Analog behavior modeling for 3-phase signaling

A method for simulating digital systems, comprising:

• modeling a signal transmitted over a physical connection in a communications link, wherein the signal has three phases and is transmitted on each of three wires of the communication link, wherein signaling state of each wire is defined by symbols and each wire is in a different signaling state from the other wires during each symbol interval and wherein modeling the signal includes:
• generating a digital signal that represents logic states of the signal transmitted on each wire of the physical connection;
• and
• generating a virtual signal that represents one or more analog characteristics on each wire of the physical connection, the analog characteristics including at least three valid voltage states, each voltage state corresponding to a voltage level associated with each wire of the physical connection;
• and
• characterizing the signal transmitted over each wire of the physical connection in each symbol interval using the virtual signal to select between a first voltage amplitude and a second voltage amplitude for the each wire;
• and
• verifying a digital circuit associated with the signal transmitted over the physical connection using the digital signal and the virtual signal, wherein the digital circuit associated with the signal includes a transmitter that transmits the signal in different phases on the three wires, a receiver that receives different phase versions of the signal from the three wires, or a clock generation circuit in the receiver that extracts clock information from transitions in signaling state of the three wires of the communication link.

An apparatus, comprising:

• means for modeling a signal transmitted over a physical connection in a communications link, wherein the signal has three phases and is transmitted on each of three wires of the communication link, wherein signaling state of each wire is defined by symbols and each wire is in a different signaling state from the other wires during each symbol interval, and wherein the means for modeling the signal is configured to:
• generate a digital signal that represents logic states of the signal transmitted on each wire of the physical connection;
• and
• generate a virtual signal that represents one or more analog characteristics of each wire of the physical connection, the analog characteristics including at least three valid voltage states, each voltage state corresponding to a voltage level associated with each wire of the physical connection;
• means for characterizing the signal transmitted over each wire of the physical connection in each symbol interval using the virtual signal to select between a first voltage amplitude and a second voltage amplitude for the each wire;
• and
• means for verifying a digital circuit associated with the signal transmitted over the physical connection using the digital signal and the virtual signal,
• wherein the digital circuit associated with the signal includes a transmitter that transmits the signal in different phases on the three wires, a receiver that receives different phase versions of the signal from the three wires, or a clock generation circuit in the receiver that extracts clock information from transitions in signaling state of the three wires of the communication link.

An apparatus for simulating digital systems, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one processing circuit;
• and
• a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium in electronic communication with the processor, wherein the processor-readable storage medium has one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processing circuit, causes the at least one processing circuit to:
• model a signal transmitted over a physical connection in a communications link, wherein the signal has three phases, is transmitted on each of three wires of the communication link, wherein signaling state of each wire is defined by symbols and each wire is in a different signaling state from the other wires during each symbol interval, and wherein modeling the signal includes:
• generating a digital signal that represents logic states of the signal transmitted on each wire of the physical connection, and
• generating a virtual signal that represents one or more analog characteristics of each wire of the physical connection, the analog characteristics including at least three valid voltage states, each voltage state corresponding to a voltage level associated with each wire of the physical connection;
• characterizing the signal transmitted over each wire of the physical connection in each symbol interval using the virtual signal to select between a first voltage amplitude and a second voltage amplitude for the each wire;
• and
• verify a digital circuit associated with the signal transmitted over the physical connection using the digital signal and the virtual signal, wherein the digital circuit associated with the signal includes a transmitter that transmits the signal in different phases on the three wires, a receiver that receives different phase versions of the signal from the three wires, or a clock generation circuit in the receiver that extracts clock information from transitions in signaling state of the three wires of the communication link.