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A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPICE
A need for a circuit simulation program, some clever folks with a vision and teams of hard working students and professionals all contributed to the realization and evolution of SPICE. Below is a brief, bullet-list history of this powerful simulator organized mainly according to the different SPICE versions.
CANCER
Early 1970s, Ron Rohrer hopes to develop a simulation program for his work on optimization at the University of California Berkley.
Rohrer's students, including Larry Nagel, create CANCER (Computer Analysis of Non-Linear Circuits Excluding Radiation).
Performs DC, AC and Transient Analysis.
Components include diodes (Shockley equations) and bipolar transistors (Ebers-Moll equations.)
Other simulation programs of the day include IBM's ECAP and Autonetics TRAC.
SPICE1
In 1972, Nagel and Pederson release SPICE1 (Simulation Program with IC Emphasis) into the public domain.
SPICE becomes industry standard simulation tool.
Models for bipolar transistors changed to Gummel-Poon equations.
JFET and MOSFET devices added.
Based on Nodal Analysis.
Written in FORTRAN code running on large main frame computers.
SPICE2
Nagel's 1975 release offers significant improvements.
Modified Nodal Analysis (MNA), replacing the old analysis, now supports voltage sources and inductors.
Memory is dynamically allocated to accommodate growing circuit size and complexity.
Adjustable time-step control speeds simulation.
MOSFET and bipolar models overhauled and extended.
Version SPICE2G.6 (1983) is the last FORTRAN version (still available today from Berkeley.)
Many commercial simulators today are based on SPICE2G.6.
SPICE3
SPICE code rewritten in the C programming language (1985).
Features a graphical interface for viewing results.
Includes polynomial capacitors, inductors and voltage controlled sources.
New version eliminates many convergence problems.
Added models: MESFET, lossy transmission line and non-ideal switch.
Improved semiconductor models accommodate smaller transistor geometries.
Not backward compatible with SPICE2.
1980's AND BEYOND
Commercial versions released include: HSPICE, IS_SPICE, MICROCAP, LTSPICE.
MicroSim releases PSPICE, the first PC version of SPICE.
SPICE attracts many more users in industry and academia.
Companies integrate SPICE versions to their schematic entry and layout packages.
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