A new network approach to symbolic simulation of large-scale networks

A new approach to the problem of symbolic circuit analysis of large-scale circuits is presented. The methodology has been implemented in a computer program called SCAPP (symbolic circuit analysis program with partitioning). The method solves the problem by utilizing a hierarchical network approach and the sequence of expressions concept rather than a topological approach and the single expression idea which have dominated symbolic analysis in the past. The result is a linear growth in the number of terms in the symbolic solutions for the network approach versus the exponential growth exhibited by traditional methods. The analysis methodology introduces the concept of the RMNA (reduced modified nodal analysis) matrix. This allows the characterization of symbolic networks in terms of only a small subset of the network variables (external variables) rather than the complete set of variables. The analysis algorithm is most efficient when network partitioning is used. Partitioning results in a reduction in the number of terms in the symbolic solutions