Foundry-Portable, Mixed-Signal

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Foundry-Portable, Mixed-Signal ASIC Design Center
Application of Commercially Manufactured
Electronics
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Problem Statement

• Traditional military sources of
  high-performance, mixed-signal ASIC technology
  are going away.
• In the future, defense programs will need to use
  commercial sources for this technology, or do
  without.
• Military business is not attractive to
  commercial ASIC foundries because they must
  divert scarce, specialized design resources from
  higher volume/profit, opportunities.
• Commercial ASIC foundries tailor their processes
  and design rules toward applications that are
  typically used in less strenuous environments
  over shorter lifetimes.
• Commercial ASIC foundries do not always
  characterize processes and provide models for the
  mil temp range.

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Program Goal
Establish the tools, knowledge and foundry
agreements needed to provide U.S. defense
programs with an affordable, portable reliable
access path to commercial mixed-signal ASIC
foundries.
Subgoal
Demonstrate this capability with a pathfinder IC
design that is implemented in one or more
commercial foundries has been successfully
ported between foundries
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Boeing ACME-Related Productivity Enhancements
Boeing - Cell Miner
NeoCAD/Ultra-Syn/NeoRF
Cell Librarian
Automated RF Design Optimization, Routing, and
Layout - Boeing is Commercialization Demonstrator
Boeing Soft Cells
Potential Commercialization Path
Automated Sub-Cell Design Layout Optimization
Cadence - Virtuoso Custom Router
NeoLinear - NeoCell
Automated Analog Placement Routing
Automated Analog Routing
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Impact on Design Flow
ACME
ACME
ACME
Deliver
ACME
Cadence Flow Shown
ACME
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NeoCad Program
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Digital Cell Library Migration - Prolific
Migrates up to 400 cells in 8 - 12 hr
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Cadence Virtuoso Custom Router (VCR)

• Automatic Cell-Level Routing
• Interactive Placement

SPICE Netlist Placement
VCR
GDSII

• Can match signal characteristics
• Coax and Differential Routing
• Can control crosstalk
• Critical Net Pre-routing

Foundry Technology Files
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NeoLinear Tools

• Device Sizing Optimization
• In Development

• Auto Analog Place Route
• RFP Issued

NeoLinear and Cadence have a new agreement
allowing Cadence to Distribute and Support NeoCell
SPICE Netlist
NeoCircuit
NeoCell
GDSII
Sized Netlist

• Any Topology

• Can match signal characteristics
• Coax and Differential Routing
• Can control crosstalk
• Preserves Placement Symmetry

Users Test Bench
Foundry Technology Files
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Barcelona Design

• Optimizer is designed specifically for each
  topology offered
• Tool runs at Barcelona Design Facility - no
  maintenance required
• Quick simulation
• All parameters available without test bench design

Web-Based Interface

• Web Pages
• Process Selection
• Topology Selection
• Requirements
• Simulation Results

Sized Netlist and GDSII
Optimizer
Foundry Technology Files
Topology Library
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Barcelona Design Costs

• A design run is defined as a Design Click
• Op Amp trades may involve multiple Design Clicks
• An annual 20k subscription allows unlimited
  Design Clicks

Typical manual design cost 8400
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BiasNet CapNet Soft Cell Test Structures -
Validates Sensitivity-Weighted Optimization