CAREER: Behavioral Modeling and Simulation of Mixed-Signal/Mixed-Technology VLSI Systems: An Integrated Research and Education Program

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

This research aims at developing efficient techniques for modeling and simulation of complex systems-on-a-chip with millions of transistors, which contain mixed analog and digital circuits, even mixed-technology devices (microelectromechnical, optical, microfluid, etc). The focus is to explore behavioral modeling, simple-yet-accurate mathematical modeling, of a circuit in terms of its behavior. A systematic method based on symbolic network analysis is being developed to generate behavioral models from a circuit netlist. Application of traditional symbolic network analysis to large circuits is hindered by the exponential growth of the number of product terms with the size of a circuit, a problem known as term explosion. This project addresses the term problem by exploring determinant decision diagram (DDD) technology. To generate efficient simulatable code, this project explores compilation techniques to compile behavioral models and to select models of right complexity. A new paradigm for parallel and distributed simulation is being developed to exploit the maximum currency and latency in mixed analog/digital and mixed-technology systems.