An EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation

Abstract

An EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation includes: providing an electromagnetic co-simulation menu in an interface that automatically identifies the layout; the electromagnetic co-simulation menu includes an electromagnetic co-simulation layout section and an electromagnetic co-simulation schematic creation section; the electromagnetic co-simulation layout section, based on the original layout and devices simulated using the model, creates ports at the connection points of active devices to be removed, and records the mapping relationship between the ports and the pin names of the devices to be removed, the ports being used for EM simulation; the electromagnetic co-simulation schematic creation section is used to create a schematic after EM simulation, connecting the devices in the schematic according to the mapping relationship to generate the corresponding circuit schematic. This invention can remove active devices from the layout for EM simulation; after EM simulation, it automatically connects the devices to obtain the schematic for subsequent simulation, simplifying the EM simulation process for circuits with active devices and improving EM simulation efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of radio frequency electromagnetic simulation technology, and in particular to an EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation. Background Technology

[0002] As integrated circuit (IC) components become increasingly complex, electromagnetic (EM) circuit simulation is crucial for achieving accurate and efficient designs. Electromagnetic effects in circuits can drastically alter voltage levels, damaging semiconductor devices. Using EM simulation, designers can assess electromagnetic effects on circuits, thus preventing costly problems in advance. EM simulation enables designers to accurately model most or all of a system.

[0003] EM simulation software is integrated into RF chip design software. Its function is to solve or approximate Maxwell's equations using mathematical methods. The solution to Maxwell's equations is the electromagnetic property of the object. The differential form of Maxwell's equations represents the electromagnetic property at a point, while the integral form represents the electromagnetic property of the entire object by integrating the electromagnetic properties at these points.

[0004] In recent years, with the development of radio frequency (RF) circuit design, electromagnetic field (EM) simulation software has been used more and more widely. It's not just used at high frequencies, but also extensively in the RF range of several GHz. Without mastering electromagnetic field simulation software, RF circuit design would be severely limited; components like transmission line transformers couldn't be used, and many circuit techniques became unusable. As circuit speeds increase and packaging becomes more complex, even circuit boards and packages now require EM simulation software for verification.

[0005] Generally, passive devices and transmission lines require EM simulation, while active devices such as transistors do not. This is because passive devices, such as resistors and capacitors, are metallic structures and do not have a bias concept; transistors are more related to their operating point, and different configurations of transistors have different high-frequency characteristics, therefore EM simulation is not required. However, current EM simulation technology ignores this point, and compared to circuits with active devices, the EM simulation process is cumbersome and inefficient. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in the research of EM simulation processes in RF circuits, and innovative technologies are urgently needed to solve these problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the present invention aims to provide an EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation. This method considers the electromagnetic effects of the entire circuit, primarily the electromagnetic effects of passive devices, during IC design and simulation. It can remove active devices in the circuit that are not subject to EM simulation without affecting circuit connections and subsequent simulations, thus simplifying the EM simulation process for circuits with active devices and improving EM simulation efficiency.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation, comprising:

[0008] An electromagnetic co-simulation menu is provided in the interface that automatically identifies the layout;

[0009] The electromagnetic co-simulation menu includes: an electromagnetic co-simulation layout section and a section for creating an electromagnetic co-simulation schematic.

[0010] In the electromagnetic co-simulation layout section, based on the original layout and the devices simulated using the model, ports are created at the connection points of active devices that need to be removed, and the mapping relationship between the ports and the pin names of the devices that need to be removed is recorded. These ports are used for EM simulation.

[0011] The section on creating electromagnetic co-simulation schematic diagrams is used to create schematic diagrams after EM simulation, connect the devices in the schematic diagrams according to the mapping relationship, and generate corresponding circuit schematic diagrams.

[0012] Furthermore, the electromagnetic co-simulation layout portion, the step of creating ports at the connection points of active devices that need to be removed based on the original layout, further includes:

[0013] Save the original layout to the cell view of the library and delete all devices used in the circuit model simulation;

[0014] Based on circuit model simulation, electromagnetic simulation pins and text labels are created at the corresponding positions of the pins of the deleted device.

