DARWIN - ANALOG CIRCUIT SYNTHESIS BASED ON GENETIC ALGORITHMS

DARWIN is a synthesis tool for generating sized net lists of CMOS op a mps from performance specifications and process parameters. The synthe sis process starts with an initial set of randomly generated op amps. Owing to genetic operator 'crossover' and 'mutation', the population o f op amps evolves to a population in which several op amps meet the re quired specifications. During the synthesis process the circuit topolo gy and circuit parameters (capacitor values, bias currents and transis tor lengths and widths) evolve simultaneously with the final solution. The circuit description we use in the genetic algorithm ensures that all intermediately generated circuits possess a number of qualities th at are required for a correct functioning of the circuit. Synthesis ex periments have shown that DARWIN is capable of synthesizing functional circuits without the need of much design knowledge.