Autorouting Module
Creating connections between components takes a large part of the layout implementation time for any integrated circuit. This is also becoming more important for PIC designs, as the number of components being deployed in PICs is increasing and both optical as well as electrical connections must be made. The routing rules for PICs are significantly different than in digital CMOS ICs. Photonic connections are made using waveguides that are curvilinear in nature to reduce light loss, reflections and dispersion. Waveguides are typically single-layer, but crossings with other waveguides are sometimes allowed (at a cost).
The OptoDesigner Autorouting module provides the capability to perform both optical and electrical multi-net autorouting on a chip. The Autorouting module is rules and cost-based, giving layout engineers the ability to adjust both rules and costs for different routing layers and types. As an example, you can combine 45-degree waveguide routing with two- or four-layer metal Manhattan-style routing in the same chip, each avoiding their own obstacles.
