Interuniversitair Microelektronica Centrum (imec)

Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Yves Rolain

Pierre Wambacq

Gerd Vandersteen

Petr Dobrovolny

Jozef Verbeeck

Johan Schoukens

Simulation methods and simulators are presented which operate on a computer under software control. Said computer simulation methods and simulators are specially suited for simulating digital circuits and mixed analog digital circuits. The methods enable efficient simulation, meaning resulting in a fast simulation while still obtaining accurate results. With fast simulation is meant that the simulation can be completed in a short simulation time. Accurate means that the signals obtained or determined by simulation are good approximations of the signals that would be measured when the circuit, which representation is under simulation, is actually running in real world. Indeed the simulation methods and the related simulation apparatus or simulator exploits a representation of a circuit.

Method for determining signals in mixed signal systems

A method for estimating the BER for telecommunication systems, particular those characterized by signals having high crest factors or causing large inband nonlinear distortions. The set of signals used by the system is divided into subsets according to a characteristic such as signal crest factor, and a BER estimation method is chosen for each subset. Signals causing a large BER are simulated more efficiently using a Monte Carlo simulation, while low BER estimations more efficiently use a quasi-analytical method. The method results in improved accuracy because the noise contribution in quasi-analytical methods can be better approximated for signals having a small crest factor range, and drastically reduces the number of experiments, measurements or simulations which are needed to obtain an accurate BER estimation, as compared to standard Monte Carlo techniques.

System and method for determining bit-error rates

Growing community of inventors

Halle, Belgium

Yves Rolain