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gwave - a viewer for the output of spice-like simulators
and other viewing of analog data.
by:
Steve Tell
Microelectronic Systems Laboratory
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB 3175 Sitterson Hall
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3175
tell@cs.unc.edu
Installation:
./configure (see file INSTALL or run configure --help for more info)
gmake
test gwave on some files in the examples directory
gmake install
Usage:
gwave [-t filetype] your-waveform-file
Gwave can read several file formats. It attempts to guess file formats
based on filename, and then tries all file formats until one succedes.
These file formats are known:
CAzM transient output (*.[BNW])
HSPICE binary and ascii formats (*.tr0, *.sw0, *.ac0)
Spice2 and Spice3 "raw" output (*.raw)
An ascii format with whitespace-seperated columns and column headings,
such as that produced by ACS (Al's circuit simulator). (*.acs, *.asc, *.ascii)
Use the View->Variable List menu to see a list of a list of signals in
your simulation files, then drag-and-drop signals into the desired waveform
panels. Additional signals can be added to the same waveform panel
simply by double-clicking them.
To delete waves, select one or more of them using the buttons down the
left side of the main window, and then press the "delete" button.
Click on the waveform panels with the left and center mouse buttons to set two
cursors for measuring. Hold down these mouse buttons to drag the cursors.
Pressing and holding the right mouse button while the cursor is in a
waveform panel pops up a menu. From this menu you can insert
and delete waveform panels. Some of the zoom commands are also
replicated on this menu.
The "Export Postscript" and "Export PNM" options on the main File menu
provide the rudiments of output for inclusion in other
documentation. They require the graph program from GNU Plotutils to be
installed and found in your $PATH at configure time, and simply write
out files called gwave_out.ps and gwave_out.pnm into the current
directory. In the future, a dialog box will allow configuring the
print and export output.
For more info on GNU plotutils, see
http://www.gnu.ai.mit.edu/software/plotutils/plotutils.html
Known problems: - HSPICE data files generated without ".options probe"
may not be read correctly. workaround: try using ".options probe".
This mostly happens with AC sweeps. (I think this has been fixed -
feedback to the contrary is welcome)
Independent variables must be increasing in value. This isn't a
problem for transient and AC analyses, but for DC sweeps it is
possible to make them go backwards. Old versions of gwave would draw
bogus waveforms for these; Gwave 19990927 and later refuse to read
these files.
This tool is far from complete. Partial contents of the To Do list:
- Send feedback and error messages from loading of files to a popup window
or status line instead of to stdout.
- Drag-and-drop to move waveform from one panel to another
- Logarithmic X and Y axes
- Speed up redraws and minimize flashing, especialy flashing
of waveform name/value labels when moving cursors.
- Override of wave and panel parameters, like min/max Y value, color, etc.
- Improved measurement functions.
ability to turn cursors on and off.
horizontal cursor(s) (1 or 2 per panel? where do their labels go?)
snap cursor to nearest intersection of orthagonal cursor and wave
- Saving and restoring waveform/panel configuration
- Drawing a labeled graticule in the waveform area
- Seperate lists for selecting voltage/current/etc. types of variables
- Clean up reader code by collecting some idioms that appear again and again
into common subroutines. This will make writing new readers a little easier.
- add an extension language for configuring the GUI and creating custom
analysis commands.
Planned next: Starting on the extension language. Future versions of
gwave will require guile (http://www.gnu.ai.mit.edu/software/guile/guile.html)
in order to build.
Feedback is welcome - tell@cs.unc.edu
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