Power turn-off unit layout method and device, server and storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a power turn-off unit layout method and device, a server and a storage medium, and is applied to the technical field of computers.The method comprises the steps that after a layout planning map of a target module is obtained, a space area, where a power turn-off unit needs to be arranged, in the layout planning map is divided into a first layout area and a plurality of second layout areas; firstly, power management links are created in the first layout area, then power management links are created in the second layout areas respectively, the power management links in the second layout areas are connected with the power management links in the first layout area in series, and the layout of the power turn-off unit is completed. According to the method, the process of arranging the power turn-off units is not affected by design parameters of an existing tool, it is ensured that the power turn-off units are evenly arranged in the space area, where the power turn-off units need to be arranged, of the target module, arrangement of the power turn-off units is more reasonable, and the static power consumption of a chip is effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of computer technology, and particularly to a method and device for laying out a power-off unit, a server, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] In the power shut-off technology (PSO), a power-off unit (pso cell) is added to a chip to reduce the static power consumption of the chip. That is, the power-off unit shuts off the power supply voltage of a certain area or a certain sub-module in the chip that does not need to be powered temporarily, so that the corresponding area or sub-module stops operating and the static power consumption is reduced. It can be seen that reasonably arranging the power-off unit in the chip is the key to fully reducing the static power consumption.

[0003] The prior art uniformly arranges the power-off units according to a fixed longitudinal pitch and a fixed lateral pitch through a physical design tool. However, since some spatial regions may not be exactly at an integer multiple of the longitudinal pitch / lateral pitch, there are no power-off units arranged in the corresponding spatial regions, resulting in an unreasonable layout of the power-off units, making it difficult to effectively reduce the static power consumption of the chip, and even causing serious voltage drop problems in the standard cells in the spatial regions where no power-off units are arranged, affecting the chip performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present application is committed to providing a method and device for laying out a power-off unit, a server, and a storage medium to solve the problems of high static power consumption caused by unreasonable layout of the power-off unit in the prior art and serious voltage drop in the power supply of standard cells.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a method for laying out a power-off unit, including:

[0006] Obtaining a layout plan of a target module;

[0007] Dividing the spatial region that needs to layout the power-off unit in the layout plan into a first layout region and multiple second layout regions, where the layout space of the first layout region is larger than the layout space of any one of the second layout regions;

[0008] Creating a power management link in the first layout region, where the power management link includes multiple serially connected power-off units;

[0009] Creating a power management link in each of the second layout regions respectively and serially connecting the power management links in each of the second layout regions with the power management link in the first layout region to complete the layout of the power-off unit.

[0010] In an alternative embodiment, creating a power management link in each of the second layout regions and connecting the power management links in the second layout regions in series with the power management link in the first layout region includes:

[0011] Create power management links in each of the second layout regions in order from the closest to the farthest from the first layout region, and connect them in series with the power management link in the first layout region until all the second layout regions are traversed.

[0012] In an alternative embodiment, the step of creating power management links in each of the second layout regions in order from the closest to the farthest from the first layout region and connecting them in series with the power management link in the first layout region until all the second layout regions are traversed includes:

[0013] Repeat the following steps until all the second layout regions are traversed:

[0014] Determine at least one target layout region adjacent to the first layout region in each of the second layout regions;

[0015] Create power management links in each of the target layout regions and connect them in series with the power management link in the first layout region;

[0016] Merge each of the target layout regions into the first layout region.

[0017] In an alternative embodiment, the process of creating a power management link in any one of the target layout regions includes:

[0018] Determine the positions of the series input end and the series output end of the target layout region according to the relative position relationship between the target layout region and the first layout region;

[0019] Obtain layout constraint information, where the layout constraint information includes the unit type of the power-off unit, the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing between any two adjacent power-off units;

[0020] Layout a plurality of power-off units in the target layout region according to the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing;

[0021] Connect the series input end, each power-off unit, and the series output end in series according to the unit type to obtain the corresponding power management link.

[0022] In an alternative embodiment, the process of connecting the power management link of any one of the target layout regions in series with the power management link in the first layout region includes:

[0023] Determine a first power-off unit adjacent to the target layout area in the first layout area, and a second power-off unit connected to the signal output end of the first power-off unit;

[0024] Connect the series input end of the target layout area to the signal output end of the first power-off unit, and connect the series output end of the target layout area to the signal input end of the second power-off unit.

[0025] In an optional implementation manner, the first layout area includes an external input end and an external output end for transmitting control signals of the power-off units;

[0026] Create a power management link in the first layout area, including:

[0027] Obtain layout constraint information, where the layout constraint information includes the unit type of the power-off unit, the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing between any two adjacent power-off units;

[0028] Layout a plurality of power-off units in the first layout area according to the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing;

[0029] Connect the external input end, each power-off unit, and the external output end in series according to the unit type to obtain a corresponding power management link.

[0030] In an optional implementation manner, the process of determining the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing includes:

[0031] Obtain the total number of power-off units to be laid out in the layout plan, the row height configured in the layout plan, the specifications of the target module, and the height of the power-off unit;

[0032] Determine the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing based on the total number, the row height, the specifications of the target module, and the height of the power-off unit.

