Cloud native EDA tools & pre-optimized hardware platforms
The OptSim™ Circuit interface with PhoeniX Software’s OptoDesigner using the PDAFlow API is one of a number of exciting new features added to the 2016.06 release of the RSoft™ System Tools. The interface helps create masks from OptSim Circuit schematics and brings photonic integrated circuit (PIC) designers one step closer to fabrication. This article demonstrates how to use the interface.
To get started, you must first load the PDAFlow libraries. In OptSim Circuit, go to the Utilities menu and choose Load PDAFlow Libraries as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Loading PDAFlow libraries in OptSim Circuit
Once OptSim Circuit is done loading the libraries, they are listed in the User Libraries branch of the OptSim Circuit model tree.
Next, create a compound component for the PIC for which a mask needs to be generated in OptoDesigner. The compound component should have all models as PDKs chosen from the PDAFlow library. A “foundryName” parameter will be added to the compound component via Symbol Table when a PDAFlow building block (BB) is inserted.
By default, each BB added to the compound component will have a “foundryName” parameter that inherits its value from the corresponding value set at the compound-component level. This allows global control of the “foundryName” setting during simulation and netlist generation. The value of the “foundryName” parameter can be selected from a predefined list of available foundry names. The foundry names are derived from the PDAFlow libraries. Please see the OptoDesigner documentation for details about how to configure the list of foundries that will be loaded from the PDAFlow API.
Figure 2 shows an OptSim Circuit schematic using two PICs, each of which are implemented as a compound component using the demofab PDKs.
Figure 2: OptSim Circuit schematic using two PICs (inset), each implemented as a compound component using the demofab PDKs
Next, generate a PDAFlow netlist using the OptSim Circuit utility option found in the Utilities menu.
Figure 3: Generating PDAFlow netlist in OptSim Circuit
Once you have the PDAFlow netlist from OptSim Circuit, you can launch OptoDesigner, edit the layout, and create a mask file. As an example, Figure 4 shows an edited mask layout based on the OptSim Circuit schematic shown in Figure 2.
Figure 4: Mask layout in OptoDesigner for the OptSim Circuit schematic
shown in Figure 2.
For more information, please contact rsoft_support@synopsys.com.
The following RSoft application case studies and supporting project files are now available on the Customer Support Portal.
Presented by Rob Scarmozzino and Jigesh Patel, Synopsys
Originally presented at the American Institute for Manufacturing (AIM) Integrated Photonics in December 2015, and at the AIM Photonics Academy in April 2016.
The presentations (slides with narration) introduce approaches for designing photonic integrated devices and circuits using photonic design automation tools: