CONFIDENCE IN MIXED-MODE CIRCUIT SIMULATION

Mixed-mode simulation is a compromise between an accurate and expensive modelling technique (that solves circuit equations), and a less accurate, but cheaper, technique (that manipulates a finite algebra). The combination of these modelling regimes requires a mapping between two 'state vectors' that is neither unique nor context-independent. To address this, a duple, {state, confidence}, is associated with each node at each timepoint. Confidence is a set of flags that is used to indicate that the simulator has made a decision with which the user may be unhappy. Graphical postprocessing allows the user to scan for combinations of flags. This creates a 'flag-browsing' capability that allows rapid access to areas of uncertainty in the time histories.