AnaFlow: Agentic LLM-based Workflow for Reasoning-Driven Explainable and Sample-Efficient Analog Circuit Sizing
On the map: LLM reasoning → Reasoning for agents, planning and code
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Abstract (arXiv)
Analog/mixed-signal circuits are key for interfacing electronics with the physical world. Their design, however, remains a largely handcrafted process, resulting in long and error-prone design cycles. While the recent rise of AI-based reinforcement learning and generative AI has created new techniques to automate this task, the need for many time-consuming simulations is a critical bottleneck hindering the overall efficiency. Furthermore, the lack of explainability of the resulting design solutions hampers widespread adoption of the tools. To address these issues, a novel agentic AI framework for sample-efficient and explainable analog circuit sizing is presented. It employs a multi-agent workflow where specialized Large Language Model (LLM)-based agents collaborate to interpret the circuit topology, to understand the design goals, and to iteratively refine the circuit's design parameters towards the target goals with human-interpretable reasoning. The adaptive simulation strategy creates an intelligent control that yields a high sample efficiency. The AnaFlow framework is demonstrated for two circuits of varying complexity and is able to complete the sizing task fully automatically, differently from pure Bayesian optimization and reinforcement learning approaches. The system learns from its optimization history to avoid past mistakes and to accelerate convergence. The inherent explainability makes this a powerful tool for analog design space exploration and a new paradigm in analog EDA, where AI agents serve as transparent design assistants.
Key facts. Cited by 11 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Reasoning for agents, planning and code, one of 17 directions in LLM reasoning. Builds on 13 of its 30 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 5 Nov 2025.
Builds on
13 of 30 references.
References · 13
- 2022ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Modelscited by 8,695
- 2023Toolformer: Language Models Can Teach Themselves to Use Toolscited by 4,182
- 2023A Survey on Large Language Model based Autonomous Agentscited by 2,242
- 2022LaMDA: Language Models for Dialog Applicationscited by 1,220
- 2018A Tutorial on Bayesian Optimizationcited by 744
- 2020GCN-RL Circuit Designer: Transferable Transistor Sizing with Graph Neural Networks and Reinforcement Learningcited by 89
- 2024AnalogCoder: Analog Circuit Design via Training-Free Code Generationcited by 84
- 2020AutoCkt: Deep Reinforcement Learning of Analog Circuit Designscited by 51
- 2024ADO-LLM: Analog Design Bayesian Optimization with In-Context Learning of Large Language Modelscited by 44
- 2025AnalogGenie: A Generative Engine for Automatic Discovery of Analog Circuit Topologiescited by 37
- 2018Learning to Design Circuitscited by 17
- 2020Trust-Region Method with Deep Reinforcement Learning in Analog Design Space Explorationcited by 5
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Built on by
Citing papers per year: 2026: 11.
11 papers.
- 2026TL-GRPO: Turn-Level RL for Reasoning-Guided Iterative Optimizationcited by 1
- 2026VLM-CAD: VLM-Optimized Collaborative Agent Design Workflow for Analog Circuit Sizingcited by 0
- 2026LLM-Assisted Op-Amp Behavioral-Level Design via Agentic Human-Mimicking Reasoningcited by 0
- 2026A Self-Calibrating Framework for Analog Circuit Sizing Using LLM-Derived Analytical Equationscited by 0
- 2026Agentic Electronic Design Automation: A Handoff Perspectivecited by 0
- 2026AaLLM: An End-to-End Analog Circuit Design Framework from Topology Generation to Sizing Using Large Language Modelscited by 0
- 2026Simulation-Aware In-Context Policy Improvement for LLM-Aided Analog Layout Refinementcited by 0
- 2026Spicing up Genetic Netlist Generation with LLMscited by 0
- 2026AgenticSizing: A Large Language Model-based Multi-Agent Framework for Analog Circuit Sizingcited by 0
- 2026Long-Horizon Analog Design Bench: Benchmarking Agents on Hours-Long Analog and Mixed-Signal Circuit Design Taskscited by 0
- 2026CktHGVAE: A Symmetric Design/State Heterogeneous Graph Variational Autoencoder for Transistor-level Analog/Mixed-signal Circuit Design and Analysiscited by 0
- 2026CktHGVAE: A Symmetric Design/State Heterogeneous Graph Variational Autoencoder for Transistor-level Analog/Mixed-signal Circuit Design and Analysis14 Oct 2026
- 2026Long-Horizon Analog Design Bench: Benchmarking Agents on Hours-Long Analog and Mixed-Signal Circuit Design Tasks27 Sep 2026
- 2026AgenticSizing: A Large Language Model-based Multi-Agent Framework for Analog Circuit Sizing22 Sep 2026
- 2026Spicing up Genetic Netlist Generation with LLMs24 Aug 2026
- 2026Simulation-Aware In-Context Policy Improvement for LLM-Aided Analog Layout Refinement13 Aug 2026
- 2026AaLLM: An End-to-End Analog Circuit Design Framework from Topology Generation to Sizing Using Large Language Models13 Aug 2026
- 2026Agentic Electronic Design Automation: A Handoff Perspective18 Jun 2026
- 2026A Self-Calibrating Framework for Analog Circuit Sizing Using LLM-Derived Analytical Equations8 Apr 2026
- 2026LLM-Assisted Op-Amp Behavioral-Level Design via Agentic Human-Mimicking Reasoning29 Jan 2026
- 2026TL-GRPO: Turn-Level RL for Reasoning-Guided Iterative Optimization23 Jan 2026
- 2026VLM-CAD: VLM-Optimized Collaborative Agent Design Workflow for Analog Circuit Sizing12 Jan 2026
Similar, not cited
Close in wording, no citation either way
- 2026RFChipAgent: Multi-Agentic AI Flow for Analog/RF Chip Design
- 2025A Large Language Model-based Multi-Agent Framework for Analog Circuits' Sizing Relationships Extraction
- 2026AnalogAgent: Self-Improving Analog Circuit Design Automation with LLM Agents
- 2025EEsizer: LLM-Based AI Agent for Sizing of Analog and Mixed Signal Circuit
- 2025LLM-based AI Agent for Sizing of Analog and Mixed Signal Circuit
- 2025AnalogSAGE: Self-evolving Analog Design Multi-Agents with Stratified Memory and Grounded Experience
- 2025EEschematic: Multimodal-LLM Based AI Agent for Schematic Generation of Analog Circuit
- 2025Late Breaking Results: Breaking Symmetry- Unconventional Placement of Analog Circuits using Multi-Level Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning