Cadence Analog/Mixed-Signal Design Methodology Overview

OVERVIEW
AMS DESIGN METHODOLOGY
The Cadence AMS Design Methodology delivers an extensive
design and data flow guide, from design specification through
design manufacturing, across the different functions of a design
team. It is based on executable design tasks and recommended
use models for fast, silicon-accurate mixed-signal design that
ensures first-pass silicon success. The AMS Design Methodology
addresses the analog-driven mixed-signal design process front to
back by executing well-defined flows that demonstrate a meetin-the-middle
approach, in which all design flows are running in
parallel to minimize design iterations, maximize project resource
utilization, and enhance design quality.
The AMS Design Methodology addresses the entire design
process and comprises five major flows:
1. Design environment and infrastructure
2. Top-down functional verification
3. AMS IP block creation and reuse
4. AMS IP export and integration
5. Top-down physical design
CADENCE ANALOG/
MIXED-SIGNAL DESIGN
METHODOLOGY
The Cadence ® Analog/Mixed-Signal (AMS) Design Methodology employs
advanced Cadence Virtuoso ® custom design technologies and leverages
silicon-accurate design flows to help design teams create differentiated silicon
faster and with less risk. It delivers verified and packaged methodologies
demonstrated on a real-world mixed-signal design. The Cadence AMS Design
Methodology combines the best of top-down (behavioral and mixed-level
approaches) with bottom-up (transistor-level design and abstraction) design
techniques to achieve predictable, high-quality results for complex mixedsignal
designs.
Design environment
and infrastructure
Top-down functional verification
AMS IP block creation and reuse
Top-down physical design
Figure 1: The Cadence AMS Design Methodology consists of five main flows
AMS IP export
and integration

Design Data
Input
1A
Target
CDK
(90nm)
1B
Design
Specs
1C
System-Level
Models
and Sims
1D
Third-Party
IP
1E
Legacy
IP
Top-Down Functional Design
2
AMS Block
Validation Strategy
3
AMS Block Design
Partitioning
4
Sub-Blocks
Specifications
5A
Analog Block
Circuit Design
5B
Analog Block
Behavioral Design
5C
Analog Block
Circuit Migration
5D
Digital Hierarchical
RTL Design
5E
Block IP
Top-Down Physical Design
6
AMS Block
Functional
Concept
Validation
Bottom-up Functional and Physical Design
8A
Analog Block
Circuit Design and
Optimization
The five flows are further divided into modules of logically related
design tasks, which are illustrated and documented with in-context
scenarios. The different scenarios are demonstrated on a siliconimplemented
and verified real-life design, namely an Ethernet
physical layer macro (PHY) and a sigma-delta fractional-N PLL
frequency synthesizer macro for WLAN applications. The Ethernet
PHY contains 20k analog devices and 30k digital gates including
typical analog, digital, and mixed-signal blocks such as flash ADC,
VGA, equalizer, and clock recovery circuit. The fractional-N PLL is a
2.4GHz synthesizer that contains 20k devices and includes a 5GHz
LC VCO, a high-speed divider, on-chip regulators, and a calibration
mechanism for loop filtering and VCO.
Both Ethernet PHY and frac-N PLL are implemented on a 90nm
generic process design kit (GPDK), which has virtually all the
aspects of an actual design kit. The design blocks have all the
necessary views for complete design, including symbols,
schematics, constraints, behavioral models, abstracts, layout, and
extracted views, as well as configurations, testbenches, and
simulation states. A design team can use the reference design as
a basis to enter a new design domain, understand a wide range
of new Virtuoso technologies, acquire new methodologies, and
map selected elements onto their own design environment.
7
AMS Block Early
Floorplanning
8B
Digital Design
Synthesis
8C
Block IP
Qualification
9
AMS Block
Functional
Performance
Validation
11
AMS Block
Refinement
Floorplanning
14
Block Physical
Integration
Preparation
www.cadence.com CADENCE ANALOG/MIXED-SIGNAL DESIGN METHODOLOGY
10A
Block Physical
Estimation
10B
Block IP Physical
Import
12A
Analog Physical
Design
12B
Digital Block
Physical Design
12C
Block IP Layout
Integration
12D
Analog Block
Layout Migration
13
AMS Block
Functional
Post-Layout
Validation
16
AMS Block
Functional
Signoff
Validation
15
AMS Block
Assembly
Figure 2: The combination of top-down (behavioral/mixed-level) and bottom-up (transistor-level design/abstraction) techniques ensures high-quality results
ETHERNET PHY Transceiver Macro
Rx
Digital
10BASE-T
Receiver
10BASE-TX
Receiver
60k Gate
Analog 30k Device
PFD &
CP
Clk
Tx
dvdd/dgnd
Modulator
Control
Loop
Filter
1.2V Regulator (HF)
1.2V Regulator (LF)
Polarity Correction
Squelch Link Detect
VGA Control
Digital Equalizer/Slicer
Timing/BLW Control
10BASE-T PLL
100BASE-TX PLL
10BASE-T
Driver
100BASE-TX
Driver
Autonegotiation
MLT-3
Dedoder
Scrambler
dvdd/dgnd
∆∑
Modulator
Multi-
Modulus
Divider
Clock Recovery
Manchester Decoder
MLT-3
Decoder
Descrambler
Manchester Encoder
Digital Waveshaping
1.2V (LF)
1.2V (LF) 1.2V (HF) 1.2V (HF) 1.2V (HF)
LPF VCO
Collision
Carrier Sense
RC VCO
Calibration Calibration
Control Control
dvdd/dgnd dvdd/dgnd
4B/5B
Decoder
4B/5B
Encoder
ATB
Design Data
Output
17
AMS Block
Preparation
for SoC
Integration
1.2V (HF)
I & Q
Divide
by 2
Figure 3: The Cadence AMS Design Methodology is demonstrated
on a real-world mixed-signal design
MII
2

