DESIGN DOMAIN - Cad For Vlsi

Domains:
Very large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating an integrated

circuit (IC) by combining thousands of transistors into a single chip.
While designing a VLSI circuit we follow a certain Design Flow which will start
from design specifications and end at fabrication and Packaging.
The complete VLSI design flow can be divided into 3 domains:

1. Behavioural Domain
2. Structural Domain
3. Physical Domain
Behavioral Domain:
 This domain views a part of the design as a black box, focusing on the
relationships between inputs and outputs without detailing how these
relationships are implemented.
For example,
 At the transistor level, you might have equations describing how the
current flows based on voltages.
 At a higher level, you can use Boolean algebra or truth tables to describe
complex designs.
 Abstraction levels go from transistor equations to Boolean algebra
expressions and even higher-level algorithms.
Structural Domain:
 This domain considers a circuit as a combination of subcircuits, providing
information on how these subcircuits are connected.
 For instance, you might have a schematic showing how transistors are
connected to form a logic gate
 This domain deals with how these subcircuits are pieced together.
Physical Domain:
 This domain deals with the realization of the circuit on a two-dimensional
chip.
 It provides information on how subcircuits from the structural domain are
physically arranged on the chip, including mask patterns and
interconnections.
 For example, if a cell represents the layout of a logic gate, the physical
domain deals with how the transistors and connections within that gate
are physically arranged on the chip.
 Y Chart or Gajski-Kuhn Chart is simply a pictorial representation of these

three Domains in VLSI for better understanding the complete Design Flow.
 The chart has three axes, each representing one of these domains.
 As you move from the outside to the center of the chart, the level of
abstraction decreases.
 This Y-chart is a powerful tool to illustrate different design methodologies.
 One common methodology is the top-down approach, where you start with
known behaviors, break them into smaller blocks, and define how these
blocks connect. This transition is shown on the Y-chart, moving from the
structural domain to the behavioral domain until you reach a low level of
abstraction.
EXPLANATION FOR UNDERSTANDING (NO NEED TO STUDY) :
- **Behavioral Domain:**
- Imagine you have a part of your design, and you only care about how it behaves without
worrying about how it's made.
- Example: Think of a TV remote where you press buttons, and the TV responds. You
don't need to know the inside details; you just care about the buttons and the TV's response.
- **Structural Domain:**
- Now, think of your design as made up of different pieces (subcircuits), and you're
interested in how these pieces connect to each other.
- Example: If your TV remote is a circuit, the structural domain cares about how the
buttons (pieces) are connected inside to make the TV work.
- **Physical Domain:**
- This is like looking at your design on a piece of paper or a chip. It's about how the
pieces from the structural domain are physically arranged.
- Example: For the TV remote, the physical domain would be how the buttons and other
parts are physically laid out on the remote.
Design Methodologies:**
- **Top-Down Approach:**
- Start with the big picture (known behaviors), break it into smaller blocks, and figure out how
these blocks connect. It's like looking at the whole TV remote and then zooming in to see how each
button works.
- **Fully Top-Down Approach:**
- Design everything from the top, meaning you decide how the TV remote works structurally right
after figuring out its general behavior.
- **Bottom-Up Approach:**
- Start with the smallest pieces (like individual buttons), group them together to form larger
blocks, and keep going until you have the whole thing. It's like building up from each button to the
entire TV remote.

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Domains:

Very large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating an integrated

The complete VLSI design flow can be divided into 3 domains:

 Y Chart or Gajski-Kuhn Chart is simply a pictorial representation of these

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