Modeling and simulation methods for efficient and full system characterization

With increasing complexity of modern electronic systems, their design becomes more challenging. Indeed, electronic systems integrate more and more capabilities based on digital, analog and mixed-signal components that realize power, signal processing and wireless communication functions. However, for the exhaustive characterization of such hybrid systems, efficient simulation models are needed. For typical pulse width modulated systems, such as phase-locked loops or motor control devices, appropriate models covering their highly chaotic behavior and taking into account all non-idealities are needed. At Fraunhofer ENAS, a highly efficient modeling method has been developed in order to enable a very fast and accurate simulative characterization of such systems. The idea behind this is to calculate only the events that trigger the system successively. The resulting event-driven simulator allows a very fast estimation of all possible behaviors, giving the engineer the possibility to ensure a robust design by efficiently analyzing the system for a large range of parameter variations.