Net-Sensitivity-Based Optimization of Large-Scale Field-Programmable Analog Array (FPAA) Placement and Routing

Modern advances in reconfigurable technologies are allowing analog circuit designers to benefit from the computational flexibility provided by large-scale field-programmable analog arrays. With the component density of these devices, small analog circuits, as well as larger analog systems, can be synthesized and tested in a shorter time and at a lower cost, compared with the full design cycle. However, automated development platforms and computer-aided design tools for these devices are far fewer than the physical synthesis tools for their digital counterparts. One of the major reasons for this is the considerably higher impact of interconnect parasitics on circuit functionality in the analog domain; therefore, performance optimization must be recognized as an indispensable step of the analog physical synthesis flow.