What you are looking at
- Switching (long dashes): current that charges CL from VDD through MP when OUT rises, and discharges CL through MN when OUT falls.
- Short-circuit (short dashes): while IN is between Vtn and VDD−|Vtp|, both transistors conduct and current flows straight from VDD to VSS.
- Leakage (dots): sub-threshold current through the transistor that is off. It flows all the time and depends on which input state you are in.
Two ways to count power
Dissipated (default): where energy turns into heat. Switching shows on both edges: ½·CL·VDD² heats MP on OUT↑, and the stored ½·CL·VDD² heats MN on OUT↓.
Drawn from VDD pin: what the supply delivers. The full CL·VDD² is drawn on OUT↑ only; on OUT↓ the capacitor discharges into VSS, so the supply sees just the short-circuit blip. Both views give the same average.
Controls
- Space: run / pause. → : step to the next edge. Hover or drag on the waveform to inspect an instant; the schematic follows the cursor.
- Edge slow-motion (off by default) stretches each edge so you can follow the currents in the schematic; it is limited automatically when edges are frequent. Step to next edge always plays one edge slowly, then pauses.
- Knob changes take effect after a short pause: the new edge waveforms are calculated once, then replayed on every edge.
- Y axis: Linear + zoomed floor keeps everything linear (short-circuit and switching add up as heights) and magnifies only the bottom band so the leakage floor stays visible; the zig-zag on the axis marks the change of scale. Linear shows true proportions; Log shows all magnitudes at once.
- Every section can be collapsed with its [−] button. On phones the schematic starts small; tap Enlarge.
Model
Alpha-power-law transistors driving CL, input ramp tr (0–100 %), sub-threshold leakage with DIBL and temperature. Values are representative of a generic 0.8 V node, not a foundry PDK. Average switching power uses P = α·CL·VDD²·f; short-circuit energy comes from the transient model.