Optimization-Based Design Space Exploration of Analog Circuits

In this paper, we discuss an optimization-based approach for design space exploration of analog circuits, i.e., how some design parameters affect the circuit performance and cost. By this exploration the designer is guided to make judicious trade-offs among the remaining design parameters. For the design space exploration, which is expensive in terms of computation time, we use an optimization-based approach that runs concurrent optimization tasks on a network of workstations. The input to the optimization tool is a netlist describing the circuit and a performance specification. The cost functions are automatically generated from the netlist by the tool. As a design example, we have selected a simple two-stage operational transconductance amplifier, OTA, implemented in a standard 0.35-μm CMOS process. The tool is, however, capable of handling much larger circuits.