264 results about "Place and route" patented technology

Static timing and / or noise analysis are performed on a netlist of an integrated circuit, to estimate behavior of the netlist and to identify at least one violation by said behavior of a corresponding requirement thereon, such as setup time, hold time or bump height in a quiescent net. Thereafter, effect of engineering change order (ECO) to correct the violation are automatically analyzed, based on the layout, the parasitics, the timing and / or noise behavior, and the violation, followed by generation of a constraint on the behavior (called “ECO” constraint), such as a timing constraint and / or a noise constraint. Next, the ECO constraint is automatically used, e.g. in a place and route tool, to select an ECO repair technique, from several ECO repair techniques that can overcome the violation. The selected ECO repair technique is automatically applied to the layout, to generate a modified layout which does not have the violation.

While debugging, a user chooses an incremental recompile. Internal signals of interest and output pins are selected, and a number of additional registers are chosen to insert in the path of each internal signal. A clock is selected for the registers. An incremental recompile of the compiled design compiles a routing from each internal signal to an output pin via the added registers. The database building and logic synthesis stages are skipped. The post-fitting logical netlist and routing netlist are retrieved. The new registers are created and the internal signal is connected to the output pin atom in the logical netlist. The fitter places and routes the connections to create a new routing netlist and then the new routing netlist is output into a programming output file (POF) in a form suitable for programming the PLD. The original routing netlist is undisturbed. The user views the internal signals at the output pins chosen. The user may iterate through this process many times in order to debug the PLD. The debugging assignments may be deleted.

A cell according to the present invention comprises a plurality of terminals capable of transmitting an input signal or an output signal and serving as a minimum unit in designing a semiconductor integrated circuit, wherein the plurality of terminals is located on routing grids lined in a Y direction which is a direction vertical to a power-supply wiring of the cell used in automatic placement & routing and has a shape extended in an X direction which is a direction in parallel with the power-supply wiring, more specifically such a shape that, for example, a longer-side dimension of the terminal is equal to “a routing grid interval in the X direction+a wiring width. According to the constitution, a cell area is reduced, which advantageously leads to the reduction of a chip area.

The present invention generally relates to microfluidics and more particularly to the design of customized microfluidic systems using a microfluidic computer aided design system. In one embodiment of the present invention a microfluidic circuit design method is provided. The method includes developing synthesizable computer code for a design. Next, a microfluidic circuit schematic, including a plurality of symbols for microfluidic components, is generated either interactively or using the synthesizable computer code. The microfluidic circuit schematic is then functionally simulated. The microfluidic components are placed and routed on a template to form a physical layout. Then the physical layout is physically simulated using dynamic simulation models of the microfluidic components; and the physical layout is written to a layout file.

A business-to-business application service provider includes an Internet website and webserver with EDA-on-demand solutions for system-on-a-chip designers. Such website allows electronic designs in hardware description language to be uploaded into a front-end EDA design environment. A behavioral model simulation tool hosted privately on the webserver tests and validates the design. Such tool executes only in the secure environment of the business-to-business application service provider. The validated solution is then downloaded back over the Internet for a pay-per-use fee to the customer, and in a form ready to be placed and routed by a back-end EDA tool. Such validated design solutions are also downloadable to others in exchange for other designs, or available in technology libraries. The intellectual property created can be re-used, sold, shared, exchanged, and otherwise distributed efficiently and easily from a central for-profit clearinghouse.

Disclosed are techniques and apparatus for providing metrology or inspection targets in-chip. That is, targets are integrated within the product device or die area. In general terms, the present invention provides techniques for enabling inspection or metrology on targets within the die or active area. Said in another way, target structures are inserted within the die or active area. In one embodiment, a set of rules are provided for integrating test structures within the die. For example, these rules may be implemented by one or more design engineers or by place-and-route tools which automatically generate the die layout pattern and thereafter insert the target structures into the die layout pattern based on these rules. Location data of each target is then retained during the layout generation and provided to one or more inspection or metrology tools and / or metrology engineers so that each target may be found and then inspected or measured.