[0015] Record the name of the deleted device instance, its corresponding library name, cell name, and all parameters in the device's parameter configuration module, as well as the mapping relationship between the instance and the pin names of the electromagnetic simulation.

[0016] Furthermore, the step of creating electromagnetic simulation pins and text labels further includes:

[0017] Read the position of the device's input and output pins;

[0018] At the location of the input / output pins of the deleted device, place electromagnetic simulation pins of the same layer and size with text labels, and establish a mapping relationship between the names of the electromagnetic simulation pins and the input / output pins of the deleted device.

[0019] Furthermore, the electromagnetic simulation pin is located at a port position that can be used in EM simulation and identifies the connection between the original layout module and the corresponding module; when extracting the netlist from the layout for post-simulation, the electromagnetic simulation pin is located at the corresponding port position.

[0020] Furthermore, the text identifier is a type of variable or label that adds a wire mesh name to the corresponding metal connection.

[0021] Furthermore, the step of connecting devices in the creation of the electromagnetic co-simulation schematic diagram further includes:

[0022] The identification layout includes mapping relationships in electromagnetic simulation pins created using circuit model simulation.

[0023] Create the schematic corresponding to the layout, and place the instances saved in the original cell's symbols and mapping relationships into the schematic;

[0024] Based on the mapping relationship, add connection information to the pins of the symbols and instances to determine the connection relationship of the corresponding pins;

[0025] Based on the connection relationships, connect the components to obtain the circuit schematic.

[0026] Furthermore, when the identification layout includes the mapping relationship in the electromagnetic simulation pins created based on the circuit model simulation, and there is a symbol under the current unit, the button corresponding to the part of the electromagnetic co-simulation schematic diagram creation appears and can be clicked; otherwise, the button is hidden.

[0027] Furthermore, the step of placing the instances stored in the symbols and mapping relationships under the original unit into the schematic diagram further includes: placing the instances stored in the symbols and mapping relationships under the original unit into the created schematic diagram according to the stored content, wherein the instances are arranged in a column of 10; the symbols are used for the graphical representation of specific electronic components and include: lines, arrows, marks and geometric shapes, which represent the connection method and electrical characteristics of the components in the schematic diagram or circuit diagram.

[0028] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that the processor is configured to execute the computer program stored in the memory to implement the EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation as described above.

[0029] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that the storage medium stores a computer program, which is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation as described above.

[0030] The EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation provided by this invention has the following advantages compared with existing technologies:

[0031] Beneficial effects:

[0032] It can remove active devices in the circuit that are not subject to EM simulation, and can also automatically connect the devices after EM simulation without affecting the circuit connection relationship and subsequent simulation. This simplifies the EM simulation process for circuits with active devices and improves the efficiency of EM simulation.

[0033] Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0034] The accompanying drawings are provided to further illustrate the invention and form part of the specification. They are used together with embodiments of the invention to explain the invention and do not constitute a limitation thereof. In the drawings:

[0035] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of an EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the automatic connection process of EM Co-sim according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the EM Co-sim Layout interface according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the Create EM Co-sim Schematic interface according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 The circuit schematic obtained by implementing EM Co-sim according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a partial schematic diagram of the circuit schematic obtained by implementing EM Co-sim according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of an electronic device structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0043] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the invention. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the invention.

[0044] The term "comprising" and its variations as used herein are open-ended inclusions, meaning "including but not limited to". The term "based on" means "at least partially based on". The term "one embodiment" means "at least one embodiment"; the term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment"; the term "some embodiments" means "at least some embodiments". Definitions of other terms will be given in the description below.

[0045] It should be noted that the concepts of "first" and "second" may be mentioned in this invention only to distinguish different devices, components or parts, and are not used to limit the order of the functions performed by these devices, components or parts or their interdependence.

[0046] It should be noted that the terms "one" and "multiple" used in this invention are illustrative rather than restrictive. Those skilled in the art should understand that, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the context, they should be understood as "one or more". "Multiple" should be understood as two or more.

