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Tutorial On Layout of Mixed-Signal Circuits

This document discusses the need for mixed analog-digital (MAD) chips and techniques for their design. It notes that while computers primarily use digital signals, there is still a need to interface with the analog world. MAD chips allow for direct analog signal processing, interfacing with sensors and actuators, and implementing analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters. Key challenges in MAD chip design include noise coupling between analog and digital circuits and substrate interference. The document outlines various layout techniques to address these issues, such as using guard rings, shields, and separating analog and digital power supplies and grounds.

Uploaded by

Petru Nistor
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© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
128 views

Tutorial On Layout of Mixed-Signal Circuits

This document discusses the need for mixed analog-digital (MAD) chips and techniques for their design. It notes that while computers primarily use digital signals, there is still a need to interface with the analog world. MAD chips allow for direct analog signal processing, interfacing with sensors and actuators, and implementing analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters. Key challenges in MAD chip design include noise coupling between analog and digital circuits and substrate interference. The document outlines various layout techniques to address these issues, such as using guard rings, shields, and separating analog and digital power supplies and grounds.

Uploaded by

Petru Nistor
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTRODUCTION

The Role and Place of Modern Mixed AnalogDigital


Chips
Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) Technologies
Over 1 million transistors
From 70s Digital Computer Era had begun
Analog Signal Processing reduced but not disappeared
The need to interface the computer to the analog world
The need for analogenhances digital performance
Layout

THE NEED TO INTERFACE THE COMPUTER TO


THE ANALOG WORLD
Computers work in the real word
Automobile

Radio, computerized engine control, safety, navigation


aids, etc.

Cellular telephony

Transmission and reception of both analog and digital


signals

A/D and D/A converters


Layout

THE NEED TO INTERFACE THE COMPUTER TO


THE ANALOG WORLD
PrePost Conversion signal condition

Amplification, filtering for antialiasing or smoothing,


sampling, holding, multiplexing etc.

Direct signal processing without A/D conversion

Medium SNR systems, high speed, low power

Interface with sensors

Receiving antennas, transmission lines,

Drive for attuators

Transmitting antennas, transmission lines


Layout

THE NEED TO INTERFACE THE COMPUTER TO


THE ANALOG WORLD
MAD circuits have been realized in metaloxide
semiconductor (MOS) technology
Precision ratio capacitor arrays
Internally compensated MOS operational amplifiers
High performances A/D converters
High performances SwitchedCapacitor filters
Continuous time filters
PCM encodersdecoders
Layout

THE NEED FOR ANALOG-ENHANCED DIGITAL


PERFORMANCE
Analog circuits make possible the high performance of
digital systems

Hard disk drive

Digital communication links

High speed digital circuits are analog in nature

Clock recovery circuits

PLL

Charge pumps
Layout

ADVANTAGE OF MIXING ANALOG AND DIGITAL


CIRCUITS ON THE SAME CHIP
The size of the system is reduced
The speed of the operation can be increased
The power dissipation is decreased
The design flexibility is increased > high # of channels
The reliability is increased
The system cost is reduced

Layout

APPLICATIONS OF MAD CHIPS


Telecommunications
Consumer electronics
Computer and related equipment
Multimedia
Automotive systems
Biomedical instrumentation
Robotics

Layout

PROBLEMS IN THE DESIGN OF MAD CIRCUITS


Analog circuits are critical to design
Analog voltages are small signals (V) near digital
circuits (V)
On chip interferences
Analog circuits are not amenable to standardization
For analog circuits design automation is not possible
Testing
Mixed circuit designers are not easy to find
Layout

MECHANISM AND EFFECT OF NOISE COUPLING


VLSI MAD chips consist of several subsystems which
must be kept from interfering with each other
Sharing of common substrate
Sharing of common connections to the external word
Parasitic coupling from inductance and resistance of
power supply and ground wires
Coupling from substrate
Coupling from protection diodes
Coupling from parasitic cap. of adjacent elements
Layout

MECHANISM AND EFFECT OF NOISE COUPLING


Voltages and currents switching cause noise
This noise will increase as:

