On Tuesday I met with Richard Shi, Ph.D.,Chairman and CTO of Orora Design Technologies.
This company offered the 1st – optimizer and analog synthesis tool.
They showed me three tools for use by analog design engineers.
Arana – Behavioral model generator (dial in the percentage accuracy needed)
– Bottom up generator (RTL extractor, algebraic reduction)
– Top down generator (like Excel spreadsheet input, create Verilog A netlist, template matching), user defined template matching
– Validation environment (help automate test bench creation)
– Creates Verilog A, Verilog AMS, Verilog models
– Inputs: Netlist or Cadence db, OA
– Optionally optimize your model
– Ask for inputs, outputs (digital or analog)
Arche – Arana input (Beta)
– Creates data sheet verification report
– Re-use testbenches
– Read waveforms and check against spec
– Verify electrical rules
Arsyn – Used for five years, circuit synthesis
– Optimization, creates an optimized circuit design
– Automated design and re-use platform
– Example: DARPA did a ADC, DAC, 600 transistors (5X faster design time, doubled the yield)
– Pricing not disclosed
Arphy – next year tool
– Layout synthesis
Partner Programs – Cadence, Mentor, Synopsys
Mission – automate analog and ams design
Customers – 20 now
Demo – invoke arana from virtuosos GUI (also own gui)
– Model methods (bottom up, structural, functional, template, algebra)
– PLL example with several blocks
– Define which blocks are bottom up
– How to validate each model?
– User provides: pin name, pin direction, discipline (electrical or logic), function (V, I, Vdd, Vss, large, small signal)
– Also generate the analog test bench to simulate my models
– User defines how many parameters to use, how many PVT corners to use
– Validation manager: original stimulus from CDN, run spice on netlist versus
– Which simulators? Any tool (Spectre, Ultrasim, HSPICE, Nanosim)
– Output comparisons of spice versus Verilog A, show % differences.
You can also review our Analog and RF
optimization tools
http://www.ago-inc.com