Automation of CMOS technology migration illustrated by RGB to YCrCb analogue converter

Abstract

AbstractThe paper illustrates a practical example of technology migration applied to the colour space converter realized in CMOS technology. The element has analogue excitation and response signals expressed in current mode. Such converter may be incorporated into an integrated vision sensor for preconditioning acquired image data. The idea of a computer software tool supporting the automated migration and design reuse is presented as the major contribution. The mentioned tools implement the Hooke-Jeeves direct search method for performing the multivariable optimization. Our purpose is to ensure transferring the circuit between usable fabrication technologies and preserving its functional properties. The colour space converter is treated as the case study for performance evaluation of the proposed tool in cooperation with HSPICE simulation software. The original CMOS technology files for Taiwan semiconductor (TSMC) plant were utilized for the research. The automated design migration from 180 nm into 90 nm resulted with obtaining compact IC layout characterized by a smaller area and lower power consumption. The paper is concluded with a brief summary that proves the usability of the proposed tool in designing CMOS cells dedicated for low power image processing.