Recommended SPICE Related Publications

Switch-Mode Power Supplies: SPICE Simulations and Practical Designs
by Christophe Basso

"Switch Mode Power Supplies: SPICE Simulations and Practical Designs" offers a theoretical study of power conversion in the DC-DC and AC-DC fields via a systematic equation-based approach. Then, capitalizing on the experience accumulated by the author, the book takes you by the hand and shows how SPICE can help you to design Flyback and Forward converters, as well as power factor correctors, all with real world examples that are a perfect complement to the AEi Systems Power IC Model Library for PSpice. The book starts with small-signal analysis using new auto-toggling average models specifically developed for this publication, and advances to practical implementation with more than 10 design examples. The 800 page book can be seen as a design companion for the practicing engineer and as an in-depth tutorial introduction to power conversion design for students and new comers to this field. The CDROM found with the book contains some of the most popular demonstration versions of currently available simulation software. Some of the examples found in the book are made available in OrCAD, IsSpice and other formats such as MicroCap, TINA, Multisim, B2 Spice, and 5Spice. There are also demos for ICAPS, MicroCap, TINA, PSIM, and others. About the Author Christophe Basso works as an Application Manager at ON Semiconductor in Toulouse, France. His field of expertise includes switch-mode power supplies in both the AC-DC and DC-DC areas. He has been at the origin of numerous pulse width modulator controllers including the NCP120X series which has set new standards in standby power for offline power supplies. SPICE simulations are also a strong part of his knowledge and he has authored a book in 2001, "Switch-Mode Power Supply SPICE Cookbook" published by McGraw-Hill.

Switch-Mode Power Supply Simulation with PSpice and SPICE 3
by Steven M. Sandler

The predecessor volume of this book was published in 1996. In the years since then, some things have changed and some have not. Two of the things that have not changed are the desire for better models and faster simulations. I performed the original simulations on my “hyperfast” 133-MHz computer! At the time, I thought if I could just get a faster computer, all of our SPICE problems would be history, right? Today I am simulating on a computer that has a 2.6-GHz processor with 512 MB of RAM, and I would still say that simulations run too slow. The computer technology has evolved, but so have the models. In 1996 we were performing simulations on 100-kHz power converters, whereas today I routinely see 1- and 2-MHz power converters. Another thing that has not changed is that I still routinely receive comments such as “We don’t have time to simulate” or “Simulation results don’t provide accurate answers.” There have also been many changes since the earlier version of this book. Design cycle times have been reduced, while performance requirements have generally become more difficult. The monolithic devices of today incorporate much more technology with many more functions and features than the devices of 1996. It is for these reasons that I would argue that we must use SPICE or some other simulation tool to the fullest extent possible. Another change since the predecessor volume was published is that many component manufacturers have jumped on the SPICE bandwagon. Many semiconductor manufacturers publish SPICE models of their devices, as do capacitor manufacturers and inductor manufacturers. Many integrated circuit manufacturers publish SPICE models and some even offer Internet-based simulation tools with preset templates for their devices. Device models have generally improved in accuracy, but beware: There are still plenty of poor models being published. In order to keep this book as useful as possible, several changes were made to the earlier version. I updated some of the example circuits to reflect the higher level of technology and added actual measurement results for many of the example circuits. This shows the correlation that is possible and hopefully proves once and for all that SPICE will provide very accurate results if you start with an accurate model. The linear regulator chapter has been expanded. As simple and “low tech” as these devices appear to be, I still see many design issues involving these devices. Hopefully, this additional information will improve the understanding of how these devices operate and the issues that surround them. A chapter has been added on active power factor correction (PFC), because it has become a much more widely used technology. I hope that you will find the updates useful and wish you happy simulating. About the Author Steven M. Sandler is the founder of AEi Systems, LLC, the world leader in SPICE modeling and worst case circuit analysis since 1995. He has developed and taught courses at Motorola University and has published many books and articles on circuit simulation for McGraw-Hill and Power Electronics, PCIM, and PEIN magazines.

SPICE Circuits Handbook
by Steven M. Sandler & Charles Hymowitz

The purpose of this book is to showcase the ability of SPICE, via the simulation tools of several EDA vendors, to accurately predict the behavior of electronic circuitry. The time it takes to run a simulation is orders of magnitude less than the time it takes to build the equivalent circuit on a breadboard. A simulation can be run through any number of environmental conditions with ease–conditions often unavailable or impractical to duplicate in a laboratory environment. Circuit stimulus and tolerances and their effect on the operation of the circuit can be easily evaluated. Still, there are limitations to the capabilities of SPICE and similar circuit simulators. While the sophistication of simulation increases, the hardware breadboard will still remain a necessary step in the design process. This book will aid the engineer in using SPICE simulation as a very powerful tool in the design process. This book is a compilation of all various types of electronic circuits. Such compilations are not unusual; in fact, there are several excellent circuit encyclopedias on bookshelves. However, this book goes several steps further. Instead of simply presenting the circuit to the reader, it also provides a SPICE schematic and details about the equivalent hardware performance. The intricacies involved in developing an accurate SPICE model of the circuit are also included. This format benefits readers in numerous ways. First, it allows them to emulate the correlation techniques introduced in this book in order to make their own SPICE models accurately mimic the behavior of the hardware. Secondly, it allows them to clearly see where SPICE excels in its ability to represent real hardware performance. About the Authors Charles Hymowitz is the Managing Director of AEi Systems, LLC, with over 25 years of experience in the EDA software and analog simulation industries. From 1988–1998 Mr. Hymowitz helped guide Intusoft, a leading EDA corporation, where he was the Vice President of Product Development. He was the editor of the Intusoft Newsletter, and is the co-author/editor of the books “Simulating with SPICE”, “The SPICE Cookbook”, and “The SPICE Applications Handbook”. Steven M. Sandler is the founder of AEi Systems, LLC, the world leader in SPICE modeling and worst case circuit analysis since 1995. He has developed and taught courses at Motorola University and has published many books and articles on circuit simulation for McGraw-Hill and Power Electronics, PCIM, and PEIN magazines.