Virtuosity: Device Arrays in the Automated Device Placement and Routing Flow

17 Mar 2020 • 3 minute read

Analog layout automation has been a key area of focus in EDA for the last 20 years. The demand for it has only grown stronger in recent years due to the additional challenges of shrinking process nodes. The initial release of the Automated Device Placement and Routing (APR) solution last year was a significant step in addressing this demand. Since then, we have continued to improve and build upon this solution, and the latest release brings into the fold device arrays or Modgens as they are popularly known among Cadence^® Virtuoso^® users, to address the precise matching requirements in analog layout.

In an earlier blog, Aneesh gave an introduction to the Auto Device Array (ADA) feature, which has significantly accelerated the creation of Modgens by consolidating its key features in a one-stop-shop GUI.

In this blog, I’ll talk about how this ADA feature is an integral piece of the new APR solution.

ADA in APR—The Perfect Fit

Device arrays are crucial components of the new APR solution. These can be created automatically during the device grouping and constraint creation step or interactively using the ADA feature, which lets you specify the required patterns, dummy devices for matching, and guard rings that are specifically designed to meet advanced node requirements. The underlying grids work seamlessly with these device arrays. The automatic placer updates the grids for optimal placement while retaining user intent and the specified configurations. Base layer fill and routing handle these device arrays transparently to generate the final layout, as seen in the following animation.

As you can see, automation and user interaction go hand-in-hand in this enhanced APR solution. Not only can the device arrays be easily modified using the ADA functionality, but there is also an incremental placer that can very quickly update the placement following such modifications.

The ADA feature and the APR solution are perfectly coupled to provide the benefits of automation without sacrificing the custom-crafted quality that is the essence of analog layout.

So, go ahead and check out how the enhanced APR solution can help you create more customized layouts with all the advantages of an automated solution!

Related Resources

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Virtuoso Module Generator User Guide

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Happy Reading!

Sravasti Nair