Virtuoso - The Next Overture: Introducing Simulation Driven Routing

The new release of the Virtuoso® platform (ICADVM18.1) offers groundbreaking analysis capabilities and an innovational new simulation-driven layout for more robust and efficient design implementation as well as extending our support for the most advanced process technologies. With this solution, we are able to significantly improve productivity through advanced methodologies and provide the most comprehensive set of solutions in the industry with an interoperable flow across chip, package, module and board.

Simulation Driven Routing (SDR) is another buzz word that you must have heard for a while.

Our interactive routing research and development team has been busy with developing a feature that elevates Virtuoso® from an electrically-aware environment to a simulation-driven environment. It is a significant step towards “correct-by-construction” routing. 

Virtuoso® Layout Suite EAD already improved the design cycle by 30%. SDR is going to provide another improvement on top of this one.

The new feature has been well received by our early access partners.

About Simulation Driven Routing

Despite having a lot of cool stuff that Electrically Aware Design offers, SDR addresses many of the electromigration (EM) and parasitic challenges of critical circuits and advanced-node designs.

Featuring a unique in-design solution, interactive SDR provides a powerful new way for a layout designer to have a predictable flow to meet the current density constraints and in turn significantly reduces the sign-off time and improves the productivity and design reliability. SDR decreases the number of iterations and improves the layout productivity by up to 50%. 

The figure here illustrates the various design flows. The first block on the left illustrates the regular design flow without EAD, where the electrical impact is unknown until the layout is completed. The next block in-between illustrates the electrically-aware design flow. In this flow, the parasitic extraction and EM checks are performed concurrently during the layout implementation process.

The last block in the figure illustrates the Simulation Driven design flow. With SDR, we use simulation derived electrical information to drive the layout implementation. This provides a way to take into account EM constraints during interactive routing and be EM compliant. SDR, working in parallel with EAD in-design, facilitates for both working on a design with the correct-by-construction approach and accurate extraction for checking and sign-off. Introducing simulation derived information even earlier in the design cycle, further minimizes the loop in between layout and sign-off, elevating Virtuoso from an electrically aware environment to a simulation driven environment.

 The key features are:

• Easy way to visualize the net topology and current distribution per net before routing.
• Interactive way to calculate the current into a wire, according to the topology.
• Auto sizing of wires and vias according to the estimated current.
• Easy and flexible way to connect devices, according to the estimated current, as you route, especially for multi-finger devices.

Related Resources

Simulation Driven Interactive Routing

For more information on Cadence circuit design products and services, visit www.cadence.com.

Contact Us

For more information on the New Virtuoso Design Platform, or if you have any questions or feedback on the features covered in this blog, please contact team_virtuoso@cadence.com.

To receive similar updates about new and exciting capabilities being built into Virtuoso for our upcoming Advanced Nodes and Advanced Methodologies releases, type your email ID in the Subscriptions field at the top of the page and click SUBSCRIBE NOW.

Parul Agarwal, and Alexandre Soyer (Team Virtuoso)