FEATURES
DESIGN ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Any design process takes place in a certain environment including
different projects, CAD tools, process design kits (PDKs), and users
on different hardware platforms and operating systems. It is very
important to create a consistent design environment to ensure the
quality of the design and the credibility of the results.
This part of the Cadence AMS Design Methodology gives the
foundation to set up a design environment using tested and
proved methods and technologies, including incremental tool
access, project directory structure, how to set up and control
PDKs, and how to automate project and flow setup using the
Design Environment and Configuration Manager.
The data exchange between the design house and the foundry is
explained, detailing required datasets from the foundry and how
to qualify them against the defined AMS flows. Special attention
is given to the PDK—how to automatically check its content
using the Data Surveyor and how to use the Incremental
Technology Database (ITDB) to customize and enhance the PDK
Design
libraries
/projects/
ProjectA/ ProjectB/ ProjectC/
deslibs/
Working
libraries
doc/
Project
Documents
user1/ user2/
.cdsinit .cds.lib
assura_tech.lib
.csdenv
display.drf
hdl.var
TOP-DOWN FUNCTIONAL VERIFICATION
A comprehensive functional verification flow is presented,
spanning all levels of abstraction and all design stages, from
planning to post-layout device-level signoff verification. First, an
introduction to the concept of design partitioning and simulation
planning is given. Next, behavioral modeling guidelines and
testbench strategies are presented.
A consistent testbench structure is used over all later stages of
verification, starting with concept validation using behavioral
model representation in AMS simulation, and system validation
using Simulink/AMS co-simulation. Next is performance
validation using mixed-level-transistor plus behavioral-level
simulation on Virtuoso AMS Designer Simulator with SDF
backannotated to the digital part.
Finally, a post-layout and signoff verification is prepared to include
both analog extracted parasitics and SDF backannotation for the
most accurate timing estimation using Virtuoso AMS-Ultra
Simulator. An IDDQ analysis is performed using full extracted
transistor-level DC simulation with the Virtuoso UltraSim Full-Chip
Simulator along with top-level EM IR drop analysis.
Figure 4: AMS design environment and infrastructure Figure 5: AMS top-down functional verification
www.cadence.com CADENCE ANALOG/MIXED-SIGNAL DESIGN METHODOLOGY
3

AMS IP BLOCK CREATION AND REUSE
A thorough approach to creation of both analog and digital blocks
is presented using productivity-oriented Virtuoso technology. The
constraints concept and management is used to amend the
schematic with the required information to automatically create its
layout. Furthermore, constraints can be inferred from pre-defined
circuit structures using the Circuit Prospector Assistant.
New layout techniques like design-rule–driven (DRD), module
generator (Modgen), and constraint-driven editing are shown in
action through a dedicated assisted layout module. A new approach
to simulation is shown through the specification-oriented simulation
platform (Virtuoso Analog Design Environment) with its numerous
productivity enhancement features including simulation history,
check points manager, parameterization flow, design specifications,
and parasitic estimation flow. The high-capacity Virtuoso Analog
Design Environment optimization engine is used for local and global
optimization on the block level, over corners, and as a yield
optimizer with Monte Carlo and sensitivity analyses.
Figure 6: AMS IP block creation and reuse
Later, Virtuoso Layout Optimizer is used to boost the yield on
the back end. A tutorial introduction to analog-driven digital
implementation using the Virtuoso Digital Implementation Option
shows a typical digital layout flow including planning, prototyping,
placement, routing, timing optimization, clock tree synthesis, SDF
generation, parasitic extraction, and parasitic closure.
AMS IP EXPORT AND INTEGRATION
The IP flow is a comprehensive guide for analog and digital IP
handling, from top-level integration to extensive characterization
and packaging. On the exporting side, a complete step-by-step
scenario of characterizing and modeling an analog IP in Verilog ® -
AMS is presented, taking an N-bit flash ADC as an example.
Automated testbench extraction is discussed; generic behavioral
model planning, coding, and debugging is illustrated. The model
includes advanced features like noise, aperture time, INL, and DNL
parameters. The layout abstract is generated using the Virtuoso
Abstract Generator. The timing information (.lib) file for top-level
digital integration is generated using Virtuoso Spectre ® MDL
language and verified by importing to the Cadence Encounter ®
platform. Finally, packaging of all generated views for publishing is
discussed and implemented using Vulcan technology.
Target PDK
Target DFH library
where generated
DFH will be located
Repository directory
where non-DFH
outputs will be stored
Processing scratch run
directory for various
log files and
temporary data
Inherited connections
definition for
global nodes
Definition of power
and ground nodes
used at several stages
of view creation (RCX,
CeltiC, VoltageStorm)
Figure 7: AMS IP export and integration
List of cell found in
various inputs data and
the target repository
library if it already exists
Each entry represents a
cell and columns
represents views that
need to be created and
to be re-used
Selection of views
to be created
www.cadence.com CADENCE ANALOG/MIXED-SIGNAL DESIGN METHODOLOGY
4

