Matlab Analyze Ams Waveform
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This skill provides a structured approach to analyzing time-domain voltage waveforms and simulation data from PLLs, VCOs, and data converters using the MATLAB Mixed-Signal Blockset. It covers essential characterization tasks including phase noise measurement, clock jitter analysis, timing metrics, and ADC/DAC performance evaluation. The skill includes specific workflows for importing HSpice data, handling non-uniform variable-step solver output, and generating standardized analysis reports.
What it does
- Imports HSpice simulation results (.tr0, .ac0, .sw0) into MATLAB.
- Measures phase noise from time-domain voltage signals using zero-crossing extraction.
- Computes period and cycle-to-cycle jitter for clock signals.
- Performs anti-aliased resampling of non-uniform variable-step simulation data.
- Calculates INL/DNL for ADC/DAC characterization using transition-based fitting.
- Generates standardized HTML reports summarizing waveform metrics and analysis results.
When to use it
- When analyzing time-domain voltage output from PLL or VCO simulations.
- When you need to convert phase noise profiles into integrated RMS jitter.
- When characterizing ADC or DAC performance from simulation data.
- When working with non-uniformly sampled data from variable-step solvers.
- When you need to measure rise time, fall time, or duty cycle of digital waveforms.
Advantages
- Ensures accurate analysis of variable-step solver data by using appropriate zero-crossing methods.
- Provides robust transition-based INL/DNL calculation suitable for arbitrary input stimuli.
- Includes mandatory pre-checks for simulation duration to ensure measurement reliability.
- Standardizes the reporting process for mixed-signal design verification.
- Prevents common pitfalls like using histogram-based DNL on non-ramp simulation data.
Usage examples
- “Measure the phase noise of my PLL simulation output at 10kHz, 100kHz, and 1MHz offsets.”
- The agent will prompt for the frequency offsets, propose an appropriate resolution bandwidth (RBW), verify the simulation duration is sufficient for the lowest offset, and execute the phaseNoiseMeasure function.
- “Calculate the INL and DNL for this ADC simulation data.”
- The agent will apply the inldnl function using the 'ADC' type and 'transitions' fit mode to ensure accurate characterization of the converter.
Install
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Documentation by MathWorks
Analyze AMS Waveforms — Mixed-Signal Blockset Utilities
Analyze waveform data using msblksutilities functions from the
Mixed-Signal Blockset. Covers timing, phase noise, jitter, lock time,
resampling, INL/DNL, ADC/DAC calibration, and HSpice data import.
When to Use
Measuring phase noise from time-domain VCO/PLL simulation output
Computing period jitter or cycle-to-cycle jitter from clock signals
Resampling non-uniform (variable-step solver) data to a uniform grid
Measuring rise/fall time, duty cycle from digital waveforms
Computing INL/DNL for ADC/DAC characterization
Importing HSpice simulation results (.tr0, .ac0, .sw0)
Converting a phase noise profile to integrated RMS jitter
When NOT to Use
Spectral analysis with Signal Processing Toolbox (FFT, PSD, spectrogram) — use SPT directly
Signal quality metrics (SNR, SINAD, THD, SFDR) — use SPT functions (
snr,thd,sfdr,sinad) directlyFiltering or envelope detection — use Signal Processing Toolbox directly
Uniformly-sampled data that doesn't need anti-aliased resampling
Workflow Directive: Phase Noise Parameter Gathering
When the user asks to measure phase noise from waveform data, ask for frequency offset points before proceeding:
Ask: "At which frequency offsets would you like to measure phase noise? Default:
[10e3, 100e3, 1e6, 10e6]Hz — press Enter to use these or specify your own."Once offsets are confirmed, propose RBW based on the lowest offset:
RBW = min(offsets) / 2(e.g., 5 kHz for 10 kHz lowest offset). State: "I'll use RBW = X Hz (lowest offset / 2). Let me know if you'd like a different value."Proceed with measurement unless the user overrides.
This ensures the measurement matches the user's application without requiring them to know the API signature upfront.
