STARC adopts Solido variability tool

LONDON – The Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center (STARC) has selected Solido Variation Designer from Solido Design Automation Inc. (San Jose, Calif.) for its STARCAD-AMS analog/mixed-signal reference Flow.

STARC is a research consortium co-founded by major Japanese semiconductor companies in 1995. It comprises nine electronics companies, five of whom participate in analog and mixed-signal (AMS) design.

STARC's criteria for acceptance of the tool were that it meet design performance specifications, that total setup and operation time not exceed 12 hours and that MOS, resistor and capacitor area requirements be met.

"In addition to making our reference design robust for variation while exceeding our design performance specifications and improving our area specifications, Solido further improved our aggressive setup and runtime criteria by an additional 40 percent," said Kunihiko Tsuboi, senior manager of the mixed-signal design group at STARC, in a statement issued by Solido.

"A recent independent survey showed designers calling for variation design to be integrated into custom IC schematic, simulation and layout technologies," said Amit Gupta, president and CEO of Solido Design, in the same statement. "STARC provides a tremendous service by validating these important design flow integrations through its AMS reference flow."