IIT Guwahati’s new machine learning framework ‘LEAP’ revolutionizes integrated circuit design

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati have pioneered a machine learning framework known as “LEAP” to advance electronic design automation (EDA). The novel approach aims to improve the efficiency of designing integrated circuits (ICs), which are key to the $600 billion semiconductor industry.

According to a press release from IIT Guwahati, integrated circuit development is heavily dependent on EDA software that converts high-level designs into the production Graphic Design System (GDS) format. Traditional methods that focus on heuristic problem-solving techniques often fail to deliver optimal results.

To overcome these limitations, Prof. Chandan Karfa, Dr. Sukanta Bhattacharjee and BTech students from IIT Guwahati, along with Dr. Animesh Basak Chowdhury from New York University, developed the LEAP framework. The technology significantly reduces the number of configurations that a mapping tool needs to evaluate by more than 50%, streamlining the technology mapping process in EDA.

Highlighting the impact of this framework, Prof. Karfa stated, “Our framework not only speeds up the mapping process but also improves the performance of the circuit, achieving a 2% reduction in clock period without increasing the area of ​​the circuit.” Extensive testing on 21 designs showed a 50% improvement in execution time and a significant reduction in the number of analyzed configurations.

The LEAP framework, which meets global performance standards while using fewer configurations, has shown profound implications for the semiconductor industry. This research highlights the potential to develop faster, more efficient, and more energy-efficient electronic devices, driving technological innovation.

Promising findings were published at the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Computer-Aided Design (ICCAD 2024), marking a significant step forward in electronics design automation.

(Based on information from the agency.)