In this topic:
SIMetrix offers facilities to copy both graph data and the graph's graphical image to the system clipboard. This provides the ability to export simulation results to other applications. The data - for example - may be exported to a spreadsheet application for custom processing, while the graphical image may be exported to a word processor for the preparation of documents.
SIMetrix may also import data in a tabulated ASCII format. This feature may be used to display data from a spreadsheet allowing, for example, a comparison between measured and simulated data.
There are three different ways a graph can be copied to the clipboard. Use the menus under . These are detailed below:
| Colour | Copies graph to clipboard in full colour. The curve legends identify the curves using coloured squares similar to how the graph is displayed on the screen. |
| Monochrome | Copies graph to clipboard in monochrome. Curves are distinguished using varying markers and line styles. Curve legends distinguish curves with a straight line example |
| Colour with markers | Copies graph to clipboard in full colour but also differentiates curves using markers and line styles. Curve legends distinguished curves with a straight line example. |
SIMetrix can plot curves using tabulated ASCII data from the clipboard. The format is the same as used for exporting data. See Copy Data to the Clipboard for more details.
You may export schematic graphics to other applications such as word processors or drawing programs. You can do this via the clipboard (see Copying Graphics to the Clipboard) or by writing out to a file. To export waveform graphics to a file, select the graph menu then select the format of your choice using the Save as type: drop down box. The choices are:
SIMetrix provides the capability to export simulation data to a file in text form and also to import data from a file in text form. This makes it possible to process simulation data using another application such as a spreadsheet or custom program. The operations described in this section handle data independent of the graph system. There are also ways to export plotted data from a graph and also directly plot external data. For information on these topics refer to Copying Data to the Clipboard and Paste Data from the Clipboard
SIMetrix may also import data in SPICE3 raw file format and CSDF format. Some other simulation products can output in one or both of these formats.
Note that this feature is not available with SIMetrix/SIMPLIS Elements.
SIMetrix can import data in a tabulated ASCII format allowing the display of data created by a spreadsheet program. There is a no menu for this, but this can be done using the command OpenGroup with the /text switch. E.g. at the command line type:
OpenGroup /text data.txt
This will read in the file data.txt and create a new group called textn. See Data Files Text Format for details of format.
Note that if you create the file using another program such as a spreadsheet, the above command may fail if the file is still open in the other application. Closing the file in the other application will resolve this.
SIMetrix can export all simulation data to a SPICE3 raw file. This format may be accepted by third party waveform viewers.
To export a SPICE3 raw file, proceed as follows:
Show /file data.txt vout r1_p q1#c
will output to data.txt the vectors vout, r1_p, and q1#c. The values will be output in a form compatible with OpenGroup /text.
Vector Names
In the above example the vector names are vout, r1_p and q1#c. If you simulate a schematic, the names used for voltage signals are the same as the node names in the netlist which in turn are assigned by the schematic's netlist generator. To find out what these names are, move the mouse cursor over the node of interest on the schematic. You should see the node name and therefore the vector name in the status box in the form "NET=???". To find the current name, place the mouse cursor on the device pin of interest and press control-P.
You can also fix the name of any node using a Terminal symbol. See menu . Place a Terminal symbol to the node of interest then set its name to any value of your choice. (But note it is best to avoid any characters other than letters numbers and the usnderscore character).
Shell /wait procdata.exewill launch the program procdata.exe and will not return until procdata.exe has closed.
SIMetrix has the ability to read in data in text form using the OpenGroup command (see OpenGroup). This makes it possible to use SIMetrix to graph data generated by other applications such as a spreadsheet. This can be useful to compare simulated and measured results.
There are two alternative formats. The first is simply a series of values separated by white space. This will be read in as a single vector with a reference equal to its index.
The second format is as follows:
A text data file may contain any number of blocks. Each block has a header followed by a list of datapoints. The header and each datapoint must be on one line.
The header is of the form: reference_name ydata1_name [ ydata2_name ... ]
Each datapoint must be of the form: reference_value ydata1_value [ ydata2_value ... ]
The number of entries in each datapoint must correspond to the number of entries in the header. The reference is the x data (e.g. time or frequency).
Time Voltage1 Voltage2 0 14.5396 14.6916 1e-09 14.5397 14.6917 2e-09 14.5398 14.6917 4e-09 14.54 14.6917 8e-09 14.5408 14.6911 1.6e-08 14.5439 14.688 3.2e-08 14.5555 14.6766 6.4e-08 14.5909 14.641 1e-07 14.6404 14.5905 1.064e-07 14.6483 14.5821
If the above was read in as a text file (using OpenGroup /text), a new group called textn where n is a number would be generated. The group would contain three vectors called time, Voltage1 and Voltage2. The vectors Voltage1 and Voltage2 would have a reference of Time. Time itself would not have a reference.
Frequency :VOUT 1000 (-5.94260997, 0.002837811) 1004.61579 (-5.94260997, 0.00285091) 1009.252886 (-5.94260996, 0.002864069) 1013.911386 (-5.94260995, 0.002877289) 1018.591388 (-5.94260994, 0.00289057) 1023.292992 (-5.94260993, 0.002903912) 1028.016298 (-5.94260992, 0.002917316) 1032.761406 (-5.94260991, 0.002930782) 1037.528416 (-5.9426099, 0.00294431) 1042.317429 (-5.94260989, 0.0029579) 1047.128548 (-5.94260988, 0.002971553)
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