Magnitude of switching events increase

Number of switching events increase

Frequency of switching events increase

Differential ECL
ECL
TTL
CMOS
Layout

TECHNIQUES FOR NOISE REDUCTION


Design system solution
Shielding
Packaging
Chip floorplanning
Chip wiring

Layout

SYSTEM SOLUTIONS
Even pure CMOS logic design are being limited by crosstalk and
inductive switching noise problems
Adding any circuitry with less noise margin than CMOS circuits
is very difficult

Separate ICs mounted in hybrid packages or MultiChip


Module (MCM)
Correct timing of signals
Comparators and sampling circuits do not compare or
sample when large digital driver switch
Use fully differential circuits when possible
Use of special logic circuits
Layout

LAYOUT SOLUTIONS
Stop thinking of power supply lines and grounds as
perfect conductors

Avoid common power supply or ground buses


Use of bypass capacitors inside and outside
Pay attention to the resonant frequency
Also analog circuits require different power supply
VDDDR1, VDDDR2, GNDDR1, GNDDR2, (PAD RING)
VDDDC1, VDDDC2, GNDDC1, GNDDC2, (CORE)
VDDA1, VDDA2,.. GNDA1, GNDA2,.. VSUB1, VSUB2,..
Layout

LAYOUT SOLUTIONS
Assign bonding pads wisely

The package bonding diagram should be anticipated

Use several pads in parallel for power supply and ground

Make power supply lines and ground wide

Lines as wide as 100m

Use of less resistive metal layer (Metal2)

Use of star VDD

Layout

SUBSTRATE COUPLING
Consider substrate coupling carefully and guard
against it

Layout

SHIELDS
Shield all sensitive circuits, devices and
interconnections lines
oxide

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metal-2 (digital)
metal-1 (shield)
poly (analog)
well (shield)

Use of metal-1 layer as digital inteferences shield


Use of well as substrate shield
Layout

LAYOUT SOLUTIONS
Avoid proximities of circuits, devices or interconnection
lines that can interfere with each other
analog

digital

a)

analog

digital

b)

analog

digital

c)

Layout

LAYOUT OF SC CIRCUITS
In+ In Out In+ In Out In+ In Out

VDD

VDD

Bias Cell

VB2

VB1
Op-Amp1

VSS

Op-Amp2

Comp
VSS
Layout

LAYOUT OF SC CIRCUITS
Phases
Switches
Protection
Protection
Ring
Capacitor
Array

Bias cell
and
Op-Amps

Layout

LAYOUT OF SC CIRCUITS
Analog Bus

Digital Bus

Layout

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Bus fasi

Bus fasi

Interruttori

Condensatori

Bus segnali analogici

Bus fasi

Interruttori

Condensatori

Operazionale

Bus fasi

Bus segnali analogici

Bus fasi

Bus segnali analogici

Condensatori

Interruttori

Bus fasi

Bus fasi

Operazionale

Bus segnali analogici

Bus segnali analogici

Condensatori

Interruttori

Bus fasi

FLOORPLAN SC CIRCUITS

Bus segnali analogici


Bus fasi

Comparatore

Bus fasi

Convertitori D/A

Generatore di fasi

Sezione Analogica

Sezione Digitale

Layout

MICROCHIP

Layout

BONDING 1
Pin

R1

Pad

Id
Digital
Section

Ia

R2
Analog
Section

Bad performance

dv
Current in digital section i = C -----dt
di

Voltage across the inductance v = L ----dt


Resonance frequency LC can equal the clock frequency
Transistor level simulation!!!
Layout

BONDING 2

L1

Pad
Digital

R1

Id
Digital
Section

Pin
R2

Ia
Analog
Section

C
L2
Pad
Analog

Improved connection
Addition of bypass capacitor to avoid resonance
frequency
Layout

BONDING 3
Pin
Digital

L1

Pad
Digital

R1

Id
Digital
Section

C
L3
L2

Pin
Analog

R2

Ia

Analog
Section

Pad
Analog

Best solution
Cost
Layout

FLOORPLAN

Layout

GUARD RINGS
VDDM
To "clean"
mixed
ground

GNDM

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p+ guard ring

n-well guard ring


p+ guard ring

VDD
GND
VDD
GND
GND
VDD

Mixed
Circuit being
"guarded"

n-well guard ring


p+ guard ring

Analog
Circuit being
"guarded"

To "clean"
DC

To "clean"
analog
ground

VDDA

GNDA

Layout

MAD EXAMPLE 1

Layout

MAD EXAMPLE 2

Layout

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