A parameterizable and process retargetable high speed DAC for digital radio applications

A flexible generator for fast and accurate trimless potentiometric digital-to-analog converters has been developed. The chosen implementation style focuses on reusability. A conventional mixed signal design framework has been selected for implementation. An implemented resistor optimization technique guarantees an optimum yield in a given technology process without the need for error correction. Digital-to-analog converters with resolution up to 16 bit can be generated. For a digital radio system a 10-bit 85 MHz, and a 12-bit 100 kHz DAC were fabricated in a 0.35 μm standard CMOS process with same generator. The design time coming from high level specification down to GDSII-level was less than 2 weeks for the high speed 10-bit converter, for the slow 12 bit converter less than 3 days