Enhanced systematic design of a voltage controlled oscillator using a two-step optimization methodology

In this paper a design strategy based on bottom-up design methodologies is used in order to systematically design a voltage controlled oscillator. The methodology uses two computer-aided design tools: AIDA, a multi-objective multi-constraint circuit optimization tool, and SIDe-O, a tool that characterizes and optimizes integrated inductors with high accuracy (around 1% when compared to electromagnetic simulations). By using such tools, the difficult trade-offs inherent to radio-frequency circuits can be explored efficiently and accurately. Furthermore, with the capability that AIDA has at considering process parameter variations during the optimization, the resulting methodology is able to obtain truly robust circuit designs.