Legend Design releases multiprocessing circuit simulation manager for speeding DFM performance verification
SANTA CLARA, Calif., September 20, 2005
– Legend Design Technology, Inc. today announced that
CharFlo-MonteCarlo! as a simulation manager for multiprocessing
statistical circuit simulation has been released and bundled with MSIM API
(Application Program Interface) circuit simulators for
price-performance. The CharFlo-MonteCarlo! is a software program
managing concurrent circuit simulations, statistical input controls and
result analysis, and time-sharing computer resources for efficiency.
The MSIM API is a circuit simulation engine with excellent accuracy, speed and convergence.
Design-for-manufacturing (DFM) is normally divided into three areas:
layout, performance and production verification. Through statistical
models and simulations, the DFM performance verification can examine
the circuit performance under various physical impacts. Since the
process parameters in manufacturing are statistically distributed, the
corresponding statistical Spice models need be derived for running
circuit simulations and reflecting die-to-die and wafer-to-wafer
variations. Legend’s CharFlo-MonteCarlo! bundled with MSIM API will
support statistical Spice models from major foundries, including
TSMC and UMC.
For nanometer designs, the simulation
results using conventional corner Spice models (typical, fast and slow
corners) will be overly pessimistic. Therefore, the statistical Spice
models need be adopted for obtaining the simulation results that can
reflect actual silicon in manufacturing. Furthermore, the statistical
simulation can accurately predict the circuit behavior (e.g.
cross-coupling and simultaneously switching noise) for analog and
mixed-signal designs. With excellent price-performance, designers can
use CharFlo-MonteCarlo! bundled with multiple MSIM API simulators to
examine the impacts of statistical Spice models and to enhance their
designs for yields.
Limitations of Conventional Approach
Conventionally, the corner Spice models (e.g. typical, fast and slow
corners) based upon 3-sigma limits of parameters are used for
simulating the circuits to guarantee the yields. Since the count of
corner models is few, the number of circuit simulation jobs to be
performed is normally limited. However, in statistical Spice model,
there could be quite a few statistical modeling parameters such as ten
(10) or even more. To ensure the reasonable simulation results, a large
number of sampling points (e.g. hundreds or thousands) covering all
distributed modeling parameters are normally required. The amount of
corresponding circuit simulation jobs could be huge, and become
prohibitive especially for sizable circuits and large samplings.
When running statistical simulation by using ‘standalone’ circuit
simulator, a large number of simulation jobs corresponding to sampling
points are ‘sequentially’ executed. It is because there is no
simulation manager for distributing those jobs to computer farm. The
whole process of statistical simulation will take prohibitively long.
Even worse, the long-running simulation could be suddenly interrupted
by system and network problem. Since it cannot be recovered, all
simulation efforts and computer resources could be wasted.
Another key issue is the solution cost. If those huge number of
simulation jobs can be concurrently distributed to a computer farm,
there is still a need to have a good number of circuit simulators
available. The cost of those circuit simulators could be prohibitive,
too. Therefore, conventional approach for running statistical circuit
simulation is only feasible for smaller circuits and fewer sampling
points.
Benefits of Legend’s New Solution
The CharFlo-MonteCarlo! bundled with MSIM API is the total solution for
running statistical circuit simulation. CharFlo-MonteCarlo! enables the
multiprocessing of those large number of simulation jobs corresponding
to sampling points, and distributes them to a computer farm. With
limited access rights within CharFlo-MonteCarlo!, MSIM API as a circuit
simulation engine can be provided at a much lower cost. Especially,
Legend’s solution is feasible and affordable for sizable circuits and
large number of samplings.
Depending upon the job
size, the statistical simulation may run for days in computer farm.
CharFlo-MonteCarlo! enables running and re-running those simulation
jobs when computer resources are available, and pausing when there are
other higher-priority jobs jumping in. The functions of ‘pause’ and
‘re-run’ are very critical for managing simulation resources and
recovering from system and network failures. By maintaining database of
all simulation controls and results, Charflo-MonteCarlo! has provided
the ‘pause’ and ‘re-run’ capabilities for efficiency and productivity.
In addition, the input controls, circuit and model parameters can be
flexibly specified, and the simulation results intelligently analyzed
by providing statistical measurements and histograms etc.
CharFlo-MonteCarlo! bundled with MSIM (API) circuit simulator is available now, starting at $20,000 for a perpetual license.
About Legend
Legend Design Technology Inc. is a leading provider of circuit
simulation and semiconductor IP characterization software for SoC
designs. With an emphasis on productivity and value, Legend’s
CharFlo-Memory! toolset revolutionizes the time-consuming and
error-prone processes associated with characterization. MSIM is
Legend’s high-accuracy SPICE circuit simulator with great convergence
and extensive model support. Turbo-MSIM is Legend’s high-speed and
high-capacity circuit simulator ideal for timing and power simulation,
and function verification. Both simulators are well designed for
nanometer technology challenges, and provide excellent price
performance. For more information, visit www.LegendDesign.com.
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Contact Legend Design Technology, Inc.
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