GEEP: a low power genetic algorithm layout system

In this paper we present GEEP, a genetic algorithm for low power standard-cell placement. GEEP reduces interconnect capacitance by an average of 20% over recursive min-cut area optimizing placement. It incorporates a number of heuristics to produce good placements fast relative to existing GAs, including a novel method for handling low population diversity. We tested GEEP on a suite of MCNC benchmarks and found this hybrid approach successful in producing good post-placement results in a reasonable number of generations.