An Easy to Use Python Framework for Circuit Sizing from Designers for Designers

Circuit sizing of analogue building blocks is often still done by hand. Experts in circuit design are not necessarily experts in computer science and programming. Thus, it is not easy to find scripts providing automated sizing procedures. In this work, a Python framework is presented, simplifying the use of analogue design automation. It provides a tool- and technology agnostic approach and is explicitly developed with focus on circuit design. Therefore, the entry barrier is kept as low as possible. The framework supports an “agile” approach for developing new ideas interactively as well as a “waterfall” mode to simplify sequential design tasks. But describing e.g. iterations in a script, as designers do in their sizing process manually, makes re-use possible. With very little extra effort, re-use for multiple MOS technologies can be enabled as well. The idea is not to replace design engineers, but to increase design efficiency and improve re-use within and across technologies and design communities, by simple to read and use executable notebooks. Later, such notebooks can be collected in asset classes. This is demonstrated using simple examples.