Generating Efficiency Plots with Multi-Step Runs in DVM

Exercise #1: Create And Run The Built-In Efficiency Testplan

Once you have a schematic configured for DVM with DVM sources, loads, and a control symbol, you can use the DVM > Built-In Testplans > Efficiency menu to create a testplan which generates efficiency curves vs. load current for up to three input voltages. This menu item creates a testplan customized for the schematic, reading the numeric specifications from the DVM control symbol for input voltage and output load. To create this testplan for the apps_d_1_llc_converter_efficiency.sxsch schematic:

1. From the schematic view, select the DVM > Built-In Testplans > Efficiency menu.
   Result: The Configure Efficiency Testplan dialog appears:
2. The default configuration runs 10 load current steps and three input voltage steps, for a total of 30 simulation steps. The program defaults to use the maximum number of cores your machine or license is limited to. Click Ok to create a testplan with the default values.
   Result: When you accept this dialog, the program reads the numeric values for the minimum, nominal, and maximum input source voltage, and the 100% load current value. A multi-step test is created for the schematic using these numeric values. After the program creates this testplan, you will be prompted to save the testplan with a file selection dialog. You can use the default name and click Ok.
3. After you save the testplan, the test selection dialog appears:
4. Check the first box in the dialog, to the left of the Efficiency text. Both tests in the testplan will be automatically selected. and Click Ok.
   Result: DVM runs the two tests in sequence. The first test runs a nested multi-step simulation to generate the measured efficiency values. The second test doesn't run the simulator, rather it plots the efficiency on the y-axis, and the load current on the x-axis, using the data generated in the first test.

In this exercise, you generated a testplan using the built-in efficiency testplan generator. This menu item actually creates three files - a testplan, and two LoadComponentValues files. In the next exercise, you will learn the additional testplan syntax required to generate the efficiency curves.

Exercise #2: Examine the Built-In Efficiency Testplan

In this exercise, you will learn what testplan syntax was used to generate the efficiency curves using the built-in efficiency testplan generator. As you will see, only a handful of new testplan entries are used, but with dramatic results.

lcv\apps_d_1_llc_converter_efficiency_efficiency_change.compvalues.txt

{24/(I1_VALUE*0.01*5)}

Alias(Efficiency,Efficiency_%V1_VALUE%)

The Final Test

The final test isn't really much of a test at all. This test uses the NoSimulation entry in the analysis column. This tells the program to not launch a simulation, and instead process the other columns in the testplan.

{RLOAD}