Cadence CADENCE PSPICE A-D - TECH BRIEF Manual - page 2
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Figure 1: Cadence PSpice provides a complete circuit simulation and analysis environment
Dealing with the implications of these issues can be expensive for a manufacturer. When a product
is released without a thorough tolerance analysis the manufacturer doesn’t really know how the
circuit is going to function when it is produced in large volumes. The result can be that some
percentage of products does not function as expected. In many cases, a test procedure is
performed before the product is boxed and shipped. This test procedure sorts out defective
products, which are then either repaired and retested or scrapped.
Many manufacturers consider test, rework and scrap a necessary part of doing business, but a
robust design allows a manufacturer to reduce rework and scrap. A robust design can be produced
by taking component tolerances into account and designing such that the circuit functions properly
throughout the range of all the possible combinations of component values. An engineer can make
a circuit more robust by specifying tighter tolerances on all the components, but tighter tolerances
mean higher priced components. Over-specifying a design increases the cost to produce a product,
and reduces the profit a company can realize.
Some issues, however, slip past final test and as a result defective products are shipped to
customers. Manufacturers then need to deal with returns from the field, sending technicians to the
customer to troubleshoot and repair, or conduct recalls. Field failures are the most expensive
problems a manufacturer has to deal with, and can also result in safety hazards, injuries, lawsuits,
class actions, judgments and fines, to say nothing of the damage to a company’s reputation.
Simulation with PSpice provides a proven, quick, and easy way to perform circuit calculations an
electrical engineer would otherwise perform on paper providing a significant productivity
enhancement. With this powerful environment and capability, an engineer can be confident that
circuits function as intended and the tolerances specified are correct—not so tight as to be overly
costly, not so loose as to be producing inordinate numbers of defective products. This leads to
increased manufacturing yield, fewer prototypes, less time spent in the lab, and ultimately a
reduced cost of the product; thereby increasing the potential profit.
PSpice Simulation Technology is an advanced, industry-proven, mixed-signal simulator for
electrical engineers. With widely available models, it is capable of simulating designs from power
supplies to high-frequency systems to simpler IC designs. It enables engineer to:
• Understand and explore circuit performance and functional relationships with “what if” scenarios
and design analysis