 
Introduction
OptiSPICE Tanner Plugin was created by Optiwave and Mentor Graphics to enhance Tanner T-Spice with optical circuit simulation capabilities. The seamless integration of optical models into the Tanner EDA enables the simulation of complex opto electronic circuits from schematic or mask layout within a single design environment.
We have just released the first version of OptiSPICE Tanner Plugin supporting Tanner 2019.2!
Supported Features
- Multi channel bidirectional optical time and frequency domain simulation with SPICE
- Opto electronic feedback and control loop simulation
- Noise, channel cross talk and interference effects
- Support for Tanner GPIC PDK
- Direct opto-electronic interfacing with SPICE components via laser/photodiode/modulators etc..
- Optical S-Parameter device for passive components. Compatible with OptiFDTD and OptiBPM
- User defined or experimental data input for compact model creation, ie waveguide effective index and responsivity
- Standard bandpass, bandstop optical filter components (Butterwoth, Chebyshev, Bessel) for quick prototyping
- Optical signal visualization (magnitude, phase, real, imaginary, power etc..) with Tanner Waveform Viewer
Incoming Features
- Support for new PDK’s
- New design example demonstrating opto electronic control loop for a ring resonator
- Ability to use Verilog and optical models in the same circuit
- Packaging licensing driver installer with the application examples
- Improved optical probe
The optical model library is compatible with Tanner’s photonic PDK, GPIC. Several application examples can be found within Tanner EDA’s example package. The chart below shows the basic design flow of OptiSPICE Tanner plugin with Tanner EDA.
Design Flow
Capabilities
OptiSPICE optical models use slowly varying envelope approximation to model the behaviour of optical signals as they travel through various devices. Complex valued bidirectional optical signals are separated into individual channels with unique optical carrier frequencies. It is possible to use OptiSPICE optical models combined with T-Spice electrical devices to perform rapid prototyping and design verification.
Rapid Prototyping
The standard device library included in OptiSPICE Tanner Plugin allows users to design optical circuits using basic building blocks with generalized simulation models independent of any PDK’s. It enables fast prototyping of opto electronic circuits.
Design Verification
The main advantage of having optical models built into the Tanner EDA is the ability to verify optical mask designs before fabrication. Users can extract a netlist from their mask design via L-Edit, build a test bench with optical and electrical devices in S-Edit and run simulations using OptiSPICE Tanner plugin. This workflow allows the user to create and test either a single device mask like an MZI or a fully featured optical chip like a coherent transceiver.