[0033] In an optional implementation manner, the specifications of the target module include the longitudinal length and the horizontal length;

[0034] Determining the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing based on the total number, the row height, the specifications of the target module, and the height of the power-off unit includes:

[0035] Determine the vertical spacing according to the row height, the height of the power-off unit, and the preset vertical interval distance between two adjacent power-off units;

[0036] Determine the number of rows of power-off units that can be arranged for the target module based on the longitudinal length of the target module and the longitudinal spacing.

[0037] Determine that the ratio of the total quantity to the number of rows of power-off units is the number of columns of power-off units that can be arranged for the target module.

[0038] Determine the lateral spacing according to the lateral length and the number of columns of power-off units.

[0039] In a second aspect, the present application provides a power-off unit layout device, including:

[0040] An acquisition unit, configured to acquire a layout plan of a target module;

[0041] A division unit, configured to divide the spatial area that needs to layout power-off units in the layout plan into a first layout area and multiple second layout areas, wherein the layout space of the first layout area is larger than the layout space of any one of the second layout areas;

[0042] A first layout unit, configured to create a power management link in the first layout area, wherein the power management link includes multiple serially connected power-off units;

[0043] A second layout unit, configured to create power management links in each of the second layout areas respectively and connect the power management links in each of the second layout areas in series with the power management link in the first layout area to complete the layout of power-off units.

[0044] In a third aspect, the present application provides a server, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory and executed by the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the power-off unit layout method according to any one of the first aspects of the present application are implemented.

[0045] In a fourth aspect, the present application provides a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the power-off unit layout method according to any one of the first aspects of the present application are implemented.

[0046] Based on the above, through the power-off unit layout method provided by this application, after obtaining the layout planning diagram of the target module, the spatial area in the layout planning diagram where the power-off unit needs to be laid out is divided into a first layout area and multiple second layout areas. First, a power management link is created in the first layout area, and then power management links are created in each of the second layout areas respectively, and the power management links in each second layout area are connected in series with the power management link in the first layout area to complete the layout of the power-off unit. Compared with the prior art technical solution of strictly laying out the power-off unit according to the vertical spacing / horizontal spacing, this method divides the spatial area where the power-off unit needs to be laid out into multiple layout areas, and arranges the power-off unit in each layout area. Since the layout process of the power-off unit is not affected by the design parameters of the existing tools, it can ensure that the power-off units are evenly arranged in the spatial area where the power-off unit needs to be laid out in the target module, without missing any space. The power-off units are arranged more reasonably, effectively reducing the static power consumption of the chip, ensuring the normal power supply of the standard cells in the target module, and reliably guaranteeing the chip performance. Description of the Drawings

[0047] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without creative efforts, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0048] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the layout effect of the power-off unit in the prior art.

[0049] Figure 2 It is a flowchart of a power-off unit layout method provided by this application.

[0050] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the division effect of the power-off unit layout area provided by this application.

[0051] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a single-port power-off unit in the prior art.

[0052] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of a power management link provided by this application.

[0053] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of another power management link provided by this application.

[0054] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a dual-port power-off unit in the prior art.

[0055] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of yet another power management link provided by this application.

[0056] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of another power management link provided by this application.

[0057] Figure 10 It is a flowchart of another method for laying out a power-off unit provided by this application.

[0058] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between a first layout area and a second layout area.

[0059] Figure 12 It is a schematic diagram of the process of connecting in series the power management link in the second layout area and the power management link in the first layout area.

[0060] Figure 13 It is another schematic diagram of the positional relationship between a first layout area and a second layout area.

[0061] Figure 14 It is a structural block diagram of a power-off unit layout device provided by this application.

[0062] Figure 15 It is a structural block diagram of a server provided by this application. Detailed implementation manners

[0063] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of this application.

[0064] With the rapid development of semiconductor technology, the scale and integration of integrated circuits have been continuously improved. Correspondingly, the power consumption of integrated circuits has gradually increased, resulting in the power density and total power consumption reaching the limits of packaging and cooling. Combining with the working principle of integrated circuits, it can be known that the power consumption of integrated circuits includes two parts, namely, the dynamic power consumption caused by signal flipping and the static power consumption caused by leakage current. With the progress of the process technology, the channel length in semiconductor devices has correspondingly shortened, the gate's control ability over the channel has become worse, and the current leakage phenomenon has become more and more serious, resulting in an increasing impact of static power consumption on the overall power consumption of integrated circuits.

[0065] Currently, there is a relatively effective technology for reducing static power consumption, namely the power shut-off technology (PowerShutOff, PSO). The power shut-off technology reduces static power consumption by adding a power switch cell (psocell) in the integrated circuit to turn off the power supply of a certain area or a certain sub-module in the integrated circuit that does not need to be powered temporarily, so that the corresponding area or sub-module stops operating. Thus, it can be seen that reasonably arranging the power switch cells in the integrated circuit and effectively controlling the power supply of each area or sub-module is the key to fully reducing static power consumption.

[0066] As shown in Figure 1 , in the prior art, the power switch cells are uniformly arranged by a physical design tool according to a fixed longitudinal pitch S1 and a fixed lateral pitch S2. However, since some spatial regions may not be exactly at an integer multiple of the longitudinal pitch / lateral pitch, there are no power switch cells arranged in the corresponding spatial regions (i.e., the unarranged regions shown in Figure 1 ), resulting in an unreasonable arrangement of the power switch cells, making it difficult to effectively reduce the static power consumption of the chip. Moreover, it may even cause the standard cells in the spatial regions without power switch cells to have a resistance far exceeding the normal value between the standard cells and the power supply because they need to be connected to the power supply through a long power supply network, leading to a serious voltage drop problem between them and the standard cells being unable to operate normally, thus affecting the chip performance.

