Keysight IC-CAP 2020 Update 2.1 Linux

Enhancements

- IC-CAP adds support for the ADS and ELDO simulators to work with LSYNC V,I inputs for DC, CV, and Two Port/Multiport simulations.
- Updated CMOS Packages:
. BSIMSOI model updated to versions 4.6.0 and 4.6.1
. HiSIM_HV model updated to version 2.40
. HiSIM2 model updated to version 3.0.0
. PSP model updated to versions 103.5 and 103.6
- IC-CAP adds support for the Keysight IO Libraries Suite 2020 and later versions on Linux Red Hat Enterprise 7.

Note: IC-CAP does not support any earlier versions of Keysight IO Libraries Suite on Linux. Only the new Keysight IO Libraries Suite 2020 version and later are supported.

- New Python API module introduced to enable import for Pulsed IV and S-parameters Maury/AMCAD output data formats (.mes and .mps) through the following python functions:
. load_mes_file_p_lsync
. load_mes_file_iv_lsync
. load_mps_file_p_lsync
. load_mps_file_iv_lsync
. New example file added to $ICCAP_ROOT/examples/new_features/ICCAP_2020_Update2/PIV_IMPORT_Example_FET.mdl
- New Python API function introduced to enable reload of external Python modules:
. load_python_module
. New example file added to $ICCAP_ROOT/examples/python/external_py_file_call.mdl
. To check compiler timestamp for the 'iccap' module and new helper 'icfunc_check_timestamp' function has been added.
- Two experimental features are available by adding the variable ENABLE_DCOP_AND_LIB_IMPORT at the IC-CAP Main Window level (i.e. System Variables). Its value is not important, simply its presence at this topmost level will enable the experimental features.
. Setting this variable allows you to read spectre library files, find a netlist for a specific section ("corner"), and import to an IC-CAP circuit page.
. Setting this variable also allows outputs of type 'O' (Bias Operating Point Condition Parameter) which allows you to read values such as gm when simulating with the ADS simulator (hpeesofsim).
. New example file for the DC Operating Point has been added to $ICCAP_ROOT/examples/new_features/ICCAP_2020_Update2/DC_OP_POINT_MOS_Example.mdl

Warning: These features must be enabled because they are still experimental. They have only been tested in the contexts for which they are intended to work. Due diligence has been exercised before making these features available for experimentation, but unforeseen side-effects to functionality outside of the specific features may not always be handled correctly. Users enabling these features are advised to save often and use caution when overwriting valuable files after including these new features. Specifically, care must be taken when loading files containing outputs of type 'O' into prior versions of PathWave Device Modeling (IC-CAP) or into PathWave Device Modeling (IC-CAP) 2020 Update 2.0 without the ENABLE_DCOP_AND_LIB_IMPORT set. These outputs will convert to voltage outputs and the bias parameters associated with the outputs will be lost if saved in this context.

Issues Fixed

- New default value for B1500/B1505 Data Output format, changed from 4-Bit to 8-Bit.
- Fixed the Python get_child_objects outputs for the DC_OP type Mode 'O'.
- Fixed the tablevar Python API function for get_val().
- Fixed issue of S-parameter LSYNC simulation crash on LINUX with temperature.
- Fixed issue of B1500 SYNC measurement using slot-1 unit as a non-master.
- Fixed the issue of IF Bandwidth to include 1 MHz to 15 MHz as possible values for the PNA instruments.
- Fixed negative capacitance result in Spectre 2-port simulation with a particular capacitance network.
- Fixed issue of backslash not working in specifying the path to a calset file in ADS-HBT toolkit and Angelov-GaN toolkit.
- Fixed crash when reading circuit file with a very long equation into IC-CAP MODEL and/or DUT circuit page.
- Fixed memory leak that could occur with PEL programmatic modification of the variable value fields in the IC-CAP variable table.
- Fixed issue of not all data points fully read into Output in HB 2-tone simulation.
- Fixed issue of sampling measurement not working with VSU and HPSMU on 4155/4156.
- Fixed the issue of Input values that could not be set as String-type from PEL.
- Fixed crash when setting a custom GUI slider widget current tuner value outside of the maximum or minimum tuning range.
- Fixed issue when simulating with the ADS simulator (hpeesofsim) and a parameter input controls parameter TEMP and has sweep type of LSYNC or is the master sweep of another LSYNC input in the setup.

