Key takeaways ▼
Moving semiconductor IP to a new process technology is often treated as a redesign problem. For analog and mixed-signal designs, however, starting again from the schematic can overlook an asset: the engineering knowledge embedded in the existing physical layout.
Device sizing, matching, symmetry, routing, shielding, placement, and hierarchy reflect years of design decisions. Preserving that work could reduce the effort required to move proven IP to another technology. The question is how much can be reused, and what will migration actually involve?
An IN2FAB Migration Feasibility Study helps answer those questions before you commit to a full migration or redesign program. By applying migration technology to a representative portion of your IP, the study turns an assumption into an engineering evaluation.
Test the Design, Not Just the Process Comparison
Comparing foundries and process nodes is a starting point, but it cannot reveal every challenge within a particular design. Each IP block has its own devices, parameters, PCells, vias, physical structures, and dependencies on technology-specific design rules.
A feasibility study examines how those elements translate to the target process. It can show which devices map, where parameter or device-size limits arise, which layout structures can be preserved, and where engineering intervention may be needed.
Instead of relying on migration estimates, your team gains evidence from the design itself. That evidence helps establish whether migration offers a credible alternative to redesign.
Make the Physical Investment Visible
IN2FAB’s OSIRIS migration technology is designed to migrate both schematics and physical layouts while preserving design hierarchy and structure. For analog and mixed-signal IP, that capability matters because the physical implementation carries knowledge that a schematic alone cannot capture.
The study demonstrates how the existing implementation translates and identifies areas requiring further work. Differences in design rules, device options, or layout requirements may introduce challenges. Making those challenges visible early helps engineers assess the scope of changes and the verification work needed.
Successful translation is an important milestone, but the migrated design still requires appropriate verification against its intended performance and target-process requirements.
Identify Where Automation Adds Value
Migration combines repetitive technology-dependent tasks with decisions that require engineering judgment. Depending on the design, IN2FAB’s technology can automate aspects of device mapping, PCell handling, layer and via translation, layout transformation, and hierarchical structure preservation.
A feasibility study helps identify where that automation can make the greatest contribution. It also exposes the areas where engineers should focus their expertise, including structures that require modification or more extensive redesign.
The objective is to understand both whether migration is possible and how efficiently it can be carried out.
Build a Measurable Migration Plan
A focused evaluation provides a stronger foundation for estimating effort, assigning resources, developing schedules, and defining verification requirements. It can also help establish migration priorities across a broader IP portfolio.
For companies with substantial investments in proven IP, this creates an opportunity to assess reuse before committing scarce engineering resources. A representative pilot block can reveal practical migration opportunities and constraints, informing the next stage of the program.
The findings can also guide the delivery approach. Your team may use IN2FAB’s migration technology internally, engage IN2FAB for engineering services, or combine both according to available resources and project requirements.
Start With Evidence
The decision to migrate or redesign affects cost, schedule, engineering capacity, and time to market. An IN2FAB Migration Feasibility Study provides a practical first step toward making that decision with greater clarity.
Start with your design. Test the migration. Measure the effort. Then decide how to proceed.
Contact IN2FAB to discuss how much of your existing IP could be reused in its
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