[0067] To solve the above problems, the present application provides a method for arranging power switch cells. The spatial region where the power switch cells need to be arranged is divided into multiple layout regions, and power switch cells are arranged in each layout region. Since the layout process of the power switch cells is not affected by the design parameters of the existing tools, it can ensure that the power switch cells are evenly arranged in the spatial region where the target module needs to arrange the power switch cells, without missing any space. The power switch cells are arranged more reasonably, effectively reducing the static power consumption of the chip, ensuring the normal power supply of the standard cells in the target module, and reliably guaranteeing the chip performance.

[0068] The method for arranging power switch cells provided by the present application can be applied to the layout of power switch cells in various scenarios. For example, after the layout of various macro cells in the integrated circuit is completed, this method can be used to complete the layout and connection of the power switch cells. Another example is that after all the layouts of the integrated circuit are completed and it is found that some areas do not have power switch cells added, this method can also be used to supplement and connect the power switch cells. In terms of the execution entity, the method for arranging power switch cells provided by the present application can be applied to an electronic device, which can be a personal computer, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, etc. In some cases, it can also be applied to a server on the network side.

[0069] See Figure 2, the power-off unit layout method provided by this application includes the following steps.

[0070] S100. Obtain the layout plan of the target module.

[0071] In the layout method provided by this application, the target module refers to various integrated circuit modules that require power-off unit layout, which can be a complete chip or a module that implements a preset function in the chip, such as a memory module or a processor core, etc., which will not be elaborated here.

[0072] Combined with the existing backend design process, the layout plan mainly includes the following four steps: The first step is to determine the size and shape of the target module; the second step is to determine the positions of the input / output units, fills, and corner pads in the target module; the third step is to layout the macro cells and complete the determination of the prohibited areas, where the macro cells refer to hard macro cells (Hard Marco), such as memories, phase-locked loop modules, etc. Of course, it also includes other sub-modules in the target module. The prohibited areas include the prohibited routing areas and the prohibited layout areas. The specific delineation of these areas can be completed in combination with relevant technologies and will not be elaborated here; the fourth step is to layout the power and ground networks. The layout plan obtained in this application is the layout plan that has completed the third step but has not yet carried out the fourth step.

[0073] S110. Divide the spatial area in the layout plan that needs to layout the power-off unit into a first layout area and multiple second layout areas.

[0074] In practical applications, the spatial areas in different layout plans that need to layout the power-off unit are different, and the first layout area and the second layout areas obtained by division are also different. However, it should be emphasized that no matter what specific division method is adopted, it should be ensured that the layout space of the first layout area obtained by division is larger than the layout space of any other second layout area.

[0075] Combined Figure 3 As shown, in an optional implementation manner, considering the external input terminal (illustrated by pso_in for example) and the external output terminal (illustrated by pso_in for example) for transmitting the control signal of the power-off unit in the integrated circuit, and of course other signal transmission ports, there will be no macro cells arranged in the spatial area where they are located. Based on this, the layout space composed of the target module and each macro cell can be used as the first layout space. At the same time, the first layout space is also the largest layout space that can arrange the power-off unit in the layout plan of the target module. Further, among the spatial areas in the layout plan that need to layout the power-off unit, other layout areas except the first layout area are used as the second layout areas. Since the layout space of the second layout areas is small, they can also be defined as narrow layout areas. Combined Figure 3As shown, based on the shape or trend of the second layout area, the second layout area can also be divided into a horizontal second layout area and a vertical second layout area. In practical applications, the area between the macro cells and the vertical boundary of the macro cells and the area between the target module and the vertical boundary of the macro cells can be divided into the vertical second layout area. Correspondingly, the area between the macro cells, the target module, and the horizontal boundary of the vertical second layout area can be divided into the horizontal second layout area.

[0076] S120. Create a power management link within the first layout area.

[0077] After completing the layout area division, first, arrange multiple power-off units within the first layout area and connect the power-off units in series in sequence to obtain the corresponding power management link. That is to say, the power management link described in this application includes multiple series-connected power-off units.

[0078] Similar to the process of arranging standard cells or other sub-modules in the layout planning diagram, when arranging power-off units within the first layout area, it is first necessary to obtain layout constraint information, such as: the cell type of the power-off unit, the horizontal and vertical spacing between any two power-off units. In addition, since the power management link will ultimately be connected to the external input terminal and the external output terminal of the target module, therefore, it is also necessary to consider the relative positional relationship between the external input terminal and the external output terminal and the first layout area.

[0079] In an alternative embodiment, the following method can be used to determine the horizontal distance and vertical distance between any two adjacent power-off units.

[0080] First, calculate the total number of power-off units to be arranged in the layout planning diagram according to the following formula:

[0081]

[0082] where Xnum represents the total number of power-off units;

[0083] Ron represents the on-resistance of the power-off unit;

[0084] P represents the static power consumption of the target module;

[0085] Ps represents the estimated voltage drop ratio of the power-off unit;

[0086] U represents the standard operating voltage of the target module.

