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Synopsys, in what it acknowledges to be its largest announcement in years, has released a custom design environment for developers of analog/mixed-signal devices. An extension of Synopsys' Galaxy Design Platform for digital design, this tool provides an end-to-end verification and implementation tool for custom ics.
Built from the ground up on the OpenAccess database, Custom Designer integrates a common use model for simulation, analysis, parasitic extraction and physical verification providing 'full custom chip and block authoring flows'. OpenAccess makes it interoperable with process design kits from various foundries, reflecting the need for early design access to process details today.
"In the past, our Galaxy customers would have had to go to Cadence to address custom designs," admitted Graham Etchells, marketing director of Synopsys' analog mixed signal business unit. Whilst Synopsys had custom tools, notably those from the Avanti acquisition, he suggests that the reason they 'didn't really take off.' was down to the time taken for a designer to learn new tools and the productivity dip that ensued. Talking about how long users are likely to take to become familiar with Custom Designer, he intimates that this is 'more Cadence than Cadence', referring to similarities in the feel of Custom Designer to Cadence's popular Virtuoso platform, which includes Virtuoso AMS Designer. Etchell notes that 'some of the same guys that architected Virtuoso, architected this.'
Imitation is the best kind of flattery, so they say, but just what does Custom Designer bring that's new to the mixed signal design process? Etchells says that Synopsys has concentrated on facilitating productivity improvements over existing custom design solutions. For example, it has minimised the clicks required to accomplish repetitive tasks, such as changing the width of a transistor. There are 'smart' keys and customisable menus that can be moved around a schematic.
A notable difference to Cadence's approach is to use TCL and Python PCells, as opposed to Cadence's preference for its Skill PCell description format. Etchells notes that he sees 'a move to Python by industry " it is easier to debug and has performance advantages.'
There are two main additions to the Galaxy platform - a Schematic Editor and Layout Editor. The former adds features such as on-canvas editing, whilst the latter enables push-button DRC and extraction capabilities, and provides auto via and guardring generation. Meanwhile, the simulation environment allows access to existing Synopsys simulators such as HSPICE, HSIM XA and WaveView Analyser.
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