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Revolutionize Your Business with EDA Chip Design

EDA stands for Electronic Layout Automation, which is a group of software, Hardware & services that help in designing and producing electronic chips. It involves many steps, such as planning, designing, verifying, and manufacturing semiconductor devices. When it comes to making these devices, semiconductor foundries (also known as fabs) are the main givers of the service. These facilities are very complicated and expensive and are owned either by big semiconductor organizations or by independent manufacturing service providers. The latter type of service provider has become more popular in recent times. 

EDA solutions do not make chips, but they are essential in 3 ways. The EDA tools help in designing and validating the manufacturing process of semiconductors. This step is critical to ensure the performance and density of the chips meet the required standards. It is known as technology computer-aided layout or TCAD.

EDA tools are crucial in verifying that the design meets all the manufacturing requirements. If a design does not meet these requirements, it may cause the chip to malfunction or function with reduced capacity and pose reliability risks. Its role is called DFM.

The third way that EDA tools are used is to check the chip’s performance after manufacturing. It is done to make sure the chip works well from testing to when it is used in its field. The aim is to ensure the chip works as expected and is not tampered with. It is called silicon lifecycle management or SLM, a new area of focus. 

Semiconductor IP is a market that gives pre-designed circuits with different complexity that can be customized for a specific application. It allows for designing highly complex chips faster because previous can also be reused. Semiconductor IP is closely associated with the EDA market because it heavily relies on EDA applications. Because of this close relationship, the two markets often seem like one. 

How Does EDA Work?

eda chip
eda chip

EDA is mostly about software. It uses advanced and complicated software programs that mainly help design and make chips. 

  • Simulation tools are software programs that predict how the proposed circuit will work before being built. 
  • Design These tools help create a circuit by assembling different circuit components that perform a specific function. This process involves both logical and physical aspects. The logical part involves assembling and connecting the circuit elements, while the physical part involves creating structures that will be used to implement a circuit during manufacturing. These tools can be fully automated or require some human interaction to guide the process. 
  • Verification The examination of either the physical or logical representation of a chip is necessary to verify that the design/ layout is connected accurately and capable of delivering the expected performance. It is achievable through the use of various tools. 

Although Electronic Design Automation products are predominantly available in software form, there are instances where actual Hardware is useful to enhance their capabilities. This Hardware is useful when there is a need for high performance, such as processing large volumes of data during verification and simulation. A hardware prototype of a circuit typically outperforms a software application that runs the same model in all scenarios. This significant speed improvement is necessary to accomplish diverse tasks within a reasonable timeframe (hours to days instead of weeks to months). Emulation & rapid prototyping are the two primary methods for delivering EDA hardware. 

Types of EDA Tools

· Simulation

Simulation tools utilize a standard hardware description language like Verilog or VHDL to take a proposed circuit’s description and forecast its actions before implementation. These tools use diverse techniques to model the performance of circuit components at different levels of complexity and perform several operations to anticipate the circuit’s ultimate performance. The amount of detail necessary for a circuit’s design and its purpose determines the extent of input information needed. When dealing with vast amounts of data, hardware methods like emulation/rapid prototyping are useful. It is especially true when running a processor’s system against scenarios like video processing. So without hardware aid, the runtime for such situations can be impractical.

· Design

Design tools utilize a circuit function description to compile a set of circuit components that can execute the said function. This process involves a logical selection and interconnection of the appropriate circuit elements to achieve the desired outcome. Logic synthesis exemplifies this process, which can also take a physical form involving the assembly, placement, and routing of geometric structures that execute the circuitry in silicon, referred to as place & route. Additionally, the process can be interactive.

· Verification

To ensure the proper connectivity and required performance of the design, verification tools scrutinize either the physical or logical expression of a chip. Various processes are useful for this purpose. Physical verification, for instance, inspects the placement of interlinked geometries to make sure that they comply with the manufacturing specifications of the fab. The manufacturing requirements for physical verification have grown increasingly intricate, encompassing over 10,000 rules. Validation can also involve verifying whether the fabricated circuit accurately reflects the desired function by comparing it to the original description. An example of such a process is Layout vs. Schematic (LVS). Additionally, simulation technology can be useful for functional validation of the chip to compare its actual performance to the expected behavior. The effectiveness of these methods depends on the comprehensiveness of an input signal given. An alternative approach is to validate the circuit’s behavior algorithmically without necessitating an input signal. This technique, known as equivalence checking, falls under the umbrella of formal verification.

The History of EDA Chip Design

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EDA originated in an in-house capacity. Before EDA became a target market, significant OEMs with vertically integrated operations had their own manufacturing capabilities and chip design. These entities maintained extensive teams of engineers that developed the necessary equipment for the automation of the layout, implementation & verification of their manufactured chips. The OEMs exclusively employed all chip creation for their product integration.

Texas Instruments, Bell Laboratories, Intel, General Electric, RCA, Sony, & Sharp are notable examples of such companies. The inception of EDA tools took place in three distinct phases. 

