What is PSpice A/D?

PSpice A/D is a simulation program that models the behavior of a circuit containing any mix of analog and digital devices. You can think of PSpice A/D as a software-based breadboard of your circuit that you can use to test and refine your design before ever touching a piece of hardware.
Because the analog and digital simulation algorithms are built into the same program, PSpice A/D simulates mixed-signal circuits with no performance degradation because of tightly coupled feedback loops between the analog and digital sections.

PSpice A/D can perform the following types of analyses:

?AC, DC, and transient analyses, so you can test the response of your circuit to different inputs

?Parametric, Monte Carlo, and sensitivity/worst-case analyses, so you can see how your circuit抯 behavior varies with changing component values

?Digital worst-case timing analysis to help you find timing problems that occur with only certain combinations of slow and fast signal transmissions

Models
PSpice A/D includes model libraries that feature over 15,000 analog and 1,600 digital models of devices manufactured in North America, Japan, and Europe. Among these libraries are numerous models with parameters that you can tweak for a given device. These include independent temperature effects.
PSpice A/D also supports analog and digital behavioral modeling, so you can describe functional blocks of circuitry using mathematical expressions and functions.
The range of models built into PSpice A/D include not only those for resistors, inductors, capacitors, and bipolar transistors, but also the following:

?transmission line models, including delay, reflection, loss, dispersion, and crosstalk

?nonlinear magnetic core models, including saturation and hysteresis

?six MOSFET models, including BSIM3 version 3.1 and EKV version 2.6

?five GasFET models, including Parker-Skellern and TriQuint抯 TOM2 model

?IGBTs

?digital components with analog I/O models

The different versions of PSpice

PSpice is sold in three different versions: PSpice A/D, PSpice A/D Basics, and PSpice. In addition, PSpice A/D also comes in an Evaluation and a Student version. Each version offers particular features and functionality at a given price range to suit the needs of different customers. This Help system documents the main product PSpice A/D. Limitations that apply to the other versions are noted where they apply.