ALSYN: flexible rule-based layout synthesis for analog IC's

This paper presents a layout synthesis tool called ALADIN for analog integrated circuits. It is developed especially for analog circuit designers who can bring their special knowledge and experience into the synthesis process to create high quality layouts. The layout generation is based on relatively complex sub-circuits rather than non-optimal single devices. A flexible module generator environment is developed for designers to write and maintain technology and application independent module generators of sub-circuits. Based on the thorough study of simulated annealing and genetic algorithm applications in the analog module placement, a genetic placement approach with simulated annealing and a very fast simulated re-annealing placement approach have been developed. A two-stage placement technique is proposed. Analog module routing consists of two phases including global routing and detailed routing. The minimum-Steiner-tree based global routing can be integrated into the placement procedure to improve the routability of placement solutions. The compaction based constructive detailed routing finally realizes the layout of the whole circuit. This tool is integrated into commercial software with convenient interfaces provided. The benefit of ALADIN providing layouts comparable to expert manual ones is demonstrated with several circuits showing its competition compared to other existing tools.

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“…Meye zu Bexten et al developed a successful rulebased analog layout system ALSYN [5]. A circuit is first analyzed by a compiled rule set.…”

Section: Review Of Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus far a few tools [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] have been developed to automate the generation of analog layouts. However, they more or less bypass the knowledge of circuit designers, since most of these tools are developed for system designers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aladin: A Layout Synthesys Tool for Analog Integrated Circuits

Zhang

Kleine

Raut

et al. 2006

Analog Integr Circ Sig Process

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“…Its companion, ANAGRAM II, was a maze-style detailed area router capable of supporting several forms of symmetric differential routing, mechanisms for tagging compatible and incompatible classes of wires (e.g., noisy and sensitive wires), parasitic crosstalk avoidance and over-the-device routing. Also, other device placers and routers operating in the macrocellstyle have appeared (e.g., LADIES [110] and ALSYN [111]). Results from these tools can be quite impressive.…”

Section: ) Analog Circuit-level Layout Synthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Computer-aided design of analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits

2000

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“…However, as some of these tools (such as [3], [4], and [7]) are developed for the system designers, the circuit designers tend to experience difficulties to integrate their design knowledge and experiences into the design flow. Even though this problem has been addressed in KOAN/ANAGRAM II [8] and LAYLA [10], the construction of an entire analog layout in these systems is based on nonoptimal single devices rather than decomposed subcircuits (referred as modules thereafter), which inevitably increases the computation complexity, especially for larger circuits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An automated design tool for analog layouts

Zhang

Kleine

Jiang

2006

IEEE Trans. VLSI Syst.

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In this paper, a layout synthesis tool for the design of analog integrated circuits (ICs) is presented. This tool offers great flexibility that allows analog circuit designers to bring their special design knowledge and experiences into the synthesis process to create high-quality analog circuit layouts. Different from conventional layout systems that are limited to the optimization of single devices, our layout generation tool attempts to optimize more complex modules. This tool includes a complete tool suite that covers the following three major analog physical designs stages. 1) Module Generation: designers can develop and maintain their own technology-and application-independent module generators for subcircuits using an in-house developed description language. 2) Placement: a two-stage placement technique, tailored for the analog placement design, is proposed. In particular, this placement algorithm features a novel genetic placement stage followed by a fast simulated reannealing scheme. 3) Routing: the minimum-Steiner-tree-based global routing is developed, and it is actually integrated into the placement procedure to improve reliability and routability of the placement solutions. Following the global routing, a compaction-based constructive detailed routing finally completes the interconnection of the entire layout. Several testing circuits have been applied to demonstrate the design efficiency and the effectiveness of this tool. Experimental results show that this new layout tool is capable of producing high quality layouts comparable to those manually done by layout experts but with much less design time.

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ALSYN: flexible rule-based layout synthesis for analog IC's

Cited by 46 publications

References 15 publications

Aladin: A Layout Synthesys Tool for Analog Integrated Circuits

Aladin: A Layout Synthesys Tool for Analog Integrated Circuits

Computer-aided design of analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits

An automated design tool for analog layouts

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