Phase 1: Ingest Waveform Data
1.1 Determine Data Source
% From workspace variables
x = t; y = v;
% From .mat file
data = load('waveform.mat');
x = data.time; y = data.voltage;
% From .csv
data = readmatrix('waveform.csv');
x = data(:,1); y = data(:,2);
% From HSpice transient (.tr0)
tr0Reader('sim.tr0', 'output.mat');
data = load('output.mat');
% From HSpice AC (.ac0)
ac0Reader('sim.ac0', 'output.mat');
% From HSpice DC sweep (.sw0)
sw0Reader('sim.sw0', 'output.mat');
% From Simulink simulation output (timeseries in logsout)
sig = simOut.logsout.get('signalName').Values;
x = sig.Time(:); % column vector
y = squeeze(sig.Data(:)); % column vector — squeeze removes trailing dims1.2 Basic Waveform Summary
Always print a summary before analysis:
fprintf('=== Waveform Summary ===\n');
fprintf('Points : %d\n', numel(x));
fprintf('X range : [%.6g, %.6g]\n', min(x), max(x));
fprintf('Y range : [%.6g, %.6g]\n', min(y), max(y));
fprintf('Y mean : %.6g\n', mean(y));
fprintf('Y RMS : %.6g\n', rms(y));
if all(diff(x) > 0)
dx = diff(x);
if max(dx)/min(dx) < 1.01, uStr = 'yes'; else, uStr = 'no'; end
fprintf('X step : %.6g (uniform: %s)\n', median(dx), uStr);
if median(dx) > 0
fprintf('Sample rate: %.6g Hz\n', 1/median(dx));
end
end1.3 MSB Analysis Menu
Available MSB analyses for time-domain waveform:
--- Timing Measurements ---
[1] Rise time — timeDomainSignal2RiseTime
[2] Fall time — timeDomainSignal2FallTime
[3] Duty cycle — timeDomainSignal2DutyCycle
--- Clock / PLL Measurements ---
[4] Phase noise from frequency-domain data — phaseNoiseMeasure (default Type='Frequency')
[5] Phase noise from time-domain voltage — phaseNoiseMeasure (Type='Time')
[6] Period jitter & cycle-to-cycle jitter — clockJitterMeasure
[7] Phase noise to jitter conversion — phaseNoiseToJitter
[8] Lock time from control voltage — lockTimeMeasure
--- Resampling ---
[9] Anti-aliased resampling — lowpassResample
--- ADC/DAC Characterization ---
[10] INL / DNL measurement — inldnl
[11] ADC calibration — calibrateADC
[12] DAC calibration — calibrateDAC
--- Data Import ---
[13] HSpice transient (.tr0) — tr0Reader
[14] HSpice AC (.ac0) — ac0Reader
[15] HSpice DC sweep (.sw0) — sw0Reader
--- Frequency-Domain Utilities ---
[16] Interpolate/extrapolate to new grid — interpExtrap
[17] Laplace to biquad SOS — laplace2sosPhase 2: Execute Analysis
2.1 Timing Measurements
% Rise time — 3rd arg is [low high] percent reference levels (required)
rt = timeDomainSignal2RiseTime(x, y, [10 90]);
fprintf('Rise time (10%%-90%%): mean = %.4g s (std = %.4g s, N=%d)\n', ...
mean(rt), std(rt), numel(rt));
% Fall time — same 3-arg signature
ft = timeDomainSignal2FallTime(x, y, [10 90]);
fprintf('Fall time (90%%-10%%): mean = %.4g s (std = %.4g s, N=%d)\n', ...
mean(ft), std(ft), numel(ft));
% Duty cycle — returns per-cycle values for multi-cycle waveforms
dc = timeDomainSignal2DutyCycle(x, y);
fprintf('Duty cycle: mean = %.4f%%, std = %.4f%%\n', mean(dc)*100, std(dc)*100);2.2 Phase Noise Measurement
Pre-check (mandatory): Verify simulation duration before measuring.