[0087] In addition, it is also necessary to obtain the row height configured in the layout plan, the specifications of the target module, and the height of the power-off unit. Among them, in combination with the existing back-end design technology, the row is a very important concept in the process of layout and routing, and plays a role of restriction and constraint in the layout of standard cells or other sub-modules. Different layout plans can configure different heights for the row. In actual applications, the height of the standard cell or sub-module must be an integer multiple of the row height, and all standard cells or sub-modules must be strictly laid out according to the division of the row. The rules of the target module mainly refer to the external dimensions of the target module, that is, the longitudinal length and the transverse length. The height of the power-off unit is subject to the actually selected power-off unit, which will not be elaborated here.

[0088] According to the total number of power-off units, row height, specifications of the target module, and height of the power-off unit obtained in the foregoing steps, the horizontal spacing and vertical spacing between any two adjacent power-off units can be determined.

[0089] The following combines specific examples to elaborate on the specific process of determining the horizontal spacing and vertical spacing between any two adjacent power-off units.

[0090] For example, the specifications of the target module are 2000um×1000um, where 2000um is the longitudinal dimension and 1000um is the transverse dimension. Under the implementation process of this target module, the turn-on resistance R of the power-off unit on is 40Ω, the static power consumption P of the target module is 0.03W, the standard voltage U is 0.8V, and the voltage drop ratio P switch is 0.2%, the row height is 0.5um, and the height of the power-off unit is 2 row heights, that is, 1um.

[0091] Calculate the total number of power-off units that need to be configured for the target module according to the above formula:

[0092]

[0093] As a preferred implementation manner, in the initial stage of determining the vertical placement method of the power-off unit, two adjacent power-off units can be placed at a preset vertical interval distance, and then adjusted according to the actual layout situation. Of course, this preset vertical interval distance can also be expressed based on the row height. Based on this, the vertical spacing can be determined first according to the row height, the height of the power-off unit, and the preset vertical interval distance between two adjacent power-off units.

[0094] For example, taking 4 row heights as the foregoing preset vertical interval distance, in this case, the vertical spacing Sy between two adjacent power-off units is 4*0.5 + 1 = 3um.

[0095] Further, based on the longitudinal length and longitudinal spacing of the target module, determine the number of rows of power-off units that can be arranged for the target module. Continuing with the previous example, the number of rows of power-off units that can be arranged for the target module is 2000÷3≈667.

[0096] At the same time, determine the ratio of the total number of power-off units to be configured for the target module to the number of rows of power-off units as the number of columns of power-off units that can be arranged for the target module, that is, 9375÷667≈15.

[0097] Finally, determine the horizontal spacing according to the horizontal length of the target module and the number of columns of power-off units, that is, Sx = 1000÷15≈66um.

[0098] After the above steps, the horizontal and vertical spacings required for arranging the power-off units have been determined. Further, according to the obtained horizontal and vertical spacings, arrange multiple power-off units in the first layout area, that is, place the power-off units in the first layout area.

[0099] After completing the layout of the power-off units, finally, according to the unit types of the arranged power-off units, connect the external input terminal, each power-off unit, and the external output terminal in series in sequence to obtain the corresponding power management link.

[0100] In practical applications, the power-off unit includes Figure 4 the single-port power-off unit shown in Figure 7 and the double-port power-off unit shown in . Among them, the control signal of the single-port power-off unit can enter from HENAEN1 and output from HENDOUT1. Correspondingly, the control signal of the double-port power-off unit can enter from HENAEN1 and HENAEN2 and output from HENDOUT1 and HENDOUT2, and can be selected according to actual design requirements in practical applications.

[0101] Based on this, as shown in Figure 5 in the case of using a single-port power-off unit and the first layout area can arrange multiple columns / rows of power-off units, first arrange the power-off units evenly according to 2 times the horizontal spacing (i.e., 2Sx) and the vertical spacing Sy. The control signal enters from the HENDEN1 port of the first power-off unit, outputs from the HENDOUT1 port, and is connected to the HENDEN1 port of another power-off unit. Connect all the power-off units in sequence in the direction from top to bottom and from left to right. Further, then connect the remaining power-off units in the connection method opposite to the previous connection process to finally obtain the power management link.

[0102] In the case of using a single - port power - off unit and only one row or one column of power - off units can be arranged in the first layout area, the connection method of each power - off unit is similar to the above - mentioned process. Refer to Figure 6 , taking a column of power - off units as an example, assuming that the control signal needs to be accessed from above the first layout area, the power - off units can be connected from top to bottom in the way that one power - off unit is connected at an interval of one power - off unit. When reaching the bottom - most power - off unit, connect in the reverse direction, that is, connect the remaining unconnected power - off units from bottom to top in sequence, and finally realize a power - management link where both the external input terminal pso_in and the external output terminal pso_out are on the same side. For the case where one row of power - off units can be placed, it can be processed similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0103] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8 , in the case of using a dual - port power - off unit and the first layout area can arrange multiple columns / rows of power - off units, first arrange the power - off units evenly according to the horizontal spacing Sx and the vertical spacing Sy. The control signal enters from the HENDEN1 port of the first power - off unit, is output from the HENDOUT1 port, and is connected to the HENDEN1 port of another power - off unit. All the power - off units can be connected in sequence in the direction from top to bottom and from left to right, and then connect the HENDEN2 and HENDOUT2 ports of all the power - off units in the reverse direction in sequence until the control signal is sent to the external output terminal pso_out, thus forming a complete power - management link.

