"Without automated custom layout tools like Laker-MDR, the layout and routing of matching devices is an error-prone, time-consuming process that impacts analog design yield," noted Richard Morse, Director of Marketing at Silicon Canvas. "Laker-MDR has been designed with customer input and hands-on testing to fit with our goals for improving our customers' productivity."
Benchmark Results
In a sample benchmark, the layout of a small analog design consisting of 40 devices -- 24 of which were matching devices -- took over four hours using existing methods. With Laker-MDR, the design layout was completed in thirty minutes.
About Laker-MDR -- Layout Automation, Layout Control, Improved Productivity
Laker-MDR is an option to the Laker DDL (Design-Driven Layout) suite of automated custom layout software that includes the Laker Constraint Editor/Extractor; a constraint-driven Custom Placer and Custom Router software for analog layout designs.
The Problems
Matching devices typically make up 40% of the devices in an analog design, and creating an effective matching device layout can limit analog design productivity if it is not automated.
Unlike digital design, analog devices are especially sensitive to process variation and circuit noise. Fortunately the identical matching of device performance is more important than the value of the individual devices.
The Solution -- Laker-L3 and Laker-MDR
In order for devices to match electrically, the physical layout requires close proximity and interconnect (routing) that is electrically identical while still meeting a myriad of constraints and advanced design rules. Laker-MDR honors a broad range of constraints while automatically generating routing for matched devices free of design rule errors.
By using special layout techniques analog designers can minimize the affects of process variability on matched devices. Common methods include the use of folded or multi-fingered transistors; splitting transistors into multiple gates with symmetrical, offset segments and identical layout; adding dummy gates; and sometimes all of the above. The Laker-L3 (Layout) tool has specialized software for generating these kinds of layout. Then Laker-MDR is used to provide the matched device routing.
Price and Availability
Laker-MDR is available now and starts at $37,500 for a one year TBL.
About Laker
Silicon Canvas' Laker suite of software tools are well known for analog, mixed-signal and custom digital design, offering unmatched productivity from rule-driven, schematic-driven and design-driven layout flows. The integrated Laker portfolio includes the Laker Analog Design Platform (ADP) with schematic entry, a simulation console and a waveform viewer, Laker L3 for layout), and Laker Design Driven Layout (DDL) with its constraint editor/extractor, custom placer, and matched device and custom routers.
Laker-MDR and other Silicon Canvas DDL tools have intuitive user interfaces with the hands-on control that analog designers demand, while offering the quality and productivity gains that today's market requires.
About Silicon Canvas
Silicon Canvas, Inc. is the technology leader for full-custom IC design software. The Company's Laker schematic, layout, and automated custom layout tools offer the power of controllable automation and unmatched interoperability to deliver best-in-class flows for analog, mixed-signal, and custom digital designs. More than 300 companies worldwide, including 7 of the top 10 semiconductor companies, have chosen Laker, and are adopting it for designs down to 45nm. For more information about Silicon Canvas, please visit www.sicanvas.com.
Silicon Canvas and Laker are registered trademarks of Silicon Canvas, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Press Contacts:
Richard Morse
Phone: (408) 321-0888 X 106
Email Contact
Georgia Marszalek
ValleyPR for Silicon Canvas
Phone: (650) 345 7477
Email Contact
