Gnucap Projects

Here is a list of some of the projects that need to be done. There are many more not listed here. If you are interested in any of these, or have other ideas not listed here, contact us.

Models

We desperately need models. We have the basic MOSFET, but still need specific mosfets like BSIM4, BSIM-SOI, EKV, and others. Some of these can be derived from the Spice models. Others need to be coded from scratch. We need full models of other devices, like BJT's, thyristors, and tubes. We also need passive devices, like coupled lossy transmission lines. The model compiler makes this job much easier than for other simulators.

Libraries

Next to the models, we need libraries containing macro models of various devices. Some of these are available now, perhaps in the syntax of a proprietary simulator. The ones that work need to be referenced. The ones that don't need to be translated.

Other types of analysis

It is not just AC, DC, and transient. We also need to do RF circuits. This means some way to do steady state nonlinear. We also need noise and distortion analysis.

Web pages

The web pages you see are just a start. We need an FAQ, pointers to models, pointers to technical information, and lots of other stuff.

VHDL-AMS

The world wants it. Hopefully this one can have higher performance than the others.

Graphic postprocessor

A table of data is not good enough. An ASCII plot isn't either. We need something that lets you view and manipulate graphics. This should be a separate exectuable.

Control shell

We need something with control structures, like a modern shell. We need something that can do loops and conditionals.

Interfaces to other software

There are numerous other related software packages, including schematic entry, layout, and extraction. We need interfaces. Some of them already interface through a translator. We need more direct interfaces that look seemless to the user.

Competitive analysis

Even if you are not a programmer, you can still contribute by helping with a competitive analysis. We need a checklist, showing advantages and disadvantages. We will use the disadvantages to influence future development, and the advantages for bragging. You can help even more by providing a detailed specification of something you would like to see in Gnucap.

Textbooks

There are numerous textbooks aimed at undergraduate education that show how to do circuit analysis using some commercial simulator. We need that for Gnucap!


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Please send comments on these web pages and Gnucap to bug-gnucap@gnu.org

Copyright © 2001 Albert Davis aldavis@ieee.org

Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.

Updated: $Date: 2006/11/24 10:52:38 $ $Author: ramprasadb $