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Sensitivity Analysis in Xyce

Keiter, Eric R.; Swiler, Laura P.; Russo, Thomas V.; Wilcox, Ian Z.

Parametric sensitivities of dynamic system responses are very useful in a variety of applications, including circuit optimization and uncertainty quantification. Sensitivity calculation methods fall into two related categories: direct and adjoint methods. Effective implementation of such methods in a production circuit simulator poses a number of technical challenges, including instrumentation of device models. This report documents several years of work developing and implementing direct and adjoint sensitivity methods in the Xyce circuit simulator. Much of this work sponsored by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program at Sandia National Laboratories, under project LDRD 14-0788.