The initial phase, which commenced in year 1960s, witnessed the introduction of computer-based graphics design techniques for commercial purposes. These systems aim at various markets, such as mechanical design, architectural design, and cartography. Moreover, these systems were useful for the interactive layout of the circuit.

 During this phase, Calma, Applicon, and Computervision were the three key companies spearheading these developments. The GDS 2 version persisted as the standard format for conveying IC design information for many years. The CAD or CAM era characterized this stage of the industry. 

The 2nd phase of an EDA commenced in the 1980s, coinciding with the advent of the commercial ASIC industry. So the emergence of the ASIC industry makes custom chips. This development marked the inception of a semiconductor revolution, which continues to this day. LSI Logic & VLSI Technology were among the early ASIC companies. With the emergence of this advanced market, the demand for tools that automated the simulation, layout, and validation of the chips became much more prevalent. This phenomenon gave rise to several new companies that catered to this demand. The commercial EDA industry started to grow as many of the internal teams at large OEMs found fresh, lucrative, and stimulating opportunities in this emerging market. 

So here, the main emphasis was on software along with some special hardware for capturing the design description and simulating it. The three leading companies during the phase were Valid Logic, Mentor Graphics & Daisy Systems. It is CAE. 

During the 1980s, the industry entered its 3rd phase and underwent a period of maturation. So broad-line suppliers emerged, offering a range of software & hardware products to automate a greater portion of its Integrated Circuits design process. The phase by the emergence of the term electronic design automation was by three key players: Cadence, Synopsys, and Mentor (Siemens EDA). Even today, this era continues to resonate with many people in the industry, and the trio of top companies has remained unchanged.

As semiconductor technology continues to experience significant growth, there is a trend toward requiring a broader range of tools & technologies, which could indicate the onset of the industry’s next phase of evolution.

Why is EDA Chip Design Important?

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The complexity of semiconductor chips is remarkable, with modern devices featuring upwards of one billion elements. These elements are capable of interacting with one another in nuanced ways, and any deviations in the production procedure can introduce further intricacies and alterations to their behavior. 

Sophisticated automation is essential for managing the immense complexity of modern semiconductor devices, and Electronic Design Automation (EDA) offers the necessary technology for this purpose. Without EDA, the design and production of contemporary semiconductors would be unfeasible. 

It’s important to recognize that errors in produced semiconductor chips can have disastrous consequences. Unlike software, you can’t fix chip errors through patching; there is a need to redesign and manufacture the whole chip again. This process can be both time-consuming and costly, often resulting in project failure. As a result, the high complexity of chip design requires flawless execution to avoid such setbacks. 

Meeting these challenges is impossible without the aid of EDA tools.

Challenges Faced By EDA Chip Designers

The challenges for chip designers are growing exponentially due to the smaller, faster, & more complex nature of chips. Fortunately, certain EDA equipment has been able to keep up with this trend. Additionally, some of the top tools have evolved into comprehensive software suites, alleviating design engineers’ concerns about compatibility between various tools. Below is a compilation of the typical difficulties that chip design engineers face and the effective tools and tactics that can aid in overcoming them. 

Challenge 1: EDA Chip Designers are struggling to connect Different software tools

It is common for chip designers to utilize multiple software tools for designing and simulating their devices. However, these tools often lack compatibility, requiring designers to create manual workarounds to facilitate communication between them. Furthermore, designers employ EM and circuit simulators, which are typically distinct from one another. As a result, designers conduct separate simulations using each tool and subsequently compare the resulting data. 

Designers are slow, and it affects the overall cycle. It is due to the time taken for importing, exporting, and error checking. 

Solution: Integrated Design Systems

Conducting circuit design analysis on many pieces of equipment can prove to be a time-consuming and challenging task. However, the good news is that there exist comprehensive design platforms that incorporate various libraries, design guides, bundles, and simulation components. Certain platforms even assert that they offer a complete suite of user-friendly 3D electromagnetic circuits & system simulators. Designers can conduct both EM & circuit co-simulation within a single tool. Advanced software tools are capable of integrating Circuit, layout and 3D EM components. Such tools can significantly enhance productivity and lower costs. 

Challenge 2: EDA Chip Designers Use Technologies at a rapid pace

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Currently, chip designers are confronting one of their most significant obstacles. The rapid pace of advancements and constant innovations are advantageous for semiconductor companies throughout the technology chain. The rise of digital wearables, sensors, & networking technologies is causing a surge in demand for Integrated circuits. In addition to this, there are emerging standards that require the consideration of more variables. As a result, semiconductor firms must continually innovate to promote connectivity throughout the technology chain. However, at present, engineers may not have the necessary skills to address this demand adequately. Therefore, developers must adopt advanced software tools.

Solution #1:  5G NR Technology

5G chipset manufacturers benefit from an early system modeling and prototyping platform that provides access to and integration of 5G NR baseband IP, different RF transceiver layout examples working in sub-6GHz & mmWave frequencies, as well as phased array and beamforming models that use radiation patterns from Electron Microscopy software. Proper waveform design and sophisticated RF and baseband system simulation are essential for the successful deployment of 5G technology.