Advances in Formal Methods for the Design of Analog/Mixed-Signal Systems

Abstract

Analog/mixed-signal (AMS) systems are rapidly expanding in all domains of information and communication technology. They are a critical part of the support for large-scale high-performance digital systems, provide important functionalities in medium-scale embedded and mobile systems, and act as a core organ of autonomous electronics such as sensor nodes. Analog and digital parts are closely intermixed, hence demanding AMS design methods and tools to be more holistic. In particular, the emergence of "little digital" electronics inside or near analog circuitry calls for the increasing use of asynchronous logic. To cope with the growing complexity of AMS designs, formal methods are required to complement traditional simulation approaches. This paper presents an overview of the state-of-the-art in AMS formal verification and asynchronous design that enables the development of analog/asynchronous co-design methods. One such co-design methodology is exemplified by the LEMA-Workcraft workflow currently under development by the authors .