Design automation has done a very good job on digital circuit. This enables engineers to design their circuit in high level description. Then let the software to translate it to circuit description (synthesis) and physical description (place and route).However, design automation is nearly none on analog circuit. Engineers still need to design the circuit manually and layout it manually. Numerous companies tried to do analog circuit automation but none gain wide spread success, if not completely fails.
Recently I get a chance to use a software that is close to analog automation, and do it well. This tool is called Circuit Explorer. Well, it can't design or layout the circuit by themselves. But it helps the designers to optimize the circuit device size to meet the spec. Currently, most designers use parametrize sweep or simply random simulation to fine tune the design size. This is tedious. I don't think any engineer enjoy this task. Circuit Explorer help to do this job and it do it well!
Imagine this, you finish a circuit. Meet all the spec at room temperature and typical process corner. Nicely done. Now the next step. You need to fine tune the design size that it still meet the spec at different temperature and process corner. Man! There is lots of simulation and lots of button clicking. The good news, Circuit Explorer can automate all this work.
This tool isn't a break through on analog circuit design automation, but it really helps making life easier for analog designers.
Circuit Explorer
Planet Analog
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