SPICE is a general-purpose circuit simulator with several built-in semiconductor device models. SPICE performs several analyses, including nonlinear DC, nonlinear transient, and linear AC analysis. Device types include resistors, capacitors, inductors, mutual inductors, switches, linear and nonlinear sources, lossy and lossless transmission lines, BJTs, JFETs, GaAs MESFETS, and MOSFETs.

SPICE3 is based directly on SPICE2. SPICE3F includes AC and DC sensitivity analysis, which was not available in the previous major release (3E). Also available are an enhancement to the JFET model, a correction to the continuity of the MOS3 model (with respect to the kappa parameter), table-format output for device operating-point data (like SPICE2), the ability to change individual device parameters or vector elements interactively, support for X11r5, hardcopy for PC graphics, memory leak fix for nonlinear sources, and many other bug fixes. Finally, the portability and installation procedures have been improved. SPICE3F3 contains numerous bug fixes over the previous minor release (SPICE3F2), notably in the AC sensitivity analysis, initial conditions, and plotting.

Hardware/Operating System Requirements:

UNIX workstations:

• Operating system: Ultrix 4.x, SunOS 4.x, HPUX 8.x, AIX 3.x
• Graphic output: X11r4 or X11r5, postscript, UNIX plot format; many graphics terminals are also supported by an internal library.
• Compiler: A robust C compiler required; SPICE3 is written in old style or K & R C, not ANSI C. GNU gcc has been used successfully with previous versions.

PC:

• Operating system: MS-DOS (3.0 or later)
• Hardware: 286 or faster with a math coprocessor is required for reasonable performance.
• Graphic output: SVGA is not supported, hardcopies are for the "IBM personal computer graphics printer" or a compatible printer.
• Software: SPICE3F does not support extended or expanded memory managers or Microsoft Windows
• Compiler: Microsoft C 5.1 or 6.0 is expected (a later version may have difficulties related to ANSI compliance). The graphics interface is written for the Microsoft C library.

Porting to similar systems should require minimal effort. In particular, sample configurations are included for NeXt, Intel iPSC, SGI Irix, and Sequent Dynix (all UNIX derivatives).

Versions Available: One version for both UNIX and MS-DOS -- all files are identical in both distributions, only the media formats are different. VMS is not supported in this release.

Distribution Media:

UNIX (tar format):

QIC-120, QIC-150, QIC-320, 8mm (2.2 gig), TK50 (DEC tape format), 9-track 1600 bpi, 9-track 6250 bpi, FTP.

MS-DOS:

3.5" DS/HD diskette (5 diskettes), 3.5" DS/DD diskette (10 diskettes)

Source Code: Yes

Object Code: No

Related hardcopy documentation (available separately - please see ordering instructions at ILP Software Catalog main page):

1. Installation Notes. Available separately for $1.00
2. SPICE3F User's Manual. Available separately for $10.00
3. T. Quarles, Analysis of Performance and Convergence Issues for Circuit Simulation (UCB/ERL M89/42, April 1989). Available separately for $7.50
4. T. Quarles, Benchmark Circuits: Results for SPICE3 (UCB/ERL M89/47, April 1989). Available separately for $5.00
5. T. Quarles, Adding Devices to SPICE3 (UCB/ERL M89/45, April 1989). Available separately for $5.00
6. T. Quarles, The Front End to Simulator Interface (UCB/ERL M89/43, April 1989). Available separately for $5.00
7. T. Quarles, The SPICE3 Implementation Guide (UCB/ERL M89/44, April 1989). Available separately for $12.50
8. Nutmeg Implementation Guide (formerly SPICE3C.1 Nutmeg Programmer's Guide). Available separately for $2.50

Additional Documentation Available:

Foreign Distribution: Yes