OpenFASOC: An Open Platform Towards Analog and Mixed-Signal Automation and Acceleration of Chip Design

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Abstract

The democratization of chip design is revolutionizing the field of analog and mixed-signal design by incorporating software practices into the development process. This has enabled automation tools for improving time to market and relieving the amount of engineering resources required for analog design: often the long pole in any chip tapeout. OpenFASOC, an open-source framework, has emerged as a suite of tools that automates the analog and mixed-signal design process. By leveraging a combination of design methodologies and tools, our framework strikes a balance between complexity and design performance. The framework employs a procedure-based approach with a cell-based flow using highly automated digital APR tools and a programmatic layout approach that offers greater layout reconfigurability. Circuit generators within OpenFASO C, such as voltage regulators, sensing, and interface circuits, are programmed to access a library of customized analog Aux Cells and seamlessly integrate them with digital components using a layout template. These procedure-based generators combine open-source tools with custom Python scripts to enable automated mixed-signal design. Furthermore, the custom design time of aux cells and other building blocks not amenable to the cell-based approach is addressed by leveraging programmatic layout, using GDSfactory-based Python scripts to codify layout into component classes.