Efficient small-signal circuit analysis and sensitivity computations with the PVL algorithm

We describe the application of the PVL algorithm to the small-signal analysis of circuits, including sensitivity computations. The PVL algorithm is based on the efficient computation of the Pade´ approximation of the network transfer function via the Lanczos process. The numerical stability of the algorithm permits the accurate computation of the Pade´ approximation over any given frequency range. We extend the algorithm to compute sensitivities of network transfer functions, their poles, and zeros, with respect to arbitrary circuit parameters, with minimal additional computational cost, and we present numerical examples.