Xyce parallel electronic simulator users<U+2019> guide, version 6.1

Abstract

tronic Simulator has been written to support, in a rigorous manner, the simulation needs of the Sandia National Laboratories electrical designers. As such, the develfollowing areas: opment has focused on improving the capability over the current state-of-the-art in the W Capability to solve extremely large circuit problems by supporting large-scale parallel computing platforms (up to thousands of processors). Note that this includes support for most popular parallel and serial computers.Improved performance for all numerical kernels (e.g., time integrator, nonlinear and linear solvers) through state-of-the-art algorithms and novel techniques.W A client-server or multi-tiered operating model wherein the numerical kernel can operate independently of the graphical user interface (GUI).W Object-oriented code design and implementation using modern coding-practices that ensure that the Xyce Parallel Electronic Simulator will be maintainable and extensible far into the future.The code is a parallel code in the most general sense of the phrase -a message passing parallel implementation -which allows it to run efficiently on the widest possible number of computing platforms. These include serial, shared-memory and distributedmemory parallel as well as heterogeneous platforms. Furthermore, careful attention has been paid to the specific nature of circuit-simulation problems to ensure that optimal parallel efficiency is achieved even as the number of processors grows. 3XyceTM User's Guide specific to the needs of Sandia, to the code. To this end, the device package in the Another feature required by designers is the ability to add device models, many Xyce Parallel Electronic Simulator is designed to support a variety of device model and look-up tables. Combined with this flexible interface is an architectural design that inputs. These input formats include standard analytical models, behavioral models greatly simplifies the addition of circuit models.tional Laboratories is in providing a platform for computational research and developOne of the most important contribution Xyce makes to the designers at Sandia Na-"in-house" capability with which both new electrical (e.g., device model development) ment aimed specifically at the needs of the Laboratory With Xyce, Sandia now has an and algorithmic (e.g., faster time-integration methods) research and development can be performed. Furthermore, these capabilities will then be migrated to the end users.