% Sim duration pre-check — STOP if insufficient
minDuration = 10 / min(FrOffset); % need >= 10 cycles of lowest offset
simDuration = x(end) - x(1);
if simDuration < minDuration
error('Simulation too short: %.4g s < %.4g s needed for %.0f Hz offset.\nIncrease sim stop time to >= %.4g s.', ...
simDuration, minDuration, min(FrOffset), minDuration);
end% From time-domain voltage waveform (MSB variable-step simulation output)
% Type='Time' is REQUIRED — extracts phase via zero-crossings internally
Rbw = 1e3; % resolution bandwidth (Hz)
FrOffset = [10e3 100e3 1e6 10e6]; % offsets to measure
[PnAtOffsets, freqAxis, pnProfile] = phaseNoiseMeasure( ...
x(:), y(:), Rbw, FrOffset, 'on', 'PN Measurement', ...
-inf, ... % 7th arg: target PN level for plot overlay (-inf = no target line)
Type='Time');
% Note: To reduce ripple in pnProfile, use smaller RBW (increases freq resolution)
% or increase simulation duration. SpectralAverages is a PLL Testbench block
% parameter, NOT a phaseNoiseMeasure argument.
% From frequency-domain data (e.g., imported spectrum analyzer measurement)
% Default Type='Frequency': Xin=freq offset vector, Yin=power in dBc/Hz
[PnAtOffsets, freqAxis, pnProfile] = phaseNoiseMeasure( ...
freqOffsets, pnPower_dBcHz, Rbw, FrOffset, 'on', 'PN from Spectrum');
fprintf('Phase Noise Results:\n');
for k = 1:numel(FrOffset)
fprintf(' @ %.0f kHz : %.1f dBc/Hz\n', FrOffset(k)/1e3, PnAtOffsets(k));
end
% Save figure for Claude to read
figPath = fullfile(tempdir, 'phase_noise_plot.png');
saveas(gcf, figPath);
fprintf('Phase noise figure saved to: %s\n', figPath);2.3 Jitter Measurements
Mandatory follow-up: After any phase noise measurement (Section 2.2), ALWAYS
compute integrated RMS jitter using phaseNoiseToJitter. Report jitter in
picoseconds — this is the metric engineers compare against specs.
% Clock jitter from time-domain waveform
% Returns 2 outputs: [periodJitter, c2cJitter] (RMS values)
% threshold MUST cross the signal — use midpoint or known logic level
% Inputs must be column vectors
threshold = (max(y) + min(y)) / 2;
clockFreq = 1e9; % expected clock frequency (Hz)
[periodJitter, c2cJitter] = clockJitterMeasure(x(:), y(:), threshold, clockFreq);
fprintf('Period jitter (RMS): %.4f ps\n', periodJitter * 1e12);
fprintf('C2C jitter (RMS) : %.4f ps\n', c2cJitter * 1e12);
% Convert phase noise profile to jitter
% Exclude DC bin (freqAxis==0) — integration from 0 Hz returns Inf
validIdx = freqAxis > 0;
[jitterRad, jitterDeg, jitterSec] = phaseNoiseToJitter( ...
freqAxis(validIdx), pnProfile(validIdx), Frequency=carrierFreq);
fprintf('RMS jitter from PN : %.4f ps\n', jitterSec * 1e12);2.4 Lock Time Measurement
% x = time, y = control voltage (loop filter output)
% lockTimeMeasure takes (voltage, time, tolerance) — note: voltage FIRST
% Both must be column vectors
x_col = x(:); y_col = y(:);
targetVoltage = y_col(end); % assume final value is lock voltage
errorTol = 0.01; % 1% tolerance
lockTime = lockTimeMeasure(y_col, x_col, errorTol);
fprintf('Lock time (%.0f%% tolerance): %.4g s\n', errorTol*100, lockTime);Preferred method: If a PLL Testbench block is present, use its measured lock
time (get_param(tbBlk, 'UserData').lockTime) — frequency-error detection is
more accurate than voltage settling.
2.5 Resampling
% Anti-aliased resampling to new sample time
Ts_new = 1e-9;
tq = (x(1) : Ts_new : x(end))';
cfg.OutputRiseFall = Ts_new;
cfg.NDelay = 1;
cfg.SampleMode = 'variable';
cfg.CausalMode = 'off';
y_resampled = lowpassResample(x, y, tq, cfg);
x_resampled = tq;2.6 INL/DNL Measurement
% ADC: uses transition-based fit (works on ANY input stimulus, not just ramps)
result = inldnl(Analog, Digital, Range, 'ADC', ...
