Basic device syntax

Basic device syntax

This page applies to the simple “Spice” basic devices, and some extended forms of them.

Spice format

The format for simple devices is:

label  (connections)  value

Parentheses around the connections are optional.

Examples:

Vin     (in 0)   10
Lseries (in out) .01
Cshunt  (out 0)  100u
Rload   (out 0)  100

The first letter of the label determines the type:

2 terminal devices
letter	type	value	syntax
C	capacitor	capacitance q/v	Cxxxx (p n) capacitance
L	inductor	inductance flux/i	Lxxxx (p n) inductance
R	resistor	resistance v/i	Rxxxx (p n) resistance
Y	admittance	admittance i/v	Yxxxx (p n) admittance
V	fixed voltage source	DC voltage	Vxxxx (p n) voltage
I	fixed current source	DC current	Ixxxx (sink src) current

4 terminal devices
letter	type	value	syntax
E	voltage controlled voltage source	gain vout/vin	Exxxx (p n ps ns) gain
G	voltage controlled current source	gm iout/vin	Gxxxx (sink src ps ns) gm
H	current controlled voltage source	rm vout/iin	Hxxxx (p n control) gain
F	current controlled current source	gain iout/iin	Fxxxx (sink src control) gain

devices with special syntax
letter	type	value	syntax
G	voltage controlled resistor	R/vc	Gxxxx (p n ps ns) vcr value
G	voltage controlled admittance	Y/vc	Gxxxx (p n ps ns) vcg value
G	voltage controlled capacitor	C/vc	Gxxxx (p n ps ns) vccap value
C	trans-capacitor	Qout/vin	Cxxxx (p n ps ns) tcap value

Port names
p	positive node or positive output
n	negative node or negative output
sink	current sink or current sink output
source	current source or current source output
ps	positive input or control voltage node
ns	negative input or control voltage node
control	current probe controlling element

Spectre format

The format for simple devices is:

label  (connections)  type  parameter=value

Examples:

Vin     (in 0)   vsource   dc=10
Lseries (in out) inductor  l=.01
Cshunt  (out 0)  capacitor c=100u
Rload   (out 0)  resistor  r=100

The device type is determined by the type field. The first letter of the label doesn't matter.

Verilog format

The format for simple devices is:

type #(.parameter(value)) label (connections);

or

type #(value) label (connections);

Examples:

vsource   #(.dc(10))  Vin     (.p(in), .n(0));
inductor  #(.l(.01))  Lseries (.p(in), .n(out));
capacitor #(.c(100u)) Cshunt  (.p(out), .n(0));
resistor  #(.r(100))  Rload   (.p(out), .n(0));

vsource   #(.dc(10))  Vin     (in, 0);
inductor  #(.l(.01))  Lseries (in, out);
capacitor #(.c(100u)) Cshunt  (out, 0);
resistor  #(.r(100))  Rload   (out, 0);

vsource   #(10)   Vin     (in, 0);
inductor  #(.01)  Lseries (in, out);
capacitor #(100u) Cshunt  (out, 0);
resistor  #(100)  Rload   (out, 0);