A multi-objective simulation based tool: Application to the design of high performance LC-VCOs

Abstract

The continuing size reduction of electronic devices imposes design challenges to optimize the performances of modern electronic systems, such as: wireless services, telecom and mobile computing. Fortunately, those design challenges can be overcome thanks to the development of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. In the analog, mixed signal and radio-frequency (AMS/RF) domains, circuit optimization tools have demonstrated their usefulness in addressing design problems taking into account downscaling technological aspects. Recent advances in EDA have shown that the simulation-based sizing technique is a very interesting solution to the ‘complex’ modelling task in the circuit design optimization problem. In this paper we propose a multi-objective simulation-based optimization tool. A CMOS LC-VCO circuit is presented to show the viability of this tool. The tool is used to generate the Pareto front linking two conflicting objectives, namely the VCO Phase Noise and Power Consumption. The accuracy of the results is checked against HSPICE/RF simulations.