A Recipe for Better System Block Design - Add SPICE

摘要

IS THERE ANYTHING more frustrating than having the board shop kick back an error-ridden design? Many designers today are under pressure to produce a prototype in weeks (if not days), and there's a limited margin for design iterations. Fortunately, the latest design tools improve productivity by providing a holistic and intuitive approach to circuit design and validation. During the initial specification stage many semiconductor manufacturers provide tools to aid in the design of robust system blocks. Analogue Devices (ADI), for example, has an online filter design tool that guides users through the process of active filter synthesis and the selection of recommended op-amps based on those specifications. The tool then generates the final design topology, along with a bill of materials and SPICEnetlist. In the stages