The Designer's Guide Community Forum

The Designer's Guide Community Forum
https://designers-guide.org/forum/YaBB.pl
General >> Tech Talk >> PDK Transfer
https://designers-guide.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1379318851

Message started by KRAHASS on Sep 16^th, 2013, 1:07am

Title: PDK Transfer
Post by KRAHASS on Sep 16^th, 2013, 1:07am

Dear all,

Do you know if on Cadence EDA tools it is possible to transfer a design from one technology to another and keeping component parameters inchanged. I mean if I did a design in one technology, is it possible to keep the same design (without retyping schamatic and layout) when I change the technology.

Regards,

KRAHASS

Title: Re: PDK Transfer
Post by nat on Sep 19^th, 2013, 2:55am

It does not have that functionality built-in. If you talk about schematic porting you could use a 3rd party software, MunEDA has schematic porting tool.

I've developed skill scripts which have done this as well, but it is not so trivial.
If the technology is REALLY similar you could port some layout too. Friend of mine has done this using mentor's calibre.

Title: Re: PDK Transfer
Post by KRAHASS on Sep 19^th, 2013, 3:28am

Hi nat,

Thanks for answering. Yes I'm talking about schematic porting and also layout porting, I know it's quite difficult to do this latter task especially when technologies are different but I want to find an efficient way, time saving also to transfer design from one techno to another. I took a look on MunEDA website but I didn't find something about layout porting. Your friend have done this on the same techno? I mean the same foundry? What do you think if fabs and EDA tools are different at the same time? this could be an impossible task since the scripting language for PCells are different most often, isn't?

Title: Re: PDK Transfer
Post by nat on Sep 19^th, 2013, 4:06am

MunEDA has tool for schematic porting only.

At first he has done this layout porting in the same foundry process, the same node size even just between different "flavors" (RF, low leakage, high voltage variants).

But later we have port some to other foundries and node sizes (to smaller) as well.

As of efficient way, I've heard about some company approach which developed it's own set of rigorous layout rules and masks, do the layout in this custom technology, and then by applying some set of transformations, print layout to the target technology

Title: Re: PDK Transfer
Post by KRAHASS on Sep 19^th, 2013, 4:22am

OK. Layout porting in the same foundry process seems to be more easier. Could you please post some guidelines, tutorials for the second case (different fabs). I found some companies that are doing PDK migration/Layout porting, here is references: http://sagantec.com, http://www.in2fab.com.

About the company approach, I didn't understand well the strategie but if you have some references as well as guidelines, do not hesitate to post them, it can may be help other designers. Thank you in advance.

Krahass

Title: Re: PDK Transfer
Post by nat on Sep 19^th, 2013, 6:35am

Not really, as far as I know there are no such texts (tutorials etc).

What can I say is that porting was done (both cases) useing Mentor Calibre. Friend of mine developed custom DRC (I think it was drc) deck that performed necessary layers transformation. The only help he used was Calibre documentation and process layout rules.

For the second strategy: It's just the thing I've heard. This company created it's own custom PDK (but only for layout drawing). They choosed their own drc rules and did all the layout in this custom pdk. Then the final step was to apply some transformation rules (something similar to our case) to change layout from this custom pdk to the foundry pdk.
So they were drawing just 1 layout, and develop as many as they needed transformation scripts to quickly port their project.

PS I don't have any experience with automatic layout porting tools

Title: Re: PDK Transfer
Post by KRAHASS on Sep 19^th, 2013, 6:50am

OK. Thanks for these informations. Anyway, I think that the task seems to be quite complicated.

Title: Re: PDK Transfer
Post by nat on Sep 19^th, 2013, 8:44am

It is complicated:)

Personally I am more of a layout automation guy than technology transfer. If you are using Cadence take a look at its modgen and it auto routing capabilities.

Title: Re: PDK Transfer
Post by KRAHASS on Sep 20^th, 2013, 4:34am

Hi all,

Here is an interesting paper dealing with schematic and layout migration, This success story demonstrates how complicated and time-consuming the task is. Enjoy and share if you're facing the same issue.

Regards,

krahass

Paper link: http://sagantec.com/html/analoghardip.pdf