On the importing and integration side, feasibility of IP integration
employing multi-technology simulation (MTS) is exemplified,
followed by actual import using Vulcan technology. Legacy cdb
file import into the Virtuoso OpenAccess (OA) database is shown.
Importing of digital IP in an analog context is also presented.
TOP-DOWN PHYSICAL DESIGN
The physical design flow introduces a true top-down approach to
chip layout using state-of-the-art Virtuoso technologies. Special
emphasis is given to early floorplanning to get information about
the critical parasitics to feed back to the verification flow. This is
possible through a Virtuoso Floorplanner, a Physical Hierarchy
Configurator, and an Abstract Generator, along with several
floorplanning techniques like connectivity analysis, area
estimation, pushdown block shaping, and pin optimization. The
flow is illustrated on the PLL.
The analog-oriented physical assembly and routing is described
using both Virtuosos Chip Assembly Router and Virtuoso Space-
Based Router, both accepting design constraints. The flow is
demonstrated by top-level routing of the Ethernet PHY and the
PLL macro using advanced analog routing techniques like critical
signal, differential signal, shielded signal, bundle, and supply
routing. After routing, chip finishing is applied, including metal
density and antenna checks, metal filling, and guard rings.
Figure 8: AMS top-down physical design
The assembled layout is then verified using Cadence Assura ®
verification technology with dedicated scenarios for Design Rule
Checking (DRC), Layout Versus Schematic (LVS) checking, and
Parasitic Extraction (RCX) applied to the Ethernet PHY. A
comprehensive guide to practical Assura features like flat and
hierarchical, black-box or selected area checking, different
netlisting, and extracted parasitic formats is illustrated.
EXECUTABLE SCENARIOS
DESIGN ENVIRONMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE FLOW
• AMS design flow overview
• Foundry enablement
• Project environment setup
• Automated project setup with the Design Environment and
Configuration Manager
• Reference Data Surveyor
• ITDB implementation
TOP-DOWN FUNCTIONAL VERIFICATION FLOW
• Design partitioning and simulation planning
• Concept validation
• AMS/Simulink co-simulation
• AMS functional verification
• Signoff functional verification
• IDDQ simulation
• EM IR drop analysis with DSPF stitching
AMS IP BLOCK CREATION AND REUSE FLOW
• Constraint-driven analog block creation
• Analog block design simulation
• Analog block design optimization
• Interactive assisted analog layout
• Electrical yield optimization
• Layout yield optimization with Virtuoso Layout Optimizer
• Digital block implementation
AMS IP EXPORT AND INTEGRATION FLOW
• Analog IP characterization, front end
• Analog IP characterization, back end
• IP import feasibility study using MTS
• IP Import using Vulcan methodology
• IP import for Virtuoso methodology
www.cadence.com CADENCE ANALOG/MIXED-SIGNAL DESIGN METHODOLOGY
5

• Virtuoso integration of digital IP
• Digital IP characterization
• IP packaging for publishing and reuse
TOP-DOWN PHYSICAL DESIGN FLOW
• Hierarchical floorplanning
• Top-level assembly with Virtuoso Chip Assembly Router
• Top-level assembly with Virtuoso Space-Based Router
• Chip finishing
• Physical verification Assura DRC
• Physical verification with Assura LVS
• Parasitic extraction with Assura RCX
© 2009 Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. Cadence, the Cadence logo, Assura, Encounter, Spectre, Verilog, and Virtuoso are registered
trademarks and SoC Encounter is a trademark of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All others are properties of their respective holders.
21053 06/09 MK/MVC/DM/PDF
PRODUCT INTEGRATION
• Virtuoso Multi-Mode Simulation
• Virtuoso Spectre Circuit Simulator
• Virtuoso AMS Designer Simulator
• Virtuoso UltraSim Full-Chip Simulator
• Virtuoso Analog Design Environment (ADE)
• Virtuoso Schematic Editor
• Virtuoso Layout Suite
• Virtuoso Layout Migrate
• Virtuoso Analog VoltageStorm Option
• Virtuoso Analog ElectronStorm Option
• Assura Design Rule Checker (DRC)
• Assura Layout vs. Schematic (LVS) Verifier
• Assura Parasitic Extraction (RCX)
• SoC Encounter RTL-to-GDSII System
For more information
contact Cadence sales at:
+1.408.943.1234
or log on to:
www.cadence.com/
contact_us