, that would be rather helpful. 

    Andrew

    • Cancel
    • Vote Up 0 Vote Down
    • Cancel

Community Guidelines

The Cadence Design Communities support Cadence users and technologists interacting to exchange ideas, news, technical information, and best practices to solve problems and get the most from Cadence technology. The community is open to everyone, and to provide the most value, we require participants to follow our Community Guidelines that facilitate a quality exchange of ideas and information. By accessing, contributing, using or downloading any materials from the site, you agree to be bound by the full Community Guidelines.

© 2025 Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • Cookie Policy
  • US Trademarks
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information