'INLMethod', 'All', 'DNLMethod', 'All', ...
'OffsetErrorUnit', 'All', 'GainErrorUnit', 'All');
fprintf('Max |Endpoint INL|: %.4f LSB\n', max(abs(result.EndpointINL)));
fprintf('Max |Endpoint DNL|: %.4f LSB\n', max(abs(result.EndpointDNL)));
fprintf('Offset Error: %.4f LSB\n', result.OffsetErrorLSB);
fprintf('Gain Error: %.4f LSB\n', result.GainErrorLSB);
% DAC: uses center-based fit (FitMode='centers' is default for DAC)
result_dac = inldnl(Analog, Digital, Range, 'DAC', ...
'INLMethod', 'All', 'DNLMethod', 'All');Critical: Do NOT use histogram-based DNL (code bin counts). That method
requires a specific input stimulus (ramp or sine with known PDF). The inldnl
function uses transition-based analysis that works on arbitrary inputs.
ADC vs DAC: ADC uses FitMode='transitions' (default); DAC uses
FitMode='centers'. Using the wrong fit mode gives incorrect results.
2.7 ADC/DAC Calibration
% Calibrate ADC: correct offset and gain errors
y_cal = calibrateADC(Digital, NBits, Polarity);
% Or infer errors from measured data:
y_cal = calibrateADC(Analog, Digital, Range, 'OffsetError', oe, 'GainError', ge);
% Calibrate DAC:
y_cal = calibrateDAC(Digital, NBits, Polarity);
% Or with reference/bias:
y_cal = calibrateDAC(Digital, Analog, Ref, Bias);Phase 3: Interpreting Phase Noise Plots
3.1 Slope Analysis
| Region | Slope | Physical Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Close-in (< loop BW) | -30 dB/dec | 1/f^3 -- flicker FM noise dominates |
| Mid-range | -20 dB/dec | 1/f^2 -- white FM / VCO thermal noise |
| Far-out (> loop BW) | -20 dB/dec then flat | VCO open-loop noise, then thermal floor |
3.2 Loop Bandwidth Hump
A hump or peak (3-10 dB) indicates the PLL closed-loop bandwidth. If >10 dB, the loop may be under-damped (low phase margin).
3.3 Noise Floor
Far-out floor (beyond 1-10 MHz offset) is set by VCO thermal noise and simulation numerical noise. Should match VCO open-loop spec.
3.4 Artifacts and Ripple
High-frequency ripple: Insufficient spectral averaging
Spurious tones: Expected at multiples of fPFD in frac-N PLLs
Flat/rising at low offsets: Simulation too short (see W9)
3.5 Example Interpretation
Phase noise from a 1 GHz VCO (MSB sim, 100 us, zero-crossing):
@ 10 kHz : -51.8 dBc/Hz <- marginal (sim too short)
@ 100 kHz : -82.4 dBc/Hz <- in 1/f^2 region, reasonable
@ 1 MHz : -98.4 dBc/Hz <- approaching noise floor
@ 10 MHz : -127.6 dBc/Hz <- VCO open-loop thermal floor
Observations:
- -20 dB/dec slope from 10-80 kHz confirms white FM noise
- Hump at 100-300 kHz suggests loop BW artifact
- Floor at -128 dBc/Hz consistent with VCO open-loop spec
- 10 kHz result unreliable -- need >= 1 ms sim for clean dataPhase 4: Reporting
4.1 Save Figure for Inspection
figPath = fullfile(tempdir, 'analysis_plot.png');
saveas(gcf, figPath);
fprintf('Figure saved to: %s\n', figPath);After MATLAB prints figPath, use the Read tool to open the PNG
and provide observations (slope, artifacts, noise floor per Phase 3).
4.2 Generate HTML Report
Always generate an HTML report with:
Header (data file, date, method, MATLAB version)
MATLAB console output in dark-themed
<pre>blockWaveform summary table
Measurement config table
Numeric results table
Embedded figure via
file:///URLObservations from Phase 3
Recommendations
Footer: "Generated by Claude Code -- Waveform Analysis Skill -- {date}"
Naming: report_{datafile_stem}.html in the same directory as the data.
