5.2 Parameter-Editing Dialogs

NewValueDialog Method

The basic parameter-editing dialog method is based on the script function NewValueDialog and is used to edit most parameterized devices in SIMetrix/SIMPLIS. The NewValueDialog parameter-editing controls can be one of five types, which are described in the table below.

NewValueDialog parameter-editing Control Types

Type	Example Control	Application
Real		General parameters whose values can be floating point numbers
Integer		Parameters whose values must be limited to integers
String		Parameter values which are text
Boolean		Logical true-or-false parameter values
List		Parameters with values that must be limited to a list of values Although this example uses Y/N, any list of parameter values can be used.

Creating dialog definitions using the NewValueDialog method is covered in 5.2.1 Adding Basic Parameter-Editing Dialogs. In that section of the tutorial, you will use a dialog for the parameterized RC filter circuit, which is a flat dialog without tabs and is similar to the following:

In the dialog above, the list-control type is used to edit the Filter Gain parameter. In this example, the control limits the gain to a list of values: 1, 2, 5, or 10. You can also limit the values using the real and integer control types. The fact that parameter-editing dialogs can limit the parameter values to ranges that are compatible with the model is a distinct advantage. The NewValueDialog function first divides the controls by type and then populates the dialog in the order the controls are defined.

The NewValueDialog function is described in the NewValueDialog Function topic in the SIMetrix/SIMPLIS Script Manual.

TabValueDialog Method

The TabValueDialog parameter-editing method allows you to organize parameter-editing controls on multiple tabs and to define the locations of each control and is therefore more complex than the basic NewValueDialog method. The benefits of using this method will become apparent in section 5.2.2 Adding Tabbed, Parameter-Editing Dialogs.

Starting with release 7.20, this dialog function is used to edit all SIMPLIS digital devices except the family of logic gates. This method gives you complete control over the location of the parameter-editing controls, first on the tabs you define and then inside the group boxes on those tabs. This method also provides a dialog title and caption which includes the reference designator of the part being edited. The dialog shown below is configured for the parameterized RC filter circuit; this version uses the TabValueDialog function and is shown in the two images below with one for each tab to illustrate how the controls are arranged on multiple tabs.

In addition to the standard editing controls used in the NewValueDialog based definitions, the TabValueDialog has three additional editing controls: Group, Checkable Group and Label. The eight parameter-editing controls available with this dialog function are described in the following table:

TabValueDialog parameter-editing Control Types

Type	Example Control	Application
Real		General parameters whose values can be floating point numbers
Integer		Parameters whose the values must be limited to integers
String		Parameter values which are text
Boolean		Logical true-or-false parameter values
List		Parameters with values that must be limited to a list of values Although this example uses Y/N, any list of parameter values can be used.
Group Box		A plain group box inside a main group box that does not return a value but allows you to group parameters inside other group boxes. The group box with the title "A new group box" is a Group Box parameter-editing control.
Checkable Group		A group box with a check box that returns a Boolean value and enables or disables all parameter-editing controls inside the group box The group with the title "Limit maximum off resistance" is a Checkable Group.
Label		A text label  which has no return value but is passed into the dialog as a description of another parameter-editing control The text, "Clk to Output Delay" is a Label parameter-editing control placed in the third row on the grid.

RadioSelectWidgetStackDialog Method

The RadioSelectWidgetStackDialog parameter-editing method uses the same parameter editing controls as the TabValueDialog. The difference is that the dialog has a master parameter which controls which tab is visible. This master parameter is defined using a radio button, and the dialog automatically brings the tab of parameters into focus based on the selected radio button. In module 6 you will use this dialog method to create a parameter editing dialog for a programmable load. The master control parameter is the LOAD_TYPE, which can be one of Constant Resistance, Constant Current, or Constant Voltage. Each parameter value has a separate tab of parameter-editing controls, and only one tab of controls is visible at a time. The RadioSelectWidgetStackDialog is particularily useful for "one of many" models, where the model takes on various forms based on a master parameter.