User Guide

Chapter 1 Things you need to know
10
What is the Model Editor?
The Model Editor is a model extractor that generates
model definitions for PSpice to use during simulation. All
the Model Editor needs is information about the device
found in standard data sheets. As you enter the data sheet
information, the Model Editor displays device
characteristic curves so you can verify the model-based
behavior of the device. When you are finished, the Model
Editor automatically creates a part for the model so you
can use the modeled part in your design immediately.
Files needed for simulation
To simulate your design, PSpice needs to know about:
• the parts in your circuit and how they are connected,
• what analyses to run,
• the simulation models that correspond to the parts in
your circuit, and
• the stimulus definitions to test with.
This information is provided in various data files. Some of
these are generated by Capture, others come from
libraries (which can also be generated by other programs
like the Stimulus Editor and the Model Editor), and still
others are user-defined.
Files that Capture generates
When you begin the simulation process, Capture first
generates files describing the parts and connections in
your circuit. These files are the netlist file and the circuit
file that PSpice reads before doing anything else.
Pspug.book Page 10 Wednesday, November 11, 1998 1:14 PM