Approach

Hybrid Microsystems

Hybrid Microsystems generally consist of an electronic circuit, which interacts with non-electronic components. Because of the interaction it is desirable, but also essential, to model and simulate the complete system.

Figure 1: Structure of hybrid microsystems

Simulator coupling

In principle two approaches for the simulation of complete systems, with specific pro and cons, exist. On the one hand several components of a certain domain can be modeled in the especially developed languages for the usage in task specific simulators. If complete hybrid micro systems, covering different domains, should be simulated, a simulator coupling is necessary.

Model transfer

For a model transfer the models of one simulator are transferred into a format, that another simulator accepts. For micro systems, which have a high part of electronic and only a relative small non-electronic parts, the simulation in the circuit simulator is the first choice. The non-electronic components are usually sketched by FEM or CFD simulations. With order reduction methods these models can be made accessible to circuit simulators, so that heterogeneous systems can be treated by only one simulator.

Both approaches should be handeled in this project

Figure 2: Interfaces, which are managing the model transfer or the simulator coupling

With modern hardware design languages as VHDL-AMS or Verilog-AMS hybrid micro systems covering different domains can be modeled with the necessary precision. The usage of standardized hardware design languages guarantees that the model can be simulated tool independently. If the micro system contains a micro controller, the software of the micro controller can be included over an interface between the circuit simulator and an instruction set simulator for co-simulation purposes.

Figure 3: possibilities of modern hardware design languages

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