Modeling an electronic device

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a measured electrical signal response in at least one of time domain or frequency domain, wherein the measured electrical signal response represents an electrical behavior of an electronic device;

(b) sampling the received measured electrical signal response at a plurality of sampling points and approximating each section of the received measured electrical signal response between two adjacent sampling points by a respective linear curve section;

(c) for each section of the received measured electrical signal response between two adjacent sampling points:

(i) selecting a pulse unit for generating a pulse having a transition between the two adjacent sampling points associated with the section; and

(ii) selecting a current source or a voltage source providing, in response to the pulse from the selected pulse unit, an output signal corresponding to a slope of the section;

(d) selecting an integrating unit for superimposing the output signals from each of the selected current or voltage sources for generating an approximated signal response; and

(e) creating a model of the electronic device based on the selected pulse units, the selected current or voltage sources and the selected integrating unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measured electrical signal response comprises a signal selected from the group consisting of:

a measured signal response to a predetermined electrical signal provided as a stimulus signal to the electronic device, and

a response to a step signal so that the measured signal response comprises a step response.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measured electrical signal response is sampled in the time domain.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

calculating a ideal step response from a measured real step signal having a finite slew rate and from the measured electrical signal response to the measured real step signal.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the ideal step response is calculated by a technique selected from the group consisting of a Fourier Transformation and a Fast Fourier Transformation.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the model of the electronic device is generated by a system selected from the group consisting of a simulation system and a SPICE simulation system.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of: a linear device, a time-invariant device, an electrical device, a signal path, a high-speed signal path, a line drive output, a line drive output of an automated test equipment, and an n-port network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measured electrical signal response of the electronic device is a measurement selected from the group consisting of a time domain reflection measurement and a time domain transmission measurement.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

measuring the signal response of the electronic device in at least one of the time domain and the frequency domain.

10. A computer readable storage media containing executable computer program instructions which when executed cause a processing system to perform a method comprising:

(a) receiving a measured electrical signal response in at least one of time domain or frequency domain, wherein the measured electrical signal response represents an electrical behavior of an electronic device;

(b) sampling the received measured electrical signal response at a plurality of sampling points and approximating each section of the received measured electrical signal response between two adjacent sampling points by a respective linear curve section;

(c) for each section the received measured electrical signal response between two adjacent sampling points:

(i) selecting a pulse unit for generating a pulse having a transition between the two adjacent sampling points associated with the section; and

(ii) selecting a current source or a voltage source providing, in response to the pulse from the selected pulse unit, an output signal corresponding to a slope of the section;

(d) selecting an integrating unit for superimposing the output signals from each of the selected current or voltage sources for generating an approximated signal response; and

(e) creating a model of the electronic device based on the selected pulse units, the selected current or voltage sources and the selected integrating unit.

11. A system comprising:

(I) a receiver for receiving a measured electrical signal response in at least one of time domain or frequency domain, wherein the measured electrical signal response represents an electrical behavior of an electronic device;

(II) a modeling unit for:

(a) sampling the received measured electrical signal response at a plurality of sampling points and approximating each section of the received signal response between two adjacent sampling points by a respective linear curve section;

(b) for each section of the received measured electrical signal response between two adjacent sampling points:

(i) selecting a pulse unit for generating a pulse having a transition between the two adjacent sampling points associated with the section; and

(ii) selecting a current source or a voltage source providing, in response to the pulse from the selected pulse unit, an output signal corresponding to a slope of the section;

(c) selecting an integrating unit for superimposing the output signals from each of the selected current or voltage sources for generating an approximated signal response; and

(d) creating a model of the electronic device based on the selected pulse units, the selected current or voltage sources and the selected integrating unit; and

(III) a measuring unit for measuring the electrical behavior of the electronic device in at least one of the time domain or the frequency domain.