[0104] In the case of using a dual - port power - off unit and the first layout area can arrange one row or one column of power - off units, the connection method of each power - off unit is similar to the above - mentioned process. Refer to Figure 9 , taking a column of power - off units as an example, assuming that the control signal needs to be accessed from above the first layout area, connect all the HENDEN1 and HENDOUT1 of the power - off units from top to bottom in sequence. After connecting the last power - off unit, connect the HENDOUT1 of the bottom - most power - off unit to the HENDEN2, and further connect all the HENDEN2 and HENDOUT2 of the power - off units from bottom to top in sequence. Similarly, it can also realize that both the external input terminal pso_in and the external output terminal pso_out are on the same side. For the case where one row of power - off units can be placed, it can be processed similarly and will not be repeated here.

[0105] It should be noted that in this application, the layout area where the external input terminal and the external output terminal are located is regarded as the first layout area (of course, the layout area where the external input terminal and the external output terminal are located is also the layout area with the largest layout space). The control signal of the power-off unit enters from the external input terminal and is output from the external output terminal. Therefore, regardless of the connection method adopted by the power-off unit in the first layout area, the connection distance between the power-off unit and the external input terminal and the external output terminal should be ensured to be the shortest. Of course, it is also necessary to ensure the uniformity of the layout of the power-off unit and the maximum utilization of the layout space. On the premise of this basic principle, in addition to the connection method provided in the foregoing embodiments, the power management link in the first layout area can also be determined by other methods according to the relative position relationship between the external input terminal and the external output terminal and the first layout area. Without exceeding the core idea of this application, it also belongs to the scope protected by this application.

[0106] It should also be noted that the premise of the connection methods given in the foregoing embodiments is that the external input terminal and the external output terminal are arranged adjacent to each other. If, in actual applications, the external input terminal and the external output terminal are arranged in different areas of the target module, other methods can also be used to construct the power management link, as long as the above-mentioned preconditions are met. The connection methods provided in the foregoing embodiments are only preferred implementation methods in specific scenarios.

[0107] S130. Create power management links in each second layout area respectively and connect the power management links in each second layout area in series with the power management link in the first layout area to complete the layout of the power-off unit.

[0108] After creating the power management link in the first layout area, further create the power management links in each second layout area, and also connect the power management links in each second layout area in series with the power management link in the first layout area, and finally obtain a complete power management link to complete the layout of the power-off unit in the target module.

[0109] Since the creation of the power management link in the first layout area has been completed in the foregoing steps, based on this, as a preferred implementation method, the power management links can be created in each second layout area in sequence from near to far from the first layout area and connected in series with the power management link in the first layout area until all the second layout areas are traversed. Specifically, the layout process shown in Figure 10 can be repeatedly executed until all the second layout areas are traversed.

[0110] S1301. Determine at least one target layout area adjacent to the first layout area in each second layout area.

[0111] Combined withFigure 11 As shown, the second layout regions outside the first layout region can be divided into two categories. The second layout regions directly adjacent to the first layout region, that is, Figure 11 the region marked as S1 in Figure 11 and the second layout regions not adjacent to the first layout region, that is, Figure 11 the region marked as S2 in Figure 11 Based on this, in this step, at least one second layout region adjacent to the first layout region in each second layout region is determined as the target layout region. Therefore,

[0112] S1302. Create a power management link in each target layout region and connect it in series with the power management link in the first layout region.

[0113] After determining the target layout region, a power management link can be created in each target layout region respectively. The process of creating a power management link in the target layout region is similar to the process of creating a power management link in the first layout region in the foregoing process. Of course, there are also certain differences. Creating a power management link in each target layout region can be completed with reference to the following process.

[0114] As mentioned above, when creating a power management link in the first layout region, the connection method of each power-off unit is not only related to the unit type of the power-off unit, but more importantly, the relative position relationship between the external input terminal and the external output terminal and the first layout region needs to be considered, that is, the connection sequence of each power-off unit needs to be determined in combination with the entry and output positions of the control signal of the power-off unit. Combining the foregoing content, it can be known that the power management link in the target layout unit finally needs to be connected in series with the power management link in the first layout region. Therefore, the series connection position of the power management link in the target layout region and the power management link in the first layout region is equivalent to the foregoing external input terminal and external output terminal. When creating a power management link in the target layout region, first, according to the relative position relationship between the target layout region and the first layout region, determine the positions of the series input terminal and the series output terminal of the target layout region.

[0115] Combined with Figure 11 As shown, in an optional implementation manner, a point in the target layout region closest to the first layout region can be selected as the positions of the series input terminal and the series output terminal in the target layout region. In practical applications, preferably, a corner point of the target layout region close to the first layout region is selected, that is,Figure 11 The position indicated by the black dot in the middle.

[0116] After that, further obtain the layout constraint information for creating the power management link in the target layout area. Referring to the foregoing relevant content, the layout constraint information of the target layout area may include the unit type of the power-off unit, the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing between any two adjacent power-off units. In practical applications, the layout rules of each power-off unit in the layout plan are usually the same. Therefore, the layout constraint information of the target layout area can all be executed according to the foregoing content, such as the unit type of the power-off unit adopted, the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing between the power-off units, etc., which will not be repeated one by one here.

