Re: Spectre: weird warnings when using well-known design kits

Thanks for your reply, Andrew. I understand the messages are due to
the range checks, and it is precisely because of this that I really
find it difficult to believe that both IBM and AMS are distributing
their kits with such trivial bugs (i.e.: since they set the both the
parameter values and the allowed ranges on when making the design
kits!) ...Honestly, I rather believe I'm missing some configuration or
parameter of the like...

I followed your suggestion and tried to use a newer version of
spectre, and the errors still appear. For instance, the IBM PDK for
their BiCMOS 7WL 0.18um technology says the following before
performing the simulations, this time with Spectre sub-version
6.0.2.290:

(...)
Command line:
/programs/cadence/MMSIM_6.0/tools.lnx86/spectre/bin/32bit/spectre
\
-env artist5.1.0 +escchars +log ../psf/spectre.out
+inter=mpsc \
+mpssession=spectre0_6126_1 -format sst2 -raw ../psf
+lqtimeout \
900 -maxw 5 -maxn 5 +param \
/programs/cadence/DESIGN_KITS/ams_v3.70/spectre/
ams_range.lmts \
input.scs
Loading /programs/cadence/MMSIM_6.0/tools.lnx86/cmi/lib/4.0/
libinfineon_sh.so ...
Loading /programs/cadence/MMSIM_6.0/tools.lnx86/cmi/lib/4.0/
libnortel_sh.so ...
Loading /programs/cadence/MMSIM_6.0/tools.lnx86/cmi/lib/4.0/
libphilips_sh.so ...
Loading /programs/cadence/MMSIM_6.0/tools.lnx86/cmi/lib/4.0/
libsparam_sh.so ...
Loading /programs/cadence/MMSIM_6.0/tools.lnx86/cmi/lib/4.0/
libstmodels_sh.so ...
spectre (ver. 6.0.2.290 -- 27 Jun 2006).
Includes RSA BSAFE(R) Cryptographic or Security Protocol Software from
RSA Security, Inc.

Simulating `input.scs' on LETSBEGREAT2 at 12:18:55 AM, Sat Nov 24,
2007.
(...)
Notice from spectre in `nfet':`I808.TN0', in `nfetest':`I808.TN0', in
`Terminacion_Simple':`I808', during hierarchy flattening.
I808.TN0.nfetest.nch: `n' has the unusual value of 1.02.
I808.TN0.nfetest.nch: `jsw' has the unusual value of 50 fA/m.
I808.TN0.nfetest.nch: `ckappa' has the unusual value of 6.7867.
I808.TN0.nfetest.ndio: `rs' has the unusually small value of 120
pOhm.
Notice from spectre in `nfet':`I888.I115.I0.TN1', in
`nfetest':`I888.I115.I0.TN1', in `_sub53':`I888.I115.I0', in
`Seccion_SISO1_Inicial_3':`I888.I115', in `SISO1':`I888', during
hierarchy flattening.
I888.I115.I0.TN1.nfetest.nch: `n' has the unusual value of 1.02.
I888.I115.I0.TN1.nfetest.nch: `jsw' has the unusual value of 50 fA/
m.
Further occurrences of this notice will be suppressed.
I888.I115.I0.TN1.nfetest.ndio: `rs' has the unusually small value
of 120 pOhm.
Notice from spectre in `pfet':`I888.I115.I0.TP1', in
`pfetest':`I888.I115.I0.TP1', in `_sub53':`I888.I115.I0', in
`Seccion_SISO1_Inicial_3':`I888.I115', in `SISO1':`I888', during
hierarchy flattening.
I888.I115.I0.TP1.pfetest.pch: `noib' has the unusually large value
of 1.38e+06.
I888.I115.I0.TP1.pfetest.pdio: `rs' has the unusually small value
of 120 pOhm.
Notice from spectre in `pfet':`I888.I115.I4.I1.TP8', in
`pfetest':`I888.I115.I4.I1.TP8', in `_sub69':`I888.I115.I4.I1', in
`_sub70':`I888.I115.I4', in `Seccion_SISO1_Inicial_3':`I888.I115', in
`SISO1':`I888', during hierarchy flattening.
I888.I115.I4.I1.TP8.pfetest.pch: `noib' has the unusually large
value of 1.38e+06.
I888.I115.I4.I1.TP8.pfetest.pdio: `rs' has the unusually small
value of 120 pOhm.
Further occurrences of this notice will be suppressed.

(Circuit inventory: nodes 188932, equations 272799, iprobe 80, bsim3v3
41852, capacitor 125556, diode 83704, isource 992, resistor 167408,
vsource 3)
(...)

I really haven't succeeded to find any reference whatsoever in the
design kit documentation about these warnings. I am not entering ANY
model value by hand, just using the model files as provided by MOSIS
(I already checked on their site and I have the latest release of the
kit--no patches or the like available). This is why I really find it
difficult to believe that I'm the only one getting these errors!!!

Thanks once again for any help/ideas/comments.

Regards,

Jorge Luis.
.