Microresonator Synthesis Module Nodal Design of Actuators and Sensors: Nodasv1.4
     
    NODASv1.4
The increasing integration of MEMS has pushed the demand for CAD tools to support rapid design of systems involving physical interactions between multiple domains such as electrical, mechanical, and thermal. At present, MEMS simulation is most often performed using direct numerical simulation or signal flow analysis that is arduous and time consuming for system design due to its low level of abstraction. In contrast, nodal simulation enables a structured representation for MEMS design using a hierarchical set of MEM components. A such example is NODASv1.4 created by Carnegie Mellon's MEMS LAB.

NODASv1.4 is a library of parameterized components for using SABER nodal simulator to simulate surface-micromachined MEMS devices. The library is composed of beams, plate masses, anchors, electrostatic comb drives (vertical and horizontal), and electrostatic gaps(horizontal). The components can be interconnected to represent both devices and more complex systems. Electrical properties are included in the component models, enabling electrical and electromechanical analysis to be performed simultaneously.

Compared with previous versions of NODAS, NODASv1.4 decouples the calculation of layout position from the behavioral simulation. The user first creates a schematic using the component symbols, uses a set of static models to calculate the layout position of each component, then generates a new behavioral schematic using a set of dynamic models in which layout position are automatically specified as static component parameters. The simulation with the schematic is therefore faster than previous versions of NODAS.

This modification reduces the number of nodes and variables for each set of models, so that the total simulation speed can be improved, while maintaining the abstract layout input representation in NODAS which can eliminates layout position entry errors made by the user.

The content on this site includes:

  • Tar file - download tar file (30KB) 
  • A graphical view of some major components in NODASv1.4 library 
  • A Saber tutorial - using beams, plate-masses, and combdrives in NODASv1.4.tar as the fundamental building blocks to build a resonator for nodal simulation 
  • For CMU users, visit NODASv1.4 for more technical information