Model Engineering in Mixed-Signal Circuit Design: A Guide to Generating Accurate Behavioral Models in VHDL-AMS (The Springer International Series in Engineering and Computer Science, 649)

Model engineering is an important activity within the design flow of in- grated circuits and signal processing systems. This activity is not new at all in computer engineering, however, and takes a central role in practice. Model engineering of digital systems is based on agreed concepts of abstraction - erarchies for design object representations as well as the expressive power of hardware description languages (HDL). Since their gradual introduction over time HDL have proved to form the foundation of design methodologies and related design flows. Design automation tools for simulation, synthesis, test generation, and, last but not least, for formal proof purposes rely heavily on standardized digital HDL such as Verilog and VHDL. In contrast to purely digital systems there is an increasing need to design and implement integrated systems which exploit more and more mixed-signal functional blocks such as A/D and D/A converters or phase locked loops. Even purely analog blocks celebrate their resurrection in integrated systems design because of their unique efficiency when is comes to power consumption - quirements, for example, or complexity limitations. Examples of such analog signal processing functions are filtering or sensor signal conditioning. In g- eral, analog and mixed-signal processing is indispensable when interfacing the real world (i.e., analog signals) to computers (i.e., digital data processing).

the Purpose Of model Engineering In Mixed-signal Circuit Design Is - For The First Time - To Combine The Main Issues Of The Hardware Description Language Vhdl-ams Aimed At Model Representation Of Mixed-signal Circuits And Systems, Of Characterization Methods And Tools For The Extraction Of Model Parameters, And Of Modeling Methodologies For Accurate High-level Behavioral Models. This Up To Date Text Offers A Comprehensive And Clear Presentation Of Modeling Flow As Part Of The Design Effort For Mixed-signal Circuits. The Work Emphasizes An Engineering View On Model Generation And Handling, Thus Providing An Unique Guide Both For The Practitioner And For Students Of Electrical And Computer Engineering At Graduate Level.

Introduction....Pages 1-16 Specification of Behavior....Pages 17-31 Model Representation....Pages 33-67 Characterization of Circuit Properties....Pages 69-87 Advanced Modeling Methodology....Pages 89-123 Application Examples....Pages 125-156 Analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits (IC) design represents a major challenge for the design of complex information processing systems, especially when it comes to efficient top-down design flows.