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Interoperable PDKs accelerate analog EDA innovation
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Process design kit (PDK) standards are one area that could greatly help reduce the disproportionate time and effort required to realize the analog portion of a design. PDKs have existed for two decades and provide access to foundry-verified data files for such AMS design elements as parameterized layout cells (PCells). However, most have been constructed using proprietary languages and databases, and this works against easy reuse, multi-vendor tool flows and other potential efficiencies. As advanced process nodes require access to complex PCells, complex design flows and IP portability, open standardized PDKs are becoming a necessity so that analog designers can take full advantage of the latest technologies. April 2007 saw the establishment of the Interoperable PDK Libraries (IPL) Alliance, an industry-wide initiative charged with establishing an interoperable custom design ecosystem. Some 18 EDA vendors and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the largest foundry, are now members of the alliance, and the article describes its work to date, including an already-demonstrated multi-vendor analog design flow that uses the new standards. To view the rest of the article, login or register below New users, register to access all online articles and archives:To register for access to online articles and archives, simply fill out the fields below. Fields marked with
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