Magma Design Automation announced a partnership with Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS to develop process-independent Titan FlexCell models of the Institute’s analog intellectual property (IP) cores. Through the partnership, Magma will provide Fraunhofer IIS with access to Titan analog design accelerators and FineSim SPICE simulation technology and will assist in creating models of complex analog macro cells, including analog-digital converters (ADC). With the availability of a wider range of Titan FlexCells and expert consulting services, developers using Magma tools and Fraunhofer IIS IP can accelerate analog design implementation.
“We will be developing full FlexCell models to enable design teams to quickly adopt and integrate our analog IP into their mixed-signal designs,” said Johann Hauer, chip design expert of Fraunhofer IIS. “Our first implementations will be ADC macro cells. One of the major strengths of our institution is the ability to model circuits and systems. We believe the FlexCell process-independent representation and the Titan suite of accelerators is an ideal way to deliver our analog IP.”
“With more than 750 researchers in microelectronics including audio and video coding, telecommunications, imaging and integrated circuit design, Fraunhofer IIS is a world-renowned center of expertise for digital and analog development,” said Anirudh Devgan, general manager of Magma’s Custom Design Business Unit. “The company’s analog IP and design consultancy, coupled with our best-in-class analog design infrastructure provides a winning solution.”
Magma FlexCells: Four Views of IP
FlexCells are modular, reusable IP building blocks for analog design. The cells include all the information necessary to optimize common functions using Titan ADX to generate custom analog designs. They comprise four views of the IP: the FlexCell Circuit Model, a mathematical description of the circuit function, constraints and topology; the Physical Model, a set of process-independent constraints to guide the floorplanning and placement of the design layout; a Schematic, a transistor-level schematic of the circuit design; and testbenches, which provide stimulus and analysis of the design functionality and performance.
Titan: Accelerating Analog Design
Magma’s mixed-signal system-on-chip (SoC) design environment includes the comprehensive Titan Mixed-Signal Design Platform and Titan Accelerators. The Titan Mixed-Signal Platform is the industry’s first true mixed-signal design platform that integrates implementation and verification while delivering first-time-correct, predictable mixed-signal designs. It includes user-friendly, full-custom schematic and layout editors, an analog simulation environment and correct-by-design schematic-driven layout.
Titan Accelerators are advanced technology solutions that dramatically improve analog/mixed-signal design productivity and reuse. Titan Analog Design Accelerator (Titan ADX) is a model-based analog design and optimization tool that enables analog design reuse. Titan ADX creates new designs from Magma’s library of FlexCell building blocks and makes existing designs reusable as FlexCell models. Titan Analog Virtual Prototyper (Titan AVP) is a layout-aware schematic design tool that performs simultaneous electrical and physical co-design for rapid schematic-to-layout convergence. Titan Analog Layout Accelerator (Titan ALX) automates migration of analog cell layouts to new process technologies while preserving design intent. Titan Shape-Based Router (Titan SBR) automates difficult routing tasks improving routing productivity by a factor of 10.
Filed Under: Industrial automation
