characterization, modeling, and design of esd protection circuits

A.3. CONTROL Card 175
A.3 CONTROL Card
A.3.1 Description
The CONTROL card is used to designate the electrode which will be swept through the
trace as well as the boundaries of the trace. This electrode is referred to as the control
electrode. To define the start of the simulation range, an initial voltage and an initial
voltage step must be specified for the control electrode. The end of the trace is specified by
either a maximum electrode voltage, a maximum electrode current, or the total number of
simulated points to be found.
A.3.2 Syntax
NUM= CONTROL= [BEGIN=] [INITSTEP=]
[ENDVAL= | STEPS=]
A.3.3 Parameters
• NUM is the number of the electrode in the PISCES deck designated as the control
electrode, whose voltage or current is swept through the trace. Its integer value must be
between 1 and 9, inclusive. Default: none.
• CONTROL is either VMAX, IMAX, or STEP. VMAX denotes that a maximum
voltage on the control electrode, specified by ENDVAL, is used as the upper bound on
the trace. IMAX denotes that ENDVAL specifies a maximum control-electrode current
for the trace. STEP signifies that the trace will proceed for a certain number of
simulation points, specified by the STEPS parameter. In most cases VMAX or IMAX
will be used because it is not known how many simulation steps it will take to reach a
certain voltage or current. Default: none.
• BEGIN is the value of the voltage, in volts, at the starting point of the curve trace for
the electrode designated by NUM (the control electrode). If an initial solution is
performed by Tracer, BEGIN should be 0.0. If a previous solution is loaded into the
input deck at the start of Tracer (see SOLVE card below), BEGIN should be equal to
the voltage of the control electrode in this solution. Default: 0.0V.