Variability-aware, discrete optimization for analog circuits

This paper proposes the use of discrete optimization techniques for variability-aware analog circuit synthesis. Starting from an observation that the continuous design space of analog circuits can be effectively covered by a finite number of discrete points in presence of variations, new algorithms are explored to address three aspects of discrete optimization: discretizing a continuous design space, selecting candidate points on the discretized grid, and comparing the statistical measures between multiple candidate points. A digitally-controlled oscillator (DCO) example demonstrates that the proposed optimization technique can efficiently find the design that balances between the resolution, linearity, phase noise, and power dissipation.