Analog Performance Optimization, Windows NT, and More!!
The Design Center 6.1

May 15, 1994 -- (Irvine, CA) MicroSim Corporation is pleased to announce
the arrival of a new member into their Design Center family of
products-Paragon for analog performance optimization. Supported platforms
have also been expanded with the addition of Windows NT. Numerous other
enhancements include device characterization from the schematic (using
Parts), the ability to accept external designs for signal integrity
analysis (using Polaris), and more.

Analog Performance Optimization Using Paragon

Paragon simplifies the process of improving the performance of analog
circuit designs while providing complete control over design goals and
optimization constraints. Paragon can be used for interactive circuit
exploration as well as automatic performance optimization supporting both
constrained and unconstrained problems. In fact, Paragon is the only
optimizer in the industry to support nonlinear constraints! Paragon's
highly interactive user interface provides immediate graphical feedback so
that the designer can quickly observe circuit performance and investigate
tradeoffs between different design parameter values, goals, and
constraints.

Windows NT Support

The Design Center family of products is now supported under Windows NT. All
applications utilize Microsoft's Win32s standard providing 32-bit
performance improvements under not only Windows NT but also Windows 3.1 !

Windows Version of Parts

The semiconductor device characterization design aid, Parts, has been
completely rewritten as a native Microsoft Windows application, and is now
tightly integrated with Schematics.

BSIM3 Modeling, Vector Files, and Other Simulation Enhancements

* PSpice now supports Level 5 modeling for MOSFETs using the SPICE3 BSIM3
model.

* In addition to using Parts to extract PSpice model parameters, the Aurora
parameter extraction program from TMA provides a certified model parameter
set which can also be used for PSpice-supported analytical models.

* PSpice now supports an expanded set of built-in functions and operators
for expressions. The new functions include ASIN(x), SINH(x), ACOS(x),
COSH(x), ATAN2(y,x), TANH(x), M(x), P(x), R(x), IMG(x), MIN(x,y),
MAX(x,y), SGN(x), STP(x), and IF(t,x,y). A complete set of relational
operators have been added for use with the if-then-else construct
(IF(t,x,y) function).

* Analog Behavioral Modeling frequency response tables can now be entered
as either frequency/magnitude/phase or frequency/real part/imaginary part
triplets.

* A new vendor library has been added containing 30 Hall-effect devices
made by F.W. Bell. Over 150 additional analog devices have been added: AMP
connectors; opamps from Analog Devices, Burr-Brown, Elantec, and National
Semiconductor; power MOSFETs from Harris; RF MOSFETs from Polyfet RF
Devices.

* As with .PARAM, the .FUNC statement can now be used within subcircuit
definitions (.SUBCKT/.ENDS) to define functions that are local to the
subcircuit.

* Digital simulation results can be written to an external file in file
stimulus device format to be used as input to another simulation.

External Designs Accepted by Polaris

Polaris, our Signal Integrity Analysis product, can now operate in two
modes: Native Mode whereby the circuit design is originally entered
through Schematics (available in previous releases), or now, External Mode
where the design is entered using a tool other than Schematics. In
External Mode, Schematics is still required to set up and run Polaris;
Polaris extracts the parasitics from the PCB layout as usual. However,
instead of merging the extracted parasitics with the connectivity derived
from a schematic, a PSpice netlist is generated using only the information
obtained from the extraction.

Multi-Window Interface Schematics

Schematics now allows the simultaneous viewing and/or editing of one or
more schematics. Each schematic page is displayed in a separate window.
Multiple pages of the same schematic or different schematics can be
displayed at once. In fact, the same page can be displayed in multiple
windows making it easier to edit different areas of the page. The Symbol
Editor also runs in its own window when invoked from the Schematic
Editor.

Probe: MOTIF and More

* On the Sun and HP, Probe now runs as a MOTIF application; multi-windowing
capabilities and error tracking have also been added.

* Results from DC and AC sweep simulations that only have one step can now
be viewed in Probe; if there are multiple data sections, Probe
automatically initiates Performance Analysis.

Our customers help guide our corporate direction. Many Design Center
products, features, and library additions have been derived due to
customer requests.

The Design Center prices range from $950 to $15,900 depending on platform
and configuration.

We have sold over 19,000 copies of our simulator worldwide. With this track
record, you can count on MicroSim to continue to provide personal and
powerful Desktop EDA systems with unrivaled price/performance. For more
information, call toll free at (800) 245-3022 or FAX at (714) 455 0554

MicroSim Corp, 20 Fairbanks, Irvine, CA 92718

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