STARC selects MunEDA WiCkeD for variation-aware circuit analysis and optimization in STARCAD-AMS design flow

SHIN-YOKOHAMA, JAPAN: Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center (STARC), the leading Japanese semiconductor industry association, evaluated and selected MunEDA’s EDA tool suite WiCkeD as the circuit design tool of its STARCAD-AMS mixed-signal design flow recommended for the industry.

The STARCAD-AMS design flow methodology integrates the best-in-class and best-performing tools for floor planning, constraint-driven design, circuit performance and yield analysis and optimization, schematic layout and co-design, and inter-block co-design for analog and mixed-signal design.

Kunihiko Tsuboi, STARC senior manager Mixed-Signal Design Group, said: ”Design in deep-submicron technologies has to consider many critical issues like large mismatch variation, STI stress, WPE and parasitic effects and others that result in lots of back tracking, increasing design effort, and therefore a further increasing design Turn-Around-Time (TAT).

"One major goal of the STARCAD-AMS design flow methodology is to reduce this design TAT at least by half. The MunEDA tools suite WiCkeD has shown that it can contribute to this goal significantly and is therefore a recommended tool in the STARCAD-AMS design flow for variation-aware circuit design.”

The selected test case was a differential amplifier, analysed with 5 test-benches to measure 19 design performances at 7 process corners, two operating condition variables and mismatch. STARC’s main requirement for evaluated tools were to find an appropriate design parameter sizing to satisfy all electrical specifications, minimize area and reduce mismatch variation in 40 percent or less of the necessary manual sizing time.

Michael Pronath, MunEDA VP Products & Solutions, said: “We are proud that STARC, one of the largest and powerful semiconductor industry associations worldwide, has selected our products and solutions to enhance their STARCAD-AMS design flow with variation-aware circuit design. Together with STARC and the STARC members we will further develop our tools and flows.”