[0117] Layout multiple power-off units in the target layout area according to the foregoing horizontal spacing and vertical spacing, and connect the corresponding series input terminal, each power-off unit, and the series output terminal of the target layout area in series in turn according to the unit type of the selected power-off unit, then the corresponding power management link can be obtained. The specific implementation of this step can refer to the foregoing relevant content, as well as Figures 4 to 9 the implementation shown, which will not be repeated here either.

[0118] After completing the creation of the power management link in the target layout area, it is necessary to further connect the power management links in each target layout area in series with the power management link in the first layout area.

[0119] As mentioned above, before creating the power management link in the target layout area, the positions of the series input terminal and the series output terminal of the target layout area have been determined. Based on this, when connecting the power management link in any target layout area in series with the power management link in the first layout area, first determine the first power-off unit adjacent to the target layout area in the first layout area, and the second power-off unit connected to the signal output terminal of the first power-off unit. Combining Figure 12 as shown, two power-off units closest to the series input terminal and the series output terminal of the target layout area in the first layout area can be selected as the foregoing first power-off unit and second power-off unit. Among them, pso_s_in represents the series input terminal, and pso_s_out represents the series output terminal. Disconnect the connection between the foregoing first power-off unit and the second power-off unit, and further connect the signal output terminal of the first power-off unit to the series input terminal pso_s_in of the target layout area, and connect the signal input terminal of the second power-off unit to the series output terminal pso_s_out of the target layout area, so as to realize the series connection of the power management link in the target layout area and the power management link in the first layout area. The remaining target layout areas can all be connected in series with the power management link in the first layout area in the foregoing manner, which will not be repeated here.

[0120] S1303. Merge each target layout area into the first layout area.

[0121] After the power management links of each target layout area determined in S1301 are respectively connected in series with the power management link in the first layout area, each target layout area is merged into the first layout area, and the merged area is used as the updated first layout area. As shown in Figure 13 After merging, the layout space of the obtained first layout area becomes larger. Correspondingly, in Figure 11 Some second layout areas that are not adjacent to the first layout area will become adjacent to the first layout area, so that new target layout areas can be determined.

[0122] It should be noted that the layout method provided in this application starts from the first layout area and, in the order of from near to far from the first layout area, connects the power management links of each second layout area in series with the power management link in the first layout area in turn. This can avoid the power management links in some second layout areas that are far from the first layout area from having to go through too long a wiring to be connected to the power management circuit in the first layout area, thereby effectively reducing the use of normally open buffers and avoiding an increase in the overall cost of the target module.

[0123] S1304. Determine whether all second layout areas have been traversed. If not, return to execute S1301.

[0124] After merging the target layout area with the first layout area, determine whether all second layout areas have been traversed. If not, return to execute S1301 and repeat the above process. On the contrary, if it is determined that all second layout areas have been completely traversed, it means that the power management links in the target module have been connected in series as a whole, and the layout of the power-off unit in the target module is completed, and the layout process can be exited.

[0125] It should be noted that since the logic units in any second layout area generally perform logical interactions with the logic units in other second layout areas or the first layout area, the related art will ensure the connectivity between each second layout area and the first layout area when performing macro cell layout. Therefore, the layout method provided in this application is not only applicable to the Figure 3 layout form shown in. This method can be used for the layout of the power-off unit for any macro cell layout form. In addition, the connectivity between each second layout area and the first layout area can ensure that all second layout areas can be finally covered by gradually expanding the first layout area, thereby avoiding omissions in the layout process of the power-off unit.

[0126] In summary, the power-off unit layout method provided by the present application divides the spatial area where the power-off unit needs to be laid out into multiple layout areas, and arranges the power-off units in each layout area. Since the power-off unit layout process is not affected by the design parameters of existing tools, it can ensure that the power-off units are evenly arranged in the spatial area where the target module needs to layout the power-off unit, without missing any space. The power-off units are arranged more reasonably, effectively reducing the static power consumption of the chip, ensuring the normal power supply of the standard cells in the target module, and reliably guaranteeing the chip performance.

[0127] Further, during the layout process, in the order from near to far from the first layout area, power management links are created in each second layout area in turn, and the power management links in the corresponding second layout area are connected in series with the power management links in the first layout area, effectively avoiding the problem that the power management links in some second layout areas far from the first layout area need to be routed too far to be connected to the power management circuit in the first layout area. Therefore, there is no need to handle the maximum transition time violation problem by setting a normally open buffer, effectively saving a large amount of layout and routing resources, which is beneficial to the overall cost control of the target module.

[0128] Next, a specific example is used to illustrate the technical effects of the layout method provided by the present application.

[0129] Taking a module with 306 static random access memories (SRAMs) as an example, after the layout of the SRAMs is completed, the spatial area where the power-off unit needs to be laid out can be divided into a first layout area and 559 second layout areas. For the above module, three schemes are adopted for the layout and connection of the power-off units. Scheme 1: No special operation is performed on the second layout area, and the power-off unit layout is carried out using the automatic layout tool in the related technology; Scheme 2: Layout is carried out for the second layout spatial area, but the layout positions of the series input end and the series output end in the second layout spatial area are not considered, and the method of gradually expanding the first layout area provided in the foregoing embodiment is not adopted; Scheme 3: The layout method provided by the present application is adopted.

[0130] The comparison results between Scheme 1 and Scheme 3 (i.e., the present method) can be seen in Table 1 below.

