Objective(S)

This section outlines the key learning objectives for the ASIC design flow lab module.

Theory And Background

This section covers the crucial stages of ASIC physical implementation, detailing the processes of floorplanning, placement, and routing.

Transition From Logical To Physical Design

This section outlines the critical transition from logical design in ASIC development to physical design, including floorplanning, placement, and routing.

Floorplanning: The Chip's Blueprint

Floorplanning is the crucial first step in ASIC physical implementation that defines chip structure, I/O placement, and power distribution.

Objectives

This section outlines the key objectives students should achieve upon completing the ASIC Design Flow lab involving floorplanning, placement, and routing.

Challenges

This section discusses the fundamental challenges in the ASIC design flow, particularly in floorplanning, placement, and routing stages.

Placement: Positioning The Standard Cells

This section discusses the placement of standard cells in ASIC design, detailing the objectives, processes, and outputs involved.

Automatic Process

The automatic process in ASIC design includes the automated placement of standard cells and routing connections to yield an efficient physical layout.

Objectives

This section outlines the objectives for Lab Module 10, focusing on the ASIC design flow related to floorplanning, placement, and routing.

Routing: Connecting The Placed Cells

Routing constitutes the process of interconnecting placed standard cells using metal layers following the ASIC design flow.

Multi-Layer Process

The multi-layer process in ASIC design encompasses the routing phase, detailing how connections are established across various metal layers for efficient communication between standard cells.

Automatic Process

This section explores the automatic processes involved in the placement and routing stages of the ASIC design flow.

Objectives

The objectives of the ASIC design flow laboratory module focus on understanding critical physical implementation steps involved in ASIC design, including floorplanning, placement, and routing.

Viewing The Routed Design

The section discusses how to visualize a complete routed design of an ASIC, highlighting the significance of detailed layout representations in the manufacturing process.

Post-Layout Extraction And Its Importance For Accurate Timing

Post-layout extraction analyzes parasitic effects in chip designs to ensure accurate timing and performance predictions.

Parasitic Extraction

Parasitic extraction is the final phase in ASIC design, focusing on identifying and analyzing unwanted capacitances and resistances in the physical layout to ensure accurate timing and power analysis.

Impact On Timing

This section covers the significance of timing in the physical design of ASICs, particularly focusing on post-layout extraction and its effect on circuit performance.

Accurate Timing Analysis (Timing Closure)

Accurate Timing Analysis, or Timing Closure, is crucial in the ASIC design process, ensuring that the physical design meets all specified timing requirements after parasitic extraction.

Pre-Lab Questions And Preparation

This section outlines the necessary pre-lab questions and preparation needed for students to engage effectively in the ASIC design flow lab.

Procedure/conceptual Hands-On Experience (Guided Tool Demonstration)

This section elaborates on a guided tool demonstration for the ASIC design flow, focusing on floorplanning, placement, and routing.

Task 1: Loading The Synthesized Netlist And Initial Setup

This section outlines the initial setup of the ASIC physical implementation tool, focusing on loading the synthesized netlist and preparing the environment for subsequent design phases.

Instructor Demonstration

This section outlines the objectives and structure of a lab demonstration focused on the ASIC design flow, specifically floorplanning, placement, and routing.

Loading Input Files

This section focuses on the initial steps of the ASIC physical implementation workflow, highlighting the importance of loading input files for the design.

Design Initialization

This section introduces the initial steps in the ASIC design flow that includes loading synthesized netlists and setting up the design for ASIC physical implementation.

Task 2: Floorplanning The Design

This section outlines the essential processes involved in floorplanning within the ASIC design flow, including core area definition, I/O pin placement, and power planning.

Core Area Definition

This section focuses on defining the core area in ASIC design, outlining the significance of floorplanning, placement, and routing within the physical design flow.

I/o Pin Placement

I/O pin placement is a critical aspect of ASIC floorplanning that defines where input and output signals interface with a chip.

Power Planning

This section provides a comprehensive overview of power planning in ASIC design, focusing on its importance in floorplanning and other stages of physical implementation.

Macro Placement (If Applicable)

This section explores the concept of macro placement within the ASIC design flow, focusing on defining the chip's structure and the impact of placing large functional blocks accurately.

Visualization

This section focuses on the critical stages of physical implementation within the ASIC design flow, emphasizing floorplanning, placement, routing, and their visual outputs.

Task 3: Automatic Standard Cell Placement

This section discusses the automatic standard cell placement process within the ASIC physical implementation flow, emphasizing its objectives and significance.

Placement Command

This section focuses on the placement phase within the ASIC design flow, detailing how automatic tools position standard cells in the chip's defined core area.

Observation Of Placement

This section discusses the automatic placement of standard cells in ASIC design, emphasizing the importance of minimizing wirelength and congestion while meeting timing constraints.

Placement Goals

This section covers the key objectives and processes involved in the automatic placement within the ASIC design flow.

Visualization

This section provides an overview of the ASIC design flow, focusing on the critical stages of floorplanning, placement, and routing.

Task 4: Automatic Routing

Automatic routing in ASIC design connects placed standard cells using various metal layers based on the design's netlist.

Routing Command

This section covers the routing phase in ASIC design, which connects placed standard cells using automated tools and various metal layers.

Observation Of Routing Layers

This section covers the significance of routing in ASIC design, emphasizing the automatic routing processes and the use of multiple metal layers to connect standard cells.

Routing Progress

This section outlines the routing process in ASIC design flow, addressing its objectives, methods, and significance in the overall physical implementation.

Routing Rules Check

This section discusses the crucial step of routing in ASIC design, highlighting the rules check process to ensure compliance with design specifications.

Visualization

This section covers the essential concepts of visualization within the ASIC design flow, focusing on floorplanning, placement, routing, and post-layout extraction.

Task 5: Brief Discussion Of Post-Layout Extraction And Final Timing

This section covers the importance of post-layout extraction and timing analysis in the ASIC design flow.

Conceptual Overview

This section outlines the key concepts and processes involved in ASIC physical implementation, focusing on floorplanning, placement, and routing.

Extracted Information

The section covers the key stages of ASIC design, particularly focusing on physical implementation steps including floorplanning, placement, routing, and post-layout extraction.

Input For Final Timing

This section focuses on the input for final timing in ASIC design, emphasizing the importance of post-layout extraction before tape-out.

Timing Closure Importance

Understanding timing closure is critical in ASIC design, as it ensures that the circuit meets timing requirements after accounting for parasitic effects.

Tool Output (Demonstration)

This section covers the ASIC design flow's physical implementation stages, including floorplanning, placement, routing, and post-layout extraction, emphasizing their importance in chip design.

Post-Lab Questions And Analysis

This section aims to reinforce learning by prompting students to reflect on key concepts through post-lab questions and analysis.

Deliverables

This section outlines the essential deliverables and components of the lab module focused on ASIC design flow, including objectives, procedures, and expected outputs.