Call For Competition


Sponsored by:



Following the recent editions of the SMACD Conference, SMACD 2016 will hold an event where MSc and PhD students can compete with their best ideas, methodologies, flows and tools with one unique but challenging goal: “Improve design automation for analog, mixed-signal, RF, and multi-domain (MEMs, nanoelectronic, optoelectronic, biological, etc.) integrated circuits and systems!”

To enter the Competition all participants must submit a paper (following the SMACD 2016 submission guidelines) with a clear description of their methodology and/or tool, the design problem of their choice, and the solution provided by the methodology and/or tool. The first author of the submission and presenter at the conference must be a MSc or a PhD student!

Important dates

4th March 2016
Paper Submission Deadline
18th March 2016
Extended Paper Submission Deadline
15th April 2016
Author Notification
30th April 2016
Author Notification
30th April 2016
Camera Ready Paper Submission
15th May 2016
Camera Ready Paper Submission

Evaluation criteria

A Judging Committee will select the winner(s) based on the quality of the paper, of its presentation at the conference and the live demonstration, using the following criteria:

  • Complexity of the problem posed in the paper.
  • Level of automation (fully automated, semi-automated).
  • Designer interface (problem design setup, result analysis).
  • Robustness of the solutions (accounts for mismatching, parasitics, LVS/DRC check).
  • Degree of integration with commercial design suites and design methodologies (import and export data from these suites, usability in one or more steps of current design flows).

Important notes

All accepted submissions in the competition will be presented by the students in a special session at the conference and published in the conference proceedings.

The presenters are encouraged to perform a Live Demo! SMACD organization guarantee internet connection to all participants but required CAD tools or Design kits licensing is responsibility of each participant.