What is the role of bridge cell between IOs from a different vendor?

What is the role of bridge cell between IOs from differenct vendor ?

I heard you should put a bridge cell between the IOs from different vendors.
Why should it be there ? What function does it serve as an IO cell?
I am also wondering why power cut cell is needed between IOs in different power domain even though either one has the same voltage level. It seems to me that bridge and power-cut cells are used for the similar reason.

Re: What is the role of bridge cell between IOs from differenct vendor ?

Hi,

What are you talking about?
A bit of context could help to understand..

Klaus

Re: What is the role of bridge cell between IOs from differenct vendor ?

Hi Klaus,

As a process of SoC design, a chip designer places various type of IO pads for GPIO, I2C, UART, DDR and NAND IO, etc.
In case that you are using two types of GPIOs from two different GPIO provider (for instance one from Global foundry, the other from Aragio), you should put a bridge pad cell between Global foundry's GPIO pad cell and Aragio's GPIO cell. I know a bridge pad cell should be between two different type of GPIO. but I have no idea about why it is needed.

Sean

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Hi Klaus,

As a process of SoC design, a chip designer places various type of IO pads for GPIO, I2C, UART, DDR and NAND IO, etc.
In case that you are using two types of GPIOs from two different GPIO provider (for instance one from Global foundry, the other from Aragio), you should put a bridge pad cell between Global foundry's GPIO pad cell and Aragio's GPIO cell. I know a bridge pad cell should be between two different type of GPIO. but I have no idea about why it is needed.

Sean