Current issues in a constraint-driven mixed signal physical design flow

This paper presents an analysis of the significant issues in the physical design for mixed-signal circuits. The impact of all layout phases on performance degradation is analyzed. The heavier the impact of a layout phase on performance constraints, the more important it is to enforce the constraints in that particular phase. The state of the art algorithms and techniques for constraint enforcement, available commercially and in the scientific literature, are discussed. The results are put in perspective to understand how a complex set of constraints can be satisfied in the most efficient way by combining the tools available in a mixed-signal layout flow