[0047] In this embodiment of the invention, the automatically identified layout (LE) requires devices to be simulated using the schematic (SE) model during simulation. To address this, the invention provides an EM (electromagnetic) simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation. Before EM simulation, this method automatically creates ports at the connection points of active devices that need to be removed. After EM simulation is completed, the devices are automatically connected, and subsequent simulations can be quickly performed in the schematic.

[0048] In embodiments of the present invention, based on actual needs, an EM Cosimulation (Electromagnetic Co-simulation, hereinafter referred to as EM Co-sim) menu is added to the LE interface to provide operations for implementing EM simulation optimization methods based on electromagnetic co-simulation using the LE interface. Two buttons are added to the EM Cosimulation menu: EM Co-sim Layout and Create EM Co-sim Schematic. EM Co-sim Layout automatically creates ports at the connection points of relevant components; Create EM Co-sim Schematic automatically connects components.

[0049] EM Co-sim Layout creates ports at the connection points of relevant devices, including performing the following steps 11) through 13):

[0050] 11) Save the original LE (layout) to View and delete all components in Simulated by Circuit;

[0051] In an embodiment of the present invention, the original LE is saved as under Library → Cell → View, and all devices simulated by Circuit are deleted.

[0052] 12) Based on Simulated by Circuit, create EM pins (electromagnetic simulation pins) and labels (text identifiers) at the corresponding positions of the pins of the deleted device;

[0053] In the embodiments of the present invention, the location of the created EM pin is the port location that can be used in EM simulation and identifies the connection between the original layout and other modules. In the new LE saved in 11), the devices in Simulated by Circuit are deleted, and EM pins and labels are created at the corresponding positions of the pins of the deleted devices. When extracting the netlist from the layout for post-simulation, the location of the EM pin is the corresponding port location; the label is a type of variable or label definition, a logical concept, which adds a net name to the corresponding metal connection, such as the newly added pin and label named InstanceName_PinName (where PinName is the name of the pin in the symbol, such as Pin1 of Res1, which is named Res1_1).

[0054] The rules for creating EM pins and labels are as follows:

[0055] Step 1: Read the position of the instance pin (the input / output pin of the device).

[0056] Step 2: Place an EM pin of the same size and layer (with a label) at the location of the deleted instance pin, and establish a mapping relationship between the names of the EM pin and the deleted instance pin.

[0057] 13) Record the name of the deleted instance, its corresponding library name, cell name, and all parameters in the parameter configuration module, as well as the mapping relationship between the pin of the instance and the name of the newly created EM pin.

[0058] The Create EM Co-sim Schematic enables automatic device connection, including performing the following steps 21) through 24):

[0059] 21) Identify the mapping relationship in the EM pin created based on Simulated by Circuit under LE;

[0060] 22) Create the SE (schematic diagram) corresponding to the LE, and place the symbols and instances saved in the original Cell (cell) and mapping relationship into the SE according to the saved content;

[0061] In an embodiment of the present invention, the button corresponding to Create EM Co-sim Schematic appears and can be clicked if the LE contains the mapping relationship in the EM pin created based on Simulated by Circuit, and if there is a symbol under the current Cell; otherwise, it is hidden. After clicking OK in step 22), the corresponding SE is created, and the instance saved in the original Cell's symbol and mapping relationship is placed in the SE according to the saved content. Instances must be arranged in columns of 10. A symbol is used to represent a graphical representation of a specific electronic component; it is an abstract graphic representing the component's function and characteristics. Symbols are usually composed of lines, arrows, marks, and other geometric shapes, used to represent the component's connection method and electrical characteristics in schematic diagrams or circuit diagrams.

[0062] 23) Based on the mapping relationship, add net (connection) information to the pin of symbol and instance to determine the connection relationship; for example, based on the mapping relationship, name the net $InstanceName_$PinName.

[0063] 24) Automatically connect devices based on the connection relationship.

[0064] Figure 1 The flowchart of the EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation according to an embodiment of the present invention will be referred to below. Figure 1 The EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation of the present invention will be described in further detail.

[0065] First, in step 101, open the EM Co-sim settings in the LE interface.

[0066] In step 102, select the device to be simulated using the SE model.

