Table of Contents

Basic device syntax

This page applies to the simple “Spice” basic devices, and some extended forms of them.

Spice format

The format for simple devices is: 

label  (connections)  value

Parentheses around the connections are optional.

Examples: 

Vin     (in 0)   10
Lseries (in out) .01
Cshunt  (out 0)  100u
Rload   (out 0)  100

The first letter of the label determines the type:

2 terminal devices
letter type value syntax
C capacitor capacitance q/v Cxxxx (p n) capacitance
L inductor inductance flux/i Lxxxx (p n) inductance
R resistor resistance v/i Rxxxx (p n) resistance
Y admittance admittance i/v Yxxxx (p n) admittance
V fixed voltage source DC voltage Vxxxx (p n) voltage
I fixed current source DC current Ixxxx (sink src) current
4 terminal devices
letter type value syntax
E voltage controlled voltage source gain vout/vin Exxxx (p n ps ns) gain
G voltage controlled current source gm iout/vin Gxxxx (sink src ps ns) gm
H current controlled voltage source rm vout/iin Hxxxx (p n control) gain
F current controlled current source gain iout/iin Fxxxx (sink src control) gain
devices with special syntax
letter type value syntax
G voltage controlled resistor R/vc Gxxxx (p n ps ns) vcr value
G voltage controlled admittance Y/vc Gxxxx (p n ps ns) vcg value
G voltage controlled capacitor C/vc Gxxxx (p n ps ns) vccap value
C trans-capacitor Qout/vin Cxxxx (p n ps ns) tcap value
Port names
p positive node or positive output
n negative node or negative output
sink current sink or current sink output
source current source or current source output
ps positive input or control voltage node
ns negative input or control voltage node
control current probe controlling element

Spectre format

The format for simple devices is: 

label  (connections)  type  parameter=value

Examples: 

Vin     (in 0)   vsource   dc=10
Lseries (in out) inductor  l=.01
Cshunt  (out 0)  capacitor c=100u
Rload   (out 0)  resistor  r=100

The device type is determined by the type field. The first letter of the label doesn't matter.

Verilog format

The format for simple devices is: 

type #(.parameter(value)) label (connections);

or 

type #(value) label (connections);

Examples: 

vsource   #(.dc(10))  Vin     (.p(in), .n(0));
inductor  #(.l(.01))  Lseries (.p(in), .n(out));
capacitor #(.c(100u)) Cshunt  (.p(out), .n(0));
resistor  #(.r(100))  Rload   (.p(out), .n(0));
vsource   #(.dc(10))  Vin     (in, 0);
inductor  #(.l(.01))  Lseries (in, out);
capacitor #(.c(100u)) Cshunt  (out, 0);
resistor  #(.r(100))  Rload   (out, 0);
vsource   #(10)   Vin     (in, 0);
inductor  #(.01)  Lseries (in, out);
capacitor #(100u) Cshunt  (out, 0);
resistor  #(100)  Rload   (out, 0);