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Using Top-Down CAD Tools for Mixed Analog/Digital ASICs: a Practical Design Case

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Modeling and Simulation of Mixed Analog-Digital Systems

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 different 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.

research associate of the Belgian National Fund of Scientific Research

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© 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston

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Donnay, S. et al. (1996). Using Top-Down CAD Tools for Mixed Analog/Digital ASICs: a Practical Design Case. In: Antao, B. (eds) Modeling and Simulation of Mixed Analog-Digital Systems. The Kluwer International Series in Engineering and Computer Science, vol 364. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1405-9_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1405-9_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8609-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-1405-9

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