Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor – Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-19
2001-06-19
Smith, Matthew (Department: 2825)
Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor
Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design
C716S030000, C716S030000, C703S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06249897
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a process for sizing elements in a predetermined componentry, in particular an electronic circuit which must possess a predetermined functionality, defined especially in its marginal conditions, whereby the individual components have characteristics which are essentially predetermined and described through mathematical equations, and whereby the components produce reciprocal action due to their utilization in the predetermined componentry or circuit.
Processes are known by means of which components in componentry can be sized in various technical areas with a given description of the marginal conditions of a technical implementation and from the also known description of desired characteristics of a componentry unit. Such processes are used in particular in designing electronic circuits. Processes and devices to size the components of digital switching systems such as those being offered on the market by the companies such as Synopsis Inc. or Mentor Graphics Inc. are examples for this.
For some time, processes have also been known that are used for special applications of electronic circuits in the field of analog circuit technology. Processes for the sizing of switch capacitor circuits in the area of value-continuous and time-continuous circuits such as operational amplifiers are examples for this.
The processes of the state of the art operate on the following basic principle: a mathematical equation system is elaborated which represents the physical system to be sized, e.g., the given electronic circuit. This equation system is then broken down into explicit solvable system elements and remaining implicit system elements, which are then treated by means of numerical, interactive methods. The success of this method is extremely dependent upon marginal conditions and the structure of the physical system to be created. The starting values for the computation of the implicit equation system elements are treated as constants which are found independently from the physical system to be sized and are integrated into the equation system.
The processes of the state of the art have in common the fact that they attempt to transpose a mathematically incompletely defined problem into a mathematically completely defined problem and seek to solve it. However, such a process does not always provide a technical solution because the problem to be solved cannot always be transposed into a completely defined problem. A useful, complete technical solution is therefore not always obtained.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to create a process by means of which it becomes possible to determine the necessary size of components even in large componentries with large equation systems and thus to obtain a usable technical solution for a given functionality. Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.
In accord with the present invention, the process is for sizing components in a given componentry, in particular an electronic circuit which must fulfill a predetermined functionality which is in particular defined in marginal conditions. The individual components have characteristics which are substantially predetermined and described in mathematical equations and produce interactions as a result of their utilization in the given componentry or electronic circuit. The characteristics and/or interactions described by the equations are resolved by means of a computer. As equations are resolved, the obtained results of the first resolved equations for the required components are used for the resolution of the additional equations. The process also dispenses with the resolution and further processing of those ranges of the resolution possibilities which are without practical relevance for the sizing of the components in this given electronic circuit.
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ComCAD GmbH Analog Design Support
Dority & Manning
Kik Phallaka
Smith Matthew
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