ENGR338 Lab Spring 2021
Lab 3: Layout the R-2R DAC
Name: Audra Benally
Email: albenally1@fortlewis.edu

1. Title: Layout the R-2R DAC

2. Introduction: The purpose of this lab was to practice the layout portion of ElectricVLSI. We started a whole new R-2R ladder DAC from the last lab. An important new process was implemented with the use of subcells. The subcells are used to make larger circuit layouts easier to debug and fix.

3. Materials and Methods:
        Materials:
                 - Computer
                 - LTSpice Software
                 - ElectricVLSI Software
        Methods:
             For this lab, we remade the R-2R ladder than we made in the last lab. A very important technique using subcells were used for this lab. The subcells are smaller repeating parts of the main circuit which are made and then DRC checked for any issues. Once any issues are addressed, the smaller parts are used to make the rest of the circuit. Since the big circuit is made of DRC clean subcircuits, any problems that arise can be pinpointed to the most recent part of the circuit made. This will help when we start making huge circuits that have a lot of different parts. My subcircuits can be seen in figures 1 (schematic and icon) and 3 (layout). The subcell in figure 1 was used to make the R-2R ladder in figure 2. The subcell in figure 3 was used to make the R-2R ladder in figure 4. Because the subcells only contain repeating subcircuits, any odd or unique parts are not included. So in figures 2 and 4, there is an extra 10k resistor connected to the bottom of each ladder to complete the R-2R ladder. Testing the circuit was a little tricky because of the ideal ADC in the original simulation. So to test the circuit I connected the new R-2R ladder DAC to the ideal ADC, as seen in figure 5, and ran the spice code. The simulation ran the way it was supposed to, as seen in figure 6, so the layout portion of the R-2R ladder DAC is likely correct and accurate.

4. Results:

    
             Figure 1. Schematic and Icon of the R-2R subcell. The box shows the subcell is DRC clean.

   
             Figure 2. R-2R ladder DAC version 2 with the subcells shown in Figure 1. The DAC is DRC clean.

   
             Figure 3. R-2R layout of the subcell. DRC and NCC show no errors.

   
             Figure 4. R-2R ladder DAC v2 layout view made with the subcells shown in Figure 3. DRC and NCC tests show no errors.

   
             Figure 5. R-2R Ladder DAC v2 connected to the ideal ADC for simulation. Simulations results are shown in Figure 6.

   
             Figure 6. Simulation results from the ideal ADC connected to the new R-2R ladder DAC.

5. Discussion
    For this lab, the layout portion of the ElectricVLSI software was reviewed and used to make another R-2R ladder DAC. The schematic and icon view were remade using the subcell technique. All portions of the scematic and icon were DRC appoved with no errors. The schematic view of the R-2R ladder was made using the N-Well resistors. I had a little trouble remembering which components to use but a quick trip to the Tutorials on yilectronics.com cleared that right up. The subcell was made first and was cleared with the DRC and NCC tests. Then the rest of the ladder was made in the same manner as the icon and schematic views. Because the ADC was ideal and could not be created in layout view, the new R-2R DAC v2 icon was connected to the ideal ADC and the spice code was simulated. Since the layout view was DRC and NCC clean, the code working signified the layout was a success. My simulation results can be seen in figure 6 and my connected ADC DAC circuit can be seen in figure 5.