[0131] Table 1

[0132]

[0133] As shown in Table 1, compared with this solution, Solution 1 has 300 second layout areas, that is, 54% of the second layout areas do not have power-off units arranged. And in this solution, all narrow space areas have been arranged with power-off units, but only 2.64% more power-off units are added, and the connection line length only increases by 1.77% compared with Solution 1.

[0134] The comparison results between Solution 2 and Solution 3 (i.e., this method) can be seen in Table 2 shown below.

[0135] Table 2

[0136]

[0137] As shown in Table 2, although Solution 2 can arrange power-off units in all second layout areas, due to the unreasonable arrangement and connection method of the series position of the power management link, the connection line length required to connect the power-off units increases significantly. Compared with the line length of this solution, the connection line length increases by 11.9%.

[0138] From the above data comparison, it can be seen that the layout method provided by this application starts from the first layout area and gradually spreads to each second layout area in the order from near to far from the first layout area, which can ensure that power-off units can be evenly arranged in all space areas to provide stable power supply for the entire module, and at the same time make the best use of the layout and wiring resources of the power-off units to avoid unnecessary resource waste.

[0139] Furthermore, by using the power-off unit layout method provided by the present invention, the arrangement and connection of power-off units in all areas of the entire module can be automatically realized, greatly reducing the iteration time of the power-off unit layout and shortening the design cycle of the module.

[0140] Next, the power-off unit layout device provided by the present invention will be introduced. The power-off unit layout device provided by the present invention belongs to the same inventive concept as the power-off unit layout method provided in the embodiments of this application, can execute the power-off unit layout method provided in any embodiment of this application, and has corresponding functional modules and beneficial effects for executing the power-off unit layout method. For technical details not described in detail in this embodiment, reference can be made to the power-off unit layout method provided in the embodiments of this application, and details will not be elaborated here.

[0141] See Figure 14 As shown in the figure, the power-off unit layout device provided by this application includes an acquisition unit 10, a division unit 20, a first layout unit 30, and a second layout unit 40.

[0142] The acquisition unit 10 is used to acquire the layout plan of the target module;

[0143] Partitioning unit 20, configured to partition the spatial area in the layout planning diagram where the power-off unit needs to be laid out into a first layout area and a plurality of second layout areas, wherein the layout space of the first layout area is larger than that of any second layout area;

[0144] First layout unit 30, configured to create a power management link in the first layout area, wherein the power management link includes a plurality of serially connected power-off units;

[0145] Second layout unit 40, configured to create a power management link in each second layout area respectively and connect the power management links in each second layout area in series with the power management link in the first layout area to complete the layout of the power-off units.

[0146] Next, with reference to Figure 15 The server provided by the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The server provided by this embodiment may include: at least one processor 100, at least one communication interface 200, at least one memory 300, and at least one communication bus 400;

[0147] In the embodiment of the present invention, the number of the processor 100, the communication interface 200, the memory 300, and the communication bus 400 is at least one, and the processor 100, the communication interface 200, and the memory 300 complete mutual communication through the communication bus 400; Obviously, Figure 15 The schematic diagram of the communication connection shown by the processor 100, the communication interface 200, the memory 300, and the communication bus 400 is only optional;

[0148] Optionally, the communication interface 200 may be an interface of a communication module, such as an interface of a GSM module; the processor 100 may be a central processing unit CPU, or a specific integrated circuit ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the embodiment of the present invention.

[0149] The memory 300 may include a high-speed RAM memory, and may also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk memory.

[0150] Wherein, the processor 100 is specifically configured to execute the application program in the memory to implement the steps of the power-off unit layout method described above.

[0151] In some embodiments, the present embodiment further provides a computer-readable storage medium, such as a floppy disk, an optical disc, a hard disk, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an SD (Secure Digital Memory Card) card, an MMC (Multimedia Card) card, etc. One or more instructions for implementing the above-described various steps are stored in the computer-readable storage medium. When the one or more instructions are executed by one or more processors, the processors are caused to execute the power-off unit layout method described above. For the relevant specific implementation, please refer to the foregoing description, and details are not elaborated herein.

[0152] In addition to the above methods and devices, embodiments of the present application may also be computer program products, which include computer program instructions. When the computer program instructions are run by a processor, the processor is caused to execute the steps in the power-off unit layout method according to various embodiments of the present application described in the above content of this specification.

[0153] The computer program product may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages for programming code to perform the operations of the embodiments of the present application. The programming languages include object-oriented programming languages, such as Java, C++, etc., and also include conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" language or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user computing device, partially on the user device, executed as an independent software package, partially on the user computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server.

[0154] Those skilled in the art can understand that the content disclosed in the present disclosure can have various variations and improvements. For example, the various devices or components described above can be implemented by hardware, or can be implemented by software, firmware, or some or all of the combinations of the three.

[0155] In addition, although the present disclosure makes various references to certain units in the systems according to the embodiments of the present disclosure, however, any number of different units can be used and run on the client and / or server. The units are merely illustrative, and different aspects of the system and method can use different units.

[0156] Flowcharts are used in the present disclosure to illustrate the steps of the methods according to the embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood that the steps before or after do not necessarily need to be carried out precisely in order. On the contrary, they can be carried out in reverse order or various steps can be processed simultaneously. At the same time, other operations can also be added to these processes.