Quick Reference: MSB Function Sources
| Function | Purpose |
|---|---|
phaseNoiseMeasure | Phase noise measurement |
phaseNoiseToJitter | Phase noise to jitter |
clockJitterMeasure | Period & cycle-to-cycle jitter |
lockTimeMeasure | PLL lock time |
timeDomainSignal2RiseTime | Rise time |
timeDomainSignal2FallTime | Fall time |
timeDomainSignal2DutyCycle | Duty cycle |
inldnl | INL/DNL measurement |
calibrateADC | ADC error calibration |
calibrateDAC | DAC error calibration |
lowpassResample | Anti-aliased resampling |
interpExtrap | Multi-signal interpolation |
laplace2sos | Laplace to biquad SOS |
ac0Reader | Import HSpice AC data |
tr0Reader | Import HSpice transient data |
sw0Reader | Import HSpice DC sweep data |
Pitfalls (MSB-specific)
W1: Always compute
Fsfrom data (1/median(diff(x))) rather than assumingW2: For phase noise, RBW should be <= half the lowest offset frequency
W3: For time-domain voltage data (MSB sim output), always pass
Type='Time'. The only valid types are'Frequency'(default) and'Time'W4: For non-uniformly sampled data, resample to uniform grid first using
lowpassResampleW5:
clockJitterMeasureneeds the nominal clock frequency from design spec, not estimated from dataW6: HSpice readers output .mat files -- load them after conversion
W7: MSB uses variable-step discrete solver, producing non-uniform time data. Voltage-based FFT methods will fail — always use
phaseNoiseMeasure(..., Type='Time')which extracts phase via zero-crossings internallyW8: Zero-crossing
phaseNoiseMeasurereports center frequency as f_carrier/2 -- this is a display convention, carrier is still correctW9: Simulation duration limits lowest measurable offset: need >=
10/f_offset_minseconds. E.g., 10 kHz offset requires >= 1 ms sim timeW10: PN profile ripple is reduced by using smaller RBW or longer simulation duration.
SpectralAveragesis a PLL Testbench block parameter (set viaset_param), NOT aphaseNoiseMeasureargumentW11: MSB variable-step data shows
max(dt)/min(dt) >> 1. This is expected — useType='Time'for PN, orlowpassResampleto create a uniform grid for FFTW12:
clockJitterMeasurereturns NaN if threshold doesn't cross the signal. Use(max(y)+min(y))/2or the known logic thresholdW13:
phaseNoiseToJitterreturns Inf iffreqAxis(1)==0. Always exclude the DC bin before callingW14: NEVER use histogram-based DNL on MSB simulation data. MSB outputs are not uniform ramps — histogram method gives 1000x+ errors. Always use
inldnl(Analog, Digital, Range, Type)which uses transition detectionW15: For ADC use
FitMode='transitions'(default). For DAC useFitMode='centers'. Using the wrong fit mode corrupts INL resultsW16: All MSB measurement functions (
lockTimeMeasure,clockJitterMeasure,phaseNoiseMeasureType='Time') expect column vectors. Usex(:)andy(:)to ensure correct shape. Row vectors produce silent wrong results or errors
Copyright 2026 The MathWorks, Inc.
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ATTRIBUTION.md
Attribution
This folder is an unmodified copy of the Agent Skill "matlab-analyze-ams-waveform", distributed by AutoGineer (https://autogineer.com/agent-skills).
Commit: 2a7f215e965597acf6ed495beb9e7b8aff45a3be
Created by: MathWorks (https://github.com/matlab/matlab-agentic-toolkit/tree/2a7f215e965597acf6ed495beb9e7b8aff45a3be/skills-catalog/rf-and-mixed-signal/matlab-analyze-ams-waveform)
Publisher: MathWorks (https://github.com/matlab)
Licence: BSD 2-Clause License (https://github.com/matlab/matlab-agentic-toolkit/blob/2a7f215e965597acf6ed495beb9e7b8aff45a3be/LICENSE.md)
Licence evidence: repository licence LICENSE.md
Retrieved: 2026-11-07
The skill's own files are unmodified copies. AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by the author or the publisher.
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ATTRIBUTION.md: this file, written by AutoGineer
LICENSE: copied from LICENSE.md
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