Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Division Engineering of Adaptive Systems EAS
Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, Division Engineering of Adaptive Systems EAS
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Automatisierung des Analogentwurfs mit Intelligent IP

Research Topics

© Fraunhofer IIS/EAS, Foto: Oliver Killig

Automated Analog Design

Modern business models in the world of integrated circuit (IC) design offer excellent scalability with a high degree of automation and reusability, as impressively demonstrated in the area of digital design. Analog design, by contrast, still suffers from a very low level of automation, resulting in long development times and relatively low reusability, coupled with high design risk and development costs. Such challenges are increasingly aggravated by growing system complexity and ever-smaller technology nodes.

Fraunhofer IIS/EAS therefore supports you with solutions to enable greater automation in analog design. Among other things, we’ve developed an approach using Intelligent IP (IIP) that automates typical analog basic circuits in a user-friendly manner, thereby speeding up the design process. We also automate design steps on an individual basis in line with customer requests.

Our portfolio of services for automated analog design includes the development of software and scripts for recurring and/or error-prone design steps, in particular for the Cadence Virtuoso® design environment. In addition, we develop application-oriented and automated design flows, from schematic entry to simulation and layout automation. Our services are applicable to technologies ranging from 350 nm to 22 nm, as well as FinFET technologies from various foundries. We also offer cross-project automation, design porting, and design migration. When it comes to selecting suitable automation methods and design tools, our focus is on cost, benefit, and usability for our customers.

Added Value for You

Through the automatic migration of analog components, we increase the reliability of your design and lower the risk of introducing new products:

  • Increased design efficiency
  • Minimization of design risks
  • Overarching design flows and advice on everything from specification to layout
  • IIP as a tried-and-tested automation solution
    • User-friendly and flow-compatible approach
    • Automation of typical analog basic circuits and customer-specific tasks
    • Reuse of circuits across different PDKs and projects
    • Automation of hierarchical circuits

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Porting Your Design with Intelligent IP

Intelligent IP provides a completely flow-compatible approach to analog automation. This method speeds up the design process, boosts design safety, and facilitates the reuse of circuits across projects and technologies. It can even be used to automate entire hierarchical circuits if this proves to be economically viable – e.g., in test structures or frequently used circuit components from product families.

IP Reuse with Intelligent IP

Intelligent IP allows you to reuse IP. Create your own PDK-agnostic generators from your circuits at the touch of a button and use them in other projects for other dimensioning variants, PDK flavors, or target technologies. You can do so using IIP generators right from the schematic entry stage – and will receive your parameterized circuit automatically. Our layout methods also result in an initial LVS-clean layout for rapid initial inspection.

At the same time, our approach is fully compatible with the customary design flow – and you can adapt or expand the resulting design data as usual without having to prepare any program code, although you can also do so if you wish. Intelligent IP allows you to boost design efficiency at the push of a button thanks to user-friendly and technology-independent automation.

References and more Information

Compact Information

Automated Analog Design

Our expert Benjamin Prautsch describes it in this video concisely.

Reference project

THINGS2DO

An increasing number of applications call for more powerful and more individually customized technologies. In response, the project "THINGS2DO" is focused on the development of a virtual German design center for FD-SOI components.

Reference project

PRIME

Future technical solutions in the Internet of Things are subject to especially high requirements for energy-efficient, small and inexpensive components. The »PRIME« project is establishing the prerequisites for the required manufacturing technologies.

Reference project

USeP

For mid-sized providers of electronic solutions, the »Internet of Things« is associated with nearly insurmountable hurdles. The project partners are looking to change this situation and develop a »modular technology« that should offer a simple way to make use of advanced electronic technologies.

Refernce project

Productive 4.0

In the European research initiative “Productive 4.0”, more than 100 partners from business and industry have come together to advance the field of industrial digitalization and networking.

Scientific Publications