[0157] Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the steps in the above methods can be completed by instructing relevant hardware through a computer program, and the program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as a read-only memory, etc. Optionally, all or part of the steps of the above embodiments can also be implemented using one or more integrated circuits. Correspondingly, each module / unit in the above embodiments can be implemented in the form of hardware or in the form of a software function module. The present disclosure is not limited to any specific combination of hardware and software.

[0158] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs. It should also be understood that terms such as those defined in a general dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense, unless expressly so defined herein.

[0159] The above is an illustration of the present disclosure and should not be regarded as a limitation thereof. Although several exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art will readily understand that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments without departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present disclosure. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the claims. It should be understood that the above is an illustration of the present disclosure and should not be regarded as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and modifications to the disclosed embodiments and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. The present disclosure is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A power shut-off unit layout method, characterized in that: include: Get the layout plan of the target module; Dividing the spatial area where the power-off unit needs to be laid out in the layout plan into a first layout area and a plurality of second layout areas, wherein the layout space of the first layout area is larger than the layout space of any of the second layout areas; Creating a power management link in the first layout area, wherein the power management link includes a plurality of power shutoff units connected in series; A power management link is created in each of the second layout areas respectively, and the power management link in each of the second layout areas is connected in series with the power management link in the first layout area to complete the power shutdown unit layout.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step of respectively creating a power management link in each of the second layout areas and connecting the power management link in each of the second layout areas in series with the power management link in the first layout area includes: In order from near to far from the first layout area, a power management link is created in each of the second layout areas in sequence and connected in series with the power management link in the first layout area until all the second layout areas are traversed.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that The step of sequentially creating power management links in each of the second layout areas in order from near to far from the first layout area and connecting them in series with the power management links in the first layout area until all the second layout areas are traversed includes: Repeat the following steps until all the second layout areas are traversed: Determine at least one target layout area adjacent to the first layout area in each of the second layout areas; Create a power management link in each of the target layout areas respectively and connect them in series with the power management link in the first layout area; Each of the target layout areas is merged into the first layout area.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The process of creating a power management link in any of the target layout areas comprises: Determining the positions of the series input terminal and the series output terminal of the target layout area according to the relative position relationship between the target layout area and the first layout area; Acquiring layout restriction information, wherein the layout restriction information includes a unit type of the power-off unit, and a horizontal spacing and a vertical spacing between any two connected power-off units; Arrange a plurality of power shutoff units in the target layout area according to the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing; According to the unit type, the series input terminal, each power shutoff unit and the series output terminal are sequentially connected in series to obtain a corresponding power management link.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The process of connecting the power management link of any target layout area in series with the power management link in the first layout area comprises: Determining, in the first layout area, a first power shutoff unit adjacent to the target layout area, and a second power shutoff unit connected to a signal output end of the first power shutoff unit; The series input terminal of the target layout area is connected to the signal output terminal of the first power shutoff unit, and the series output terminal of the target layout area is connected to the signal input terminal of the second power shutoff unit.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first layout area includes an external input terminal and an external output terminal for transmitting a control signal of the power shutoff unit; Creating a power management link in the first layout area includes: Acquire layout restriction information, where the layout restriction information includes a unit type of the power-off unit, and a horizontal spacing and a vertical spacing between any two adjacent power-off units; Arrange a plurality of power shutoff units in the first layout area according to the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing; According to the unit type, the external input terminal, each power shutoff unit and the external output terminal are sequentially connected in series to obtain a corresponding power management link.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that The process of determining the horizontal spacing and the vertical spacing includes: Obtaining the total number of power-off units that need to be laid out in the layout plan, the row height configured in the layout plan, the specification of the target module, and the height of the power-off unit; The lateral spacing and the longitudinal spacing are determined based on the total number, the row height, the specification of the target module, and the height of the power shut-off unit.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The specifications of the target module include longitudinal length and transverse length; Determining the lateral spacing and the longitudinal spacing based on the total number, the row height, the specification of the target module, and the height of the power shutoff unit includes: Determining the longitudinal spacing according to the row height, the height of the power shutoff unit, and a preset longitudinal spacing distance between two adjacent power shutoff units; Determining the number of power-off unit rows that can be arranged in the target module based on the longitudinal length of the target module and the longitudinal spacing; Determine that the ratio of the total number to the number of power-off unit rows is the number of power-off unit columns that can be arranged in the target module; The lateral spacing is determined according to the lateral length and the number of power-off unit columns.

9. A power shutoff unit layout device, characterized in that: include: An acquisition unit, used for acquiring a layout plan of a target module; A dividing unit, used for dividing the space area where the power shutdown unit needs to be laid out in the layout plan into a first layout area and a plurality of second layout areas, wherein the layout space of the first layout area is larger than the layout space of any of the second layout areas; A first layout unit, configured to create a power management link in the first layout area, wherein the power management link includes a plurality of power shutdown units connected in series; The second layout unit is used to respectively create a power management link in each of the second layout areas and connect the power management link in each of the second layout areas in series with the power management link in the first layout area to complete the power shutdown unit layout.

10. A server comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executed by the processor, characterized in that: When the processor executes the computer program, the steps of the power-off unit layout method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 are implemented.

11. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program is executed by a processor, the steps of the power-off unit layout method according to any one of claims 1 to 8 are implemented.

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