Note: This fix is only for DC simulations, CV, and Two Port/Multiport simulations. CV simulations are restricted to setups which do not sweep CV_FREQ at sweep order 2 or higher. Two Port/Multiport simulations are restricted to frequency sweeps of sweep order 1 or Constant Frequency sweeps. All other simulation types will not produce correct results.

Documentation

Starting with the 2020 release, the online help gets a new user interface. The new UI improves overall online help usability by providing the following key benefits in addition to several other minor benefits:

- Table of Contents Sidebar: Displays collapsible Table of Contents for the entire documentation. The left-double-arrow icon collapses the sidebar, and the right-double-arrow icon displays the sidebar back again.
- PDF Button: Allows you to instantly generate PDFs of the latest documentation anytime, including current page’s children pages. Currently, the PDF generation option is available only for 2020 release. For other releases, you can switch to their Printing Manuals page and download the existing PDFs like earlier.
- Product Release Switcher: Allows you to view the current page in other supported releases listed in the drop-down menu. Once you select a release from the drop-down menu, the current page is updated to show the content applicable to the selected release. The Table of Contents is updated as well. With this, you bookmark URL of only one release and then switch to other releases from this drop-down menu.
- Latest Documentation: The documentation available in the new UI is always kept updated for all supported releases. These updates are available to you as soon as they happen at our end. This provides you 24x7 access to the most recent and technically accurate documentation.

Enhancements
- Non-MDM Data files can now be imported and exported using Python. This will work seamlessly from the UI "Import Create" and "Export Data" buttons. This feature is already enabled for the supported Maury/AMCAD .mps/.mes files and for simple CSV files. To simulate imported setup, you will need to run a simulator that supports LIST/LSYNC type of Input Sweeps such as ADS or ELDO. The ICCAP_FILE_IN_OUT_FUNCS variable defined in the iccap.cfg file governs this feature and users may customize it by adding their own Data File extensions. For more information, refer to Data File Import and Export Using Python.
- WaferPro: The value of Step Delta Temperature for Temperature Stepping Control can be set by user.
- WaferPro: The Realignment in "Wafer" Stabilization can be disabled by user.
- WaferPro: The Realignment in "Thermal" Stabilization can be disabled by user.
- WaferPro: Temperature Stepping Control can be disabled by user.
- Python InstrVar class enhanced to accept two arguments, path and field name. In addition, The original class instantiation with a single argument now supports slash in the fieldname part of the path as well.
Changes
- The Python module pivimport.py released in PathWave Device Modeling (IC-CAP) 2020 Update 2.0 was moved from $ICCAP_ROOT/iccap/lib/python to $ICCAP_ROOT/iccap/lib/python/icutils. Therefore, in order to use the module, to import the file, you must use the line 'from icutils import pivimport'. See the file PIV_IMPORT_Example_FET.mdl in the examples/new_features/ICCAP_2020_Update2 directory.
Issues Fixed
- Fixed the issue of BSIMSOI4 AdMOS package not simulating with ADS 2019.
- Fixed the issue of Swept IMD Power measurement not functional when system variable UNIT_ORDER_ON is set.
- Fixed the issue of incorrect Netlist file while using spectre_spi and performing a parameter temperature sweep, when all functional lines in the circuit are #echo.
- Fixed the issue of save to *.ds was not including data from transforms.
- Fixed the issue of PathWave Device Modeling (IC-CAP) export to dataset for ADS exports Complex Transform as real only.
- Fixed the precision issue, where the default precision was set to 4. Now, the default precision is set to 6.
- Fixed crash in IC-CAP when editing Input Definitions and/or cutting and pasting Inputs in IC-CAP setups when the Inputs are of LSYNC or SYNC based sweep types and have a master sweep defined.
- Fixed issue with .mes file import, S12 and S21 data were switched during import.
- Added 'DISABLE_UNUSED_UNITS' System Variable as turn-off option to get back to the old behavior.
- linfit documentation is updated to explain its requirements. linfit3 should be used when there are no Inputs defined or the number of points is 1.
- Fixed the mdl file writer issue for customized driver Instrument Tables.
- Fixed the issue of saving PathWave Device Modeling (IC-CAP) setups with SYNC, TEXT_LSYNC or LSYNC sweeps to ADS dataset (.ds) files. Such sweep data is now correctly filled in the .ds file.