Analog Circuit Design Optimization based on Symbolic Simulation and Simulated Annealing

Abstract

A methodology for the automatic design optimization of analog circuits is presented. A non-fixed topology approach is followed. A symbolic simulator, called ISAAC, generates an analytic AC model for any analog circuit, time-continuous or time-discrete, CMOS or bipolar. ISAAC's expressions can be fully symbolic or mixed numeric-symbolic, exact or simplified. The model is passed to the design optimization program OPTIMAN. For a user selected circuit topology, the independent design variables are automatically extracted and OPTIMAN sizes all elements to satisfy the performance constraints, thereby optimizing a user defined design objective. The optimization algorithm is simulated annealing. Practical examples show that OPTIMAN quickly designs analog circuits, closely meeting the specifications, and that it is a flexible and reliable design and exploration tool.