Automated Analog Electronics Design Tools for Obsolete Parts

ABSTRACT: Ridgetop Group will develop design tools to facilitate fabrication of obsolete, radiation-hardened, precision analog components. The methodology that is developed and validated during the nine-month Phase I SBIR program will be transitioned into an easy-to-use prototype software tool during Phase II. The Ridgetop EDA tool integrates well-known commercial EDA solutions to support radiation-hardened analog IC development. The first version will use Silvaco Atlas TCAD tool for radiation effect characterization, Cadence Spectre for SPICE circuit simulations, and Cadence APS for Verilog and Verilog-A simulations. Ridgetop"s own ProChek fabrication process characterization system will be integrated as a part of the tool flow to rapidly provide very valuable test data for optimum fabrication process selection, simulation model accuracy checks and RHBD structure validation. Cadence Virtuoso will be used for layout design, design rule checks and parasitic extraction. Overall flow control and automated generation of RHBD SPICE and layout files will be managed using Perl, a feature-rich scripting language. The tool can be used for generating hardened circuits for prompt dose rate effects, neutron effects, total ionizing dose and different types of single-event effects. This approach is a low-risk solution to the problem the Air Force has described in the solicitation topic. BENEFIT: Ridgetop has received valuable support from large satellite manufacturing companies and from NASA/JPL for the technology commercialization path. These companies and institutions are very interested in Ridgetop"s design flow innovation, since it can be used for rapid design of replacements for obsolete radiation-hardened components. By the same token, the tool can be used for converting existing"terrestrial"(not hardened) design schematics over to applications that have radiation tolerance requirements, which will result in significant cost savings since existing designs can now be reused. Potential commercial applications include: Military, scientific and commercial space systems Missile applications Cargo scanners Industrial radiation-hard instrumentation Medical devices Nuclear and high-energy physics applications