A Computer-Aided Design and Synthesis Environment for Analog Integrated Circuits

by Plas, Geert Van Der; Gielen, Georges; Sansen, Willy M. C.

• ISBN13: 9780792376972
• ISBN10: 0792376978
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-05-01
• Publisher: Kluwer Academic Pub

Summary

A Computer-Aided Design and Synthesis Environment for Analog Integrated Circuits addresses the design methodologies and CAD tools that are available for the systematic design and design automation of analog integrated circuits. Two complementary approaches are discussed. In the first part the AMGIE analog synthesis system is described. AMGIE is the first analog synthesis system that automates the full design process from specifications down to verified layout. It is targeted to the design of moderate-complexity circuits. It relies on design and circuit knowledge stored in the tool's libraries and can be used by both novice and experienced analog designers as well as system-level designers. The inner workings are explained in detail, with (practical) examples to demonstrate how the implemented algorithms and techniques work. Experimental results obtained with the AMGIE system are reported, including actual fabricated and measured circuits. The second approach, i.e. the systematic design of high-performance analog circuits, is discussed in the second part of the book. This approach is supported by tools to boost the productivity of the designer. An example of such a tool is Mondriaan, that is targeted towards the automatic layout generation of highly regular analog blocks. The proposed systematic design methodology is then applied to the design of high-accuracy current-steering digital to analog converters (DACs). The full design path is discussed in detail. By using the Mondriaan tool and other in-house developed and commercially available tools, the first 14-bit accurate current-steering DAC without tuning or trimming in CMOS technology has been fabricated and measured. Both complementary approaches increase analog design productivity. Design times of the different design experiments undertaken are reported throughout the book to demonstrate this.

Table of Contents

Abstract	i
List of Abbreviations	iii
List of Symbols	v
Contents	ix
List of Figures	xiii
List of Tables	xvii
Introduction	1	(12)
Goals of this Work	9	(2)
Outline of this Work	11	(2)
I Automatic Synthesis of Analog Circuits	13	(100)
The AMGIE Analog Synthesis System	15	(24)
Introduction	15	(1)
Definitions	15	(4)
Overview of Analog Synthesis Research	19	(7)
Early Work	20	(1)
Second Generation	21	(2)
Most Recent Work	23	(2)
Conclusions	25	(1)
The AMGIE Synthesis System	26	(12)
Functionality of the Analog Synthesis Environment	26	(8)
Software Architecture of the AMGIE System	34	(4)
Summary	38	(1)
Detailed Description of the AMGIE Analog Synthesis System	39	(34)
Specifications and Hierarchy	39	(3)
Topology Selection Tool	42	(3)
Boundary Checking Filter	42	(2)
Interval Analysis Filter	44	(1)
Rule-based Ranking Filter	45	(1)
Sizing and Optimization Tool	45	(16)
Sizing Model Generation	47	(8)
Circuit Optimization Setup	55	(2)
Practical Example	57	(4)
Layout Generation Tool	61	(4)
Practical Example	64	(1)
Verification Tool	65	(5)
Nominal Performance Verification	66	(3)
Verification with Mismatch and Technology Spread	69	(1)
Verification over Temperature and Power-supply Operating Ranges	70	(1)
Redesign Wizard	70	(1)
Example Scenarios	70	(1)
Summary	71	(2)
AMGIE Experimental Results	73	(40)
Comparison of Analog Sizing Synthesis: Equation-based vs. Simulation-based	73	(6)
Design Specifications	74	(1)
Manual Sizing	74	(1)
Simulation-based Sizing	75	(1)
Equation-based Sizing	76	(1)
Comparison & Conclusions	77	(2)
Student Exercise: High-speed Operational Transconductance Amplifier	79	(11)
Setup	79	(1)
Session	79	(7)
Analysis of Results	86	(3)
Conclusions	89	(1)
Charge-Sensitive Amplifier - Pulse-Shaping Amplifier	90	(18)
CSA-PSA Specifications	91	(1)
CSA-PSA Architecture	92	(9)
Topology Selection	101	(1)
Sizing Synthesis: OPTIMAN	102	(1)
Layout Generation	102	(4)
Verification	106	(1)
Measurement Results	106	(1)
Conclusions	107	(1)
Summary	108	(5)
Conclusions	109	(4)
II Systematic Design of Analog Circuits	113	(80)
Introduction	115	(2)
Mondriaan: a Layout Synthesis Methodology for Array-type Analog Analog Blocks	117	(28)
Requirements of the New Layout Generation Methodology	119	(1)
Description of the Layout Model	120	(3)
Description of the Layout Generation Methodology	123	(7)
Floorplanning	124	(1)
Symbolic Routing	125	(1)
Technology Mapping	126	(1)
Bus and Tree Generators	127	(3)
Illustrative Example	130	(7)
Current Source Array	130	(3)
Switch/Latch Array	133	(2)
Assembly	135	(1)
Conclusions	136	(1)
Experimental Results	137	(6)
Folding/Interpolating A/D-converter Modules	137	(3)
Current-Steering D/A-converter Modules	140	(3)
Conclusions	143	(2)
Systematic Design of Current-Steering D/A-converters	145	(44)
Functionblock Design Flow	146	(2)
Current-Steering D/A-converter Architecture	148	(4)
Operating Principle and Specifications	148	(1)
Proposed Architecture and its Design Parameters	149	(3)
Behavioral Modeling for the Specification Phase	152	(2)
Dynamic Behavior	152	(2)
Static Behavior	154	(1)
Synthesis Flow of the D/A-converter	154	(2)
Sizing Synthesis	156	(7)
Architectural-level Synthesis	156	(3)
Circuit-level Synthesis	159	(2)
Full Decoder Synthesis	161	(2)
Clock Driver Synthesis	163	(1)
Layout Generation	163	(15)
Floorplanning	163	(1)
Current Source Array Layout Generation	164	(12)
Swatch Array Layout Generation	176	(1)
Full Decoder Standard Cell Place and Route	177	(1)
Layout Assembly	177	(1)
Extraction of a Behavioral Model for Verification	178	(3)
Static Behavior: INL	178	(1)
Dynamic Behavior: Glitch Energy	179	(2)
Experimental Results	181	(5)
Measurement Setup	181	(1)
Measurement Results	182	(2)
Breakdown of Design Time	184	(2)
Conclusions	186	(3)
Conclusions	189	(4)
Bibliography	193	(12)
Index	205