Abstract
A mixed analog/digital ASIC from a real satellite application (a radiation detector front-end) has been designed, simulated and processed according to a hierarchical top-down design methodology. CAD tools (commercial and academic) have been used as much as possible. The top-down methodology is discussed and illustrated by going through the different steps of the ASIC design. At each level the differnt choices and tradeoffs are briefly discussed and practical difficulties of top-down design are pointed out. One of the most important problems in top-down mixed-signal ASIC design—modeling and verification—is highlighted and discussed in detail.
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research associate of the BeIgian National Fund of Scientific Research
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Donnay, S., Gielen, G., Sansen, W. et al. Using top-down CAD tools for mixed analog/digital ASICs: a practical design case. Analog Integr Circ Sig Process 10, 101–117 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00713982
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00713982