Subject: MagiCAD For GaAs Gate Array Design Through MOSIS

From: [email-masked]
Date: 29-JAN-1993 08:48:10

The Mayo Graphical Integrated Computer Aided Design (MagiCAD) system
is a VAX/VMS-based package which provides a comprehensive design
environment for the development of digital systems, from initial
concept to post-layout verification of integrated circuits (ICs).
MagiCAD focuses on the development of high-speed Gallium Arsenide
(GaAs) gate array designs. Specialized electromagnetic simulation
tools are provided to address high clock rate issues such as crosstalk
and reflections, which become more important as clock rates exceed
several hundred MHz or signal edge rates become less than 500 pico-
seconds. MagiCAD provides all the necessary tools for high clock rate
GaAs IC design, and is also integrated with non-Mayo circuit, logic,
and fault simulators.

MagiCAD provides a lower risk approach than full-custom design for
universities wishing to perform digital GaAs design through MOSIS.
This is done by providing a gate array design environment where
low-level transistor design and layout issues have already been solved
and abstracted into a technology library of pre-defined cells. This
frees the student or researcher to solve the still challenging tasks
of system and gate-level design and layout to get high clock rate
chips fabricated through MOSIS that meet all specifications.

MagiCAD supports hierarchical, top-down, middle-out, or bottom-up
development styles. MagiCAD has been used in the design of many GaAs
chips that have been successfully fabricated. The MagiCAD
electromagnetic modeling tools have been used in the analysis of many
actual packages, multi-chip modules (MCMs), and printed circuit boards
(PCBs), uncovering and avoiding problems that are commonly associated
with high-frequency, fast edge-rate designs. The Vitesse Fury (TM)
GaAs VSC2K gate array is provided as a MagiCAD technology library, and
has been used for both graduate and undergraduate student chip
designs.

Functionality that has been integrated into MagiCAD includes:
  o  Vitesse VSC2K GaAs gate array technology library
  o  Database which integrates all tools
  o  Schematic entry through a general purpose graphics editor
  o  Circuit simulator
  o  Logic and timing simulators
  o  Fault analysis
  o  Place and route tools
  o  Layout verification tools
  o  Retargeting from generic design to specific technology
  o  Output to standard GDSII format for mask creation
  o  Electromagnetic analysis
     -  Cross section entry with graphics editor
     -  Multilayer multiconductor transmission line (MMTL) modeling
     -  Network tool for solving cases with many transmission line components
     -  Lossy and non-lossy cases
     -  Frequency and time domain result displays
     -  Used for analyzing complex design paths, through chip, MCM, and PCB

The Vitesse VSC2K has the following characteristics:
  o  HGaAs-2 (TM) process
  o  Enhancement/depletion MESFET process
  o  2 GHz flip-flop toggle rates
  o  280 psec loaded gate delays
  o  170 mils x 135 mils
  o  ECL or TTL I/O
  o  2700 available gates
  o  80 signal pads
  o  40 power and ground pads
  o  2.4 watts maximum
  o  2 routing layers
  o  132 pin LDCC package available

The Mayo Foundation has used MagiCAD to design several VSC2K designs
that have been fabricated through both MOSIS and Vitesse. These
designs have measured operating frequencies of 500 MHz to 1 GHz,
depending upon the section of the circuit being tested.  The general
application thrust of these designs has been components which are
being used to evaluate MCM technologies for high speed systems, as
well as high speed data generation and acquisition circuits.

The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee has used MagiCAD to design
several VSC2K designs that have been fabricated through MOSIS. These
designs have simulated clock rates from 100 MHz to 600 MHz. The
general application thrust of these designs has been components of
digital signal processors with medical image processing applications.
The descriptions of these VSC2K personalizations that have been
designed and fabricated include:
  o  8-bit Booth's algorithm multiplier
  o  4-bit arithmetic logic unit
  o  8-bit combinatorial multiplier
  o  24-bit carry look-ahead adder

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has authorized
and funded Mayo to supply MagiCAD to universities in the U.S. for
research and educational purposes. The direct cost to the universities
for the MagiCAD software itself is zero (although there may be costs
for any non-Mayo software that universities may want, as well as
possible costs to get the proper hardware/software platform).
Mayo-supplied MagiCAD training and support costs to these institutions
is funded by DARPA, and is therefore free to the universities.

While the MagiCAD tools are presently only available for VAX/VMS
environments, work is presently underway to port MagiCAD to
POSIX-compliant platforms (POSIX is the IEEE "UNIX-like" portable
operating system definition). First POSIX platforms presently planned
to port to include DECstations and HP workstations, likely
availability of MagiCAD on these platforms is second half of 1993.

The general steps for a university to begin using MagiCAD
for digital GaAs gate array design include:
  1) Contact Mayo Foundation to acquire MagiCAD software
  2) Contact MOSIS to acquire general MOSIS information
     and Vitesse-specific technology information.

Point Of Contact For Acquiring MagiCAD And MagiCAD Support:

Thomas J. Smith
Mayo Foundation
Special Purpose Processor Development Group
200 First St. S. W.
Rochester, Minnesota 55905
Telephone:  (507) 284-0840
Telefax:    (507) 284-9171
EMail:      [email-masked]

Point Of Contact For Acquiring General MOSIS Information
		And Vitesse-specific Technology Information:

Sam Reynolds
The MOSIS Service
USC/ISI
4676 Admiralty Way
Marina del Rey, CA  90292-6695
Telephone:  (310) 822-1511 x172
Telefax:    (310) 823-5624
EMail:      [email-masked]