Xyce 5.0

Release Date: June 2009

Although Xyce 5.0 has been released, 5.0 documentation is not yet available to to the public. If you have questions, contact Eric Keiter, or, if you are a Sandia employee, please refer to Xyce Internal Web for the latest release information.

Xyce 4.1

Release Date: August 2008

Features for this version include:

  • Additional SPICE MOSFET levels (levels 2 and 6).
  • Addition of a new suite of preprocessing commands which augment netlist files so as to reduce/eliminate common matrix singularities (see “Interface Improvements,” below, for a description).
  • Support for simulation of electromechnical and magnetically driven machines with an “accelerated mass device” and time-dependent mutual inductance.
  • A DDX(f(x),x) function was added to the expression library, allowing the user to compute the partial derivative of an expression with respect to an independent variable.
  • New stand-alone physics-based neutron model.
  • Several new photocurrent models, including the level=11, 21, and 23.

Documentation

Xyce 4.0.2

Release Date: November 2007

Information regarding this release is not yet available. Please see the Xyce 4.1 Notes for more information.

Xyce 4.0

Release Date: May 2007

Features for this version include:

  • New variable-order, variable-stepsize new time integration package for improved accuracy and efficiency. This is now the default integrator
  • Initial implementation of multi-time partial differential equation (MPDE) time integration capability
  • Reduced device model package memory footprint
  • Trilinos 7.0 solver library
  • Complete rewrite of the nonlinear core and linear mutual inductor models. These rewrites have resulted in a very significant speedup (up to 5x) of mutual inductor circuits
  • Interpolated output; now .OPTIONS OUTPUT output_interval will output precisely at the user-requested time points
  • DCOP restart

Documentation

Xyce 3.1

Release Date: May 2006

Features for this version include:

  • Enhanced homotopy, including the ability to simultaneously use voltage limiting and homotopy algorithms.
  • Additional roll-off parameter (NK) in BJT for improved PSPICE compatibility
  • Improved error condition handling.
  • Parser bug fixes.

Documentation

Xyce 3.0.1

Release Date: May 2006

Features for this version include:

  • Enhanced homotopy, including the ability to simultaneously use voltage limiting and homotopy algorithms.
  • Additional roll-off parameter (NK) in BJT for improved PSPICE compatibility
  • Improved error condition handling.
  • Parser bug fixes.

Documentation

Xyce 3.0

Release Date: September 2005

This release of Xyce contains many new features, bug fixes and performance enhancements. Please see the release notes (below)for a complete list.

Features for this version include:

  • Stability enhancements to the prompt photocurrent models and additional photocurrent models.
  • Enhanced MOSFET-based homotopy algorithms for DCOP solution.
  • New device models:
    • BSIMSOI
    • PN junction photocurrent source
    • JFET Level 2
    • MESFET
    • generic switch
  • More advanced temperature compensation for the following device models:
    • JFET
    • MESFET
    • capacitor
    • inductor
  • Improved numerical stability in the level-1 JFET and VDMOS devices.
  • Improved parser scalability, and error reporting.
  • Updated Trilinos solver library.
  • New, variable-order, variable stepsize time integrator (optional).
  • Support for linking Xyce to IC-CAP parameter extraction software
  • Support for random numbers in expressions via the RAND() function.

Documentation

Xyce 2.1

Release Date: February 2005

This release is the first full release following the Version 2.0 release. As in previous releases, it encompasses many key bug fixes and new features, as well as robustness and performance enhancements. Highlights for this release are listed below.

Features for this version include:

  • Improved parser scalability, achieved with a new distributed parser
  • Updated to Trilinos solver library, version 4.0
  • New circuit-specific sparse direct solver, KLU.
  • Stability enhancements to the prompt photocurrent models.
  • Improved support for .STEP and .DC analysis, to include logarithmic sweeps.
  • New device models: JFET, neutron aware BJT, VDMOS, photocurrent aware VDMOS.
  • Enhanced MOSFET-based homotopy algorithms for DCOP solution.
  • More extensive support for TCAD devices.

Documentation

Xyce 2.0

Release Date: December 2003

Features for this version include:

  • Improved parser performance.
  • More extensive support for PDE devices.
  • Stability enhancements to the prompt photocurrent models.
  • The NOX nonlinear solver as the default nonlinear solver.
  • Support for homotopy algorithms with NOX/LOCA. In particular, these algorithms are very useful for solving large MOSFET circuits.
  • New support for .STEP analysis.
  • Improved compatibility with other circuit simulators (PSpice and ChileSPICE)

Documentation

Xyce 1.1

Release Date: June 2003

This release encompasses many key bug fixes as well as key robustness and performance enhancements. Furthermore, many features that we previously provided as options have now been thoroughly tested and are now defaults (e.g., direct-matrix access for improved performance). Lastly, several new features continue to move Xyce towards a more full-featured circuit simulation tool.

Features for this version include:

  • Improved performance (approximately 30% improvement) of the sparse-direct linear solver (KSparse) for serial calculations.
  • Improved performance (approximately 20%) of the time integration and nonlinear solver libraries via modified solver defaults and enhanced step-control heuristics.
  • Support for the Apple OS X operating systems (serial) in addition to the large number of supported platforms.
  • A new default parser that provides for much improved detection of netlist errors and warnings.
  • Added "-v" command line option that will report the current version number being run.
  • Support for initial conditions on capacitors and inductors using the "IC = <value>" syntax will force the specified voltage drop at the beginning of a transient calculation.
  • Support for new linear-solver controls (please see the updated Xyce Parallel Electronic Simulator User's Guide Version 1.1)
  • Support for ChileSPICE-compatible voltage- and current-controlled sources in that the user may now specify a "VALUE={expression}" instead of being limited to linear coefficients.
  • Support for netlist inline comments.

Documentation

Xyce 1.0

Release Date: June 2003

This release marks the first official release of Sandia's Xyce Parallel Electronic Simulator. Version 1.0 is a release that has obtained enough capability, stability and performance to be competitive with and, in some areas, outperform existing circuit simulation tools available from a variety of venues.

Features for this version include:

  • New default sparse-direct linear solver (KSparse)for improved performance on small circuits.
  • Radiation (prompt photocurrent) aware diode model.
  • Support for Sun Microsystems™ Solaris systems (serial) in addition to the large number of supported platforms.
  • XML metadata-based parser that allows for better integration with external tools by providing a common source for device data and parameters.
  • New install and running scripts that install the Xyce executable, documentation and supporting XML files in appropriate locations. Additionally, Xyce is now run using a script that sets the run-time environment. Furthermore, the parallel version uses such scripts to wrap the MPI calls for the appropriate installation.

Documentation