[0067] In step 103, a new LE containing device ports is generated. In this step, a new LE containing device ports from the SE model simulation is generated using EM Co-sim Layout. The new LE does not contain active devices, only the ports of active devices. The location of the created EMpin is the port location that can be used in EM simulation and identifies the connection between the original layout module and other modules.

[0068] In step 104, a symbol-lookalike representation is generated. The generated similar symbols are identical to the layout; that is, the layout used for EM simulation is used for symbol display, and what you see is the same as this layout. Figure 1 Symbols like these.

[0069] In step 105, an SE (Search Engine Array) is created to connect the EM symbol (the symbol after EM simulation, i.e., the symbol-lookalike above, except that a certain item in this symbol will reference the file generated after EM simulation) to the device. This step creates an automatically connected circuit schematic through Create EM Co-sim Schematic, facilitating rapid subsequent simulation in the schematic.

[0070] Figure 2 The flowchart of the automatic connection process of EM Co-sim according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the EMCo-sim of this invention utilizes Create EM Co-sim Schematic to achieve automatic device connection. The automatic connection process includes:

[0071] In step 201, obtain the Co-sim Setup settings (i.e., obtain the relevant settings of the active devices to be removed).

[0072] In step 202, save as original LE and delete the relevant devices (i.e., the devices that need to be removed).

[0073] In step 203, in the new LE, an EM pin and label are created at the original pin of the deleted device, and the mapping relationship between the new EM pin and the original pin is recorded.

[0074] In step 204, a symbol-lookalike is generated.

[0075] In step 205, an SE is generated, an EM symbol is placed, and devices are automatically connected to each pin of the symbol according to the mapping relationship.

[0076] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the EM Co-sim Layout interface according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, the EM Co-sim Layout interface includes Library Name, Cell Name, View Name, and instances simulated by EM and simulated by Circuit.

[0077] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the Create EM Co-sim Schematic interface according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 4 As shown, the Create EM Co-sim Schematic interface includes Library Name, Cell Name, and View Name.

[0078] The EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation provided by this invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0079] It allows users to quickly remove active devices from the LE (Electronic Design Module) and perform EM (Electronic Design Module) simulations; at the same time, it can automatically connect devices after the EM simulation and quickly perform subsequent simulations in the schematic.

[0080] The following example demonstrates the effectiveness of using the method of this invention through a real-world RF chip design case.

[0081] The process is as follows:

[0082] Step 1) In the LE interface, the EM Co-sim Layout function generates the corresponding Cell_cosim (layout naming, which is the original cell name with _cosim added).

[0083] Step 2) Perform EM simulation using the layout cellname_cosim (the layout generated in Step 1);

[0084] Step 3) After the EM simulation is completed, generate the corresponding symbol for Cell_cosim by creating a symbol view;

[0085] Step 4) Use Create EM Co-sim Schematic to create a schematic Cell_cosim_SE (corresponding to the schematic of Cell_cosim) after automatic device connection. If Check And Save shows no errors after creation, proceed to Step 5. If a short circuit occurs, adjust the symbol size during CreateSymbol View, appropriately reducing the pin's size within the symbol to avoid short circuits. Alternatively, adjust the pin's shape to a circle to reduce its area and prevent short circuits.

[0086] Step 5) After the inspection is completed, adjust the position of the active components to obtain a circuit schematic for subsequent simulation.

[0087] Figure 5 The circuit schematic obtained by implementing EM Co-sim according to an embodiment of the present invention is as follows: Figure 5 As shown, a layout containing two transistors and one diode, after being processed by EM Co-sim and automatically connected to the components, yields the corresponding circuit schematic. Figure 6 To make the above Figure 5 The two transistors and one diode in the diagram are moved closer to the symbol-lookalike area and magnified. It becomes clear that the leads of the transistors and diodes have wires (wires used to connect electrical pins of components in a schematic, possessing electrical properties), and these wires have corresponding names. The names of the wires leading from the transistor pins are the same as the names of the wires leading from the pins at the corresponding points in the symbol-lookalike that need to be connected. In the schematic, wires can replace conductors for connections, greatly simplifying the schematic layout. When wires leading from the pins of a component have the same name, it means that the wires with the same name are connected.

