It would be desirable if computers could solve problems without the need for a human to write the detailed programmatic steps. That is, it would be desirable to have a domain-independent automatic programming technique in which "What You Want Is What You Get" ("WYWIWYG" -- pronounced "wow-eee-wig"). Genetic programming is such a technique. This paper surveys three recent examples of problems (one from the field of cellular automata and two from the fields of molecular biology) in which genetic programming evolved a computer program that produced results that were slightly better than human performance for the same problem. This paper then discusses a fourth problem in greater detail and demonstrates that a design for a low-distortion 96 decibel op amp (including both topology and component sizing) can be evolved using genetic programming. The information that the user must supply to genetic programming consists of the parts bin (transistors, resistors, and capacitors) and the fitness m...

A mathematical formula containing one or more free variables is "general" in the sense that it represents the solution to all instances of a problem (instead of just the solution of a single instance of the problem). For example, the familiar formula for solving a quadratic equation contains free variables representing the coefficients of the to-be-solved equation.

Design is a major activity of practicing engineers. The design process entails creation of a complex structure to satisfy userdefined requirements. Since the design process typically entails tradeoffs between competing considerations, the end product of

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The use of CMOS nanometer technologies at 65 nm and below will pose serious challenges on the design of mixed-signal integrated systems in the very near future. Rising design complexities, tightening time-to-market constraints, leakage power, increasing technology tolerances, and reducing supply voltages are key challenges that designers face. Novel types of devices, new process materials and new reliability issues are next on the horizon. We discuss new design methodologies and EDA tools that are being or need to be developed to address the problems of designing such mixed-signal integrated systems.

this paper we present a family of Mixed-signal (mixed analog/digital) synthesis tools being developed at the University of Cincinnati. The VASE (VHDL-AMS Synthesis Environment) project involves the development of a vertically integrated synthesis environment centered around the emerging VHDL-AMS standard for specification of analog and mixed signal systems. The unique contributions of this research include the following:

This paper presents an optimization algorithm that is able to significantly increase the speed of RF circuit optimizations. The algorithm consists of a series of consecutive evolutionary optimizations of the circuit itself and of a modeled version thereof. The speed increase arises from the difference in evaluation time between the real simulation and the fit evaluation. As circuit approximation, behavioral models are used instead of polynomial expressions, allowing to put some "design knowledge" into the optimization. gaRFeeld is a tool implementing this smart evolutionary algorithm for RF circuits. Finally some experiments performed with gaRFeeld are illustrated for the optimization of a Low Noise Amplifier.

this paper refers to 14 instances where genetic programming has produced results that are competitive with those produced by human engineers, designers, mathematicians, or programmers

Automated synthesis of analog electronic circuits is recognized as a difficult problem. Genetic programming was used to evolve both the topology and the sizing (numerical values) for each component of a circuit that can perform source identification by correctly classify an incoming signal into categories.

Abstract: This paper describes an automated process for designing analog electrical circuits based on the principles of natural selection, sexual recombination, and developmental biology. The design process starts with the random creation of a large population of program trees composed of circuit-constructing functions. Each program tree specifies the steps by which a fully developed circuit is to be progressively developed from a common embryonic circuit appropriate for the type of circuit that the user wishes to design. Each fully developed circuit is translated into a netlist, simulated using a modified version of SPICE, and evaluated as to how well it satisfies the user's design requirements. The fitness measure is a user-written computer program that may incorporate any calculable characteristic or combination of characteristics of the circuit, including the circuit's behavior in the time domain, its behavior in the frequency domain, its power consumption, the number of components, cost of components, or surface area occupied by its components. The population of program trees is genetically bred over a series of many generations using genetic programming. Genetic programming is driven by a fitness measure and employs genetic operations such as Darwinian reproduction,