spectre pss & pac

[vlsi_design2]

I have simulated mixer gain using pss+pac and considered 8 harmonics. In direct plot form when I choose sidebands I get a list of input sidebands and output sidebands.

What are input sidebands? Are they harmonics of LO due to input non-linearity? I understands the output sidebands.

As per cadence manuals, pac simulates gain from one input one input sweep range to several outputs & several output frequency ranges offset by LO. This is contradicted by list of input harmonics which indicates it is not one input range.

 

[erikl]

... I get a list of input sidebands and output sidebands. ... What are input sidebands?

I think these are just back-computed input frequencies due to the output sidebands. At least I found a hint about this in the SpectreRF Simulation Option User Guide:

 

[vlsi_design2]

Hi erikl,
Thank you for your reply.

The equation and the paragraph is not for pac simulation where input frequency is swept.
It is for either pxf or pnoise simulations where output frequency is swept at a fixed port and the contributing input frequency ranges offset by LO are calculated/backcomputed. The equation is not valid for pac but only valid for pxf or pnoise.