User Guide

What is the PSpice Optimizer? 1

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Desi

ns that You Can Optimize

A design that you can optimize must meet the following criteria:

• It works; that is, it simulates with PSpice to completion and

behaves as intended.

• One or more of its components have a variable value, and

each value that is varied relates to an intended performance

goal.

• An algorithm exists to measure its performance as a

function of the variable value.

If you can visualize what factors should be adjusted to improve

performance, and how you would manually step through the

optimization process (even though the computations might seem

unwieldy), then the design is a good candidate for the PSpice

Optimizer.

Desi

ns that You Cannot

Optimize

You cannot use the PSpice Optimizer to:

• Create a working design. This especially applies when you

begin with a design that is far from meeting specifications.

• Optimize a design in which the circuit has several states

where a small change in a parameter value causes a change

of state.

Example: A flip-flop is on for some parameter value, and off

for a slightly different value.

Optimization problems are not

always solvable by a particular

orithm.