[0088] In embodiments of the present invention, an electronic device is also provided. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the electronic device of the present invention includes a processor 701 and a memory 702, wherein,

[0089] The memory 702 stores a computer program, which, when read and executed by the processor 701, performs the steps described above in the embodiment of the EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation.

[0090] In embodiments of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is also provided, wherein a computer program is stored in the computer program, wherein the computer program is configured to execute the steps in the embodiments of the EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation as described above when running.

[0091] In this embodiment, the aforementioned computer-readable storage medium may include, but is not limited to, various media capable of storing computer programs, such as USB flash drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), portable hard drives, magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0092] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation, characterized in that, include: An electromagnetic co-simulation menu is provided in the interface that automatically identifies the layout; The electromagnetic co-simulation menu includes: an electromagnetic co-simulation layout section and a section for creating an electromagnetic co-simulation schematic. In the electromagnetic co-simulation layout section, based on the original layout and the devices simulated using the model, ports are created at the connection points of active devices that need to be removed, and the mapping relationship between the ports and the pin names of the devices that need to be removed is recorded. These ports are used for EM simulation. The section on creating electromagnetic co-simulation schematic diagrams is used to create schematic diagrams after EM simulation, connect the devices in the schematic diagrams according to the mapping relationship, establish electrical connections by assigning the port names in the mapping relationship to the corresponding lines, and generate the corresponding circuit schematic diagrams. The electromagnetic co-simulation layout portion, based on the original layout, further includes the step of creating ports at the connection points of active devices that need to be removed, specifically: Save the original layout to the cell view of the library and delete all devices used in the circuit model simulation; Based on circuit model simulation, electromagnetic simulation pins and text labels are created at the corresponding positions of the pins of the deleted device. Record the name of the deleted device instance, its corresponding library name, cell name, and all parameters in the device's parameter configuration module, as well as the mapping relationship between the instance and the pin names of the electromagnetic simulation.

2. The EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The steps of creating electromagnetic simulation pins and text labels further include: Read the positions of the device's input and output pins; At the location of the input / output pins of the deleted device, place electromagnetic simulation pins of the same layer and size with text labels, and establish a mapping relationship between the names of the electromagnetic simulation pins and the input / output pins of the deleted device.

3. The EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The electromagnetic simulation pin is located at a port position that is usable in EM simulation and identifies the connection between the original layout module and the corresponding module. When performing post-simulation by extracting the netlist from the layout, the position of the electromagnetic simulation pin is the corresponding port position.

4. The EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The text identifier is a type of variable or label that adds a wire mesh name to the corresponding metal connection.

5. The EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of connecting devices in the creation of the electromagnetic co-simulation schematic diagram further includes: The identification layout includes mapping relationships in electromagnetic simulation pins created using circuit model simulation. Create the schematic corresponding to the layout, and place the instances saved in the original cell's symbols and mapping relationships into the schematic; Based on the mapping relationship, add connection information to the pins of the symbols and instances to determine the connection relationship of the corresponding pins; Based on the connection relationships, connect the components to obtain the circuit schematic.

6. The EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation according to claim 5, characterized in that, If the layout includes a mapping relationship between electromagnetic simulation pins created using circuit model simulation, and there is a symbol under the current cell, the button corresponding to the part of the electromagnetic co-simulation schematic diagram will appear and be clickable; otherwise, the button will be hidden.

7. The EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step of placing the instances saved in the symbols and mapping relationships under the original unit into the schematic diagram further includes: placing the instances saved in the symbols and mapping relationships under the original unit into the created schematic diagram according to the saved content, wherein the instances are arranged in a column of 10; the symbols are used for the graphical representation of specific electronic components and include: lines, arrows, marks and geometric shapes, which represent the connection method and electrical characteristics of the components in the schematic diagram or circuit diagram.

8. An electronic device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, The processor is used to execute the computer program stored in the memory to implement the EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation as described in any one of claims 1-7.

9. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The storage medium stores a computer program, which is loaded and executed by a processor to implement the EM simulation optimization method based on electromagnetic co-simulation as described in any one of claims 1-7.

Images