Silicon Photonics Modeling and Simulation with XMODEL
Overview
This tutorial covers the basics of using XMODEL and GLISTER to model and simulate various silicon photonics systems in SystemVerilog. For instance, one can learn about the primitives provided by XMODEL for modeling silicon photonic elements and how to put them together to compose silicon photonics system models in schematic forms using GLISTER.
The final chapter presents the modeling examples of various wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) links based on ring modulators, Mach-Zehnder modulators, and electro-absorption modulations. Particularly, the model of a thermal calibration loop for a ring modulator demonstrates the XMODEL’s capability of performing efficient simulations of silicon photonics systems forming an intricate feedback loop between the photonic elements and electronic circuits.
Note: if you are interested in the basic features of XMODEL and GLISTER, we suggest starting with the GLISTER tutorial, located in ${XMODEL_HOME}/tutorial/glister_basic.
Lecture Notes
How To Get Started
1. Install the latest XMODEL package as explained in the XMODEL Installation Guide.
2. Properly setup your Unix shell & Cadence® Virtuoso® environments as explained in the XMODEL Installation Guide or XMODEL Setup Summary documents.
3. Copy the tutorial files to your local directories, for instance:
cp -R ${XMODEL_HOME}/tutorial/siph_basic ~/siph_basic
4. Set additional environment variables for the tutorials by sourcing the setup files located in the etc/ directory. For instance, on bash-like shells:
cd ~/siph_basic source etc/setup.bashrc
And on csh-like shells:
cd ~/siph_basic source etc/setup.cshrc
You may need to modify these setup files according to your own environment.
5. Start the Cadence® Virtuoso® session:
cd cadence virtuoso &
6. And follow the instructions in the tutorial materials in the ~/siph_basic/doc directory. Enjoy!