The process by which a logical simulation model is implemented in a physical device may introduce errors in the resulting implementation. A simulation system enables comparison of a realized physical implementation against the simulation models that produce them, thereby detecting differences between an initial, logical design and the resulting physical embodiment. Errors introduced by an initial design, faulty Intellectual Property blocks, faulty programmable logic device silicon, faulty synthesis algorithms and software, and faulty place and route algorithms and software may be detected. As a result, the simulation system reflects both the accuracy of the actual implemented device with the capacity and performance of a purpose built hardware-assisted solution.

A layout design method and system for a semiconductor integrated circuit improves circuit performances related to operated frequency and power consumption by improved placement and routing. The method features an intersecting wiring predicting step that predicts the number of the intersecting wirings based on predicted wiring routes and an intersecting wiring capacitance calculating step that calculates the capacitances between the intersecting wirings.

The exemplary embodiments provide a reconfigurable integrated circuit architecture having a predetermined, unit timing increment (or delay) for both data operations and data word transfers within every zone and between zones, which are independent of application placement and routing. An exemplary IC comprises a plurality of circuit zones, with each zone comprising: a plurality of composite circuit elements, a plurality of cluster queues, and a full interconnect bus. Each composite circuit element comprises: a configurable circuit element circuit and an element interface and control circuit, with the element interface and control circuit comprising an input queue and an output queue. Each cluster queue comprises an element interface and control having an input queue and an output queue. The full interconnect bus couples every output queue within the zone to every input queue within the zone. Any data operation performed by a composite circuit element, any data word transfer through a cluster queue, and any data word transfer over the first full interconnect bus, is completed within a predetermined unit time delay which is independent of application placement and application data routing on the reconfigurable IC.

Disclosed herein is a method for dividing an integrated circuit (IC) design into several circuit partitions, each including one or more circuit modules, and then separately carrying out placement and routing for each circuit partition, with each partition being implemented within a separate area of an IC substrate. The method initially generates a whole-chip trial placement that tends to cluster cells of each circuit module together. An IC substrate floor plan assigning modules to various partitions is prepared, with the size, shape and relative position of each partition being determined by size, shape and relative position of areas of the substrate occupied by those modules in the trial floor plan. A trial routing is also performed with information on which to base a pin assignment plan for each module. A detailed placement and routing process is then independently performed for each partition, with placement and routing of cells within each partition constrained by the floor plan and pin assignment plan.

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that verifies an integrated circuit (IC) chip layout. During operation, the system receives a layout of an IC chip after the layout has gone through a place-and-route operation. Next, the system performs a lithography compliance checking (LCC) operation on the layout to detect lithography hotspots within the layout, wherein each lithography hotspot is associated with a local routing pattern around the lithography hotspot. Next, for each detected lithography hotspot, the system compares the associated local routing pattern against a hotspot database to determine if the local routing pattern matches an entry in the hotspot database, which stores a set of known hotspot configurations. If so, the system corrects the lithography hotspot using correction guidance information associated with the hotspot configuration stored in the hotspot database. Otherwise, the system corrects the lithography hotspot by performing a local rip-up and reroute on the local routing pattern, iteratively, until achieving convergence or given number of iterations.

A computer is programmed to use at least one rule to identify from within a layout of an IC design, a set of regions likely to fail if fabricated unchanged. An example of such a rule of detection is to check for presence of two neighbors neither of which fully overlaps a short wire or an end of a long wire. The computer uses at least another rule to change at least one region in the set of regions, to obtain a second layout which is less likely to fail in the identified regions. An example of such a rule of correction is to elongate at least one of the two neighbors. The computer may perform optical rule checking (ORC) in any order relative to application of the rules, e.g. ORC can be performed between detection rules and correction rules i.e. performed individually on each identified region prior to correction.

Disclosed is a method, system, and computer program product for implementing model-based floorplanning, layout, placement, and routing. Models are used to guide the placement and routing of polygons on the IC layout based upon predictions of manufacturing variations.

Disclosed is a method, system, and article of manufacture for a one-pass approach for implementing metal-fill for an integrated circuit. Also disclosed is a method, system, and article of manufacture for implementing metal-fill that is coupled to a tie-off connection. An approach that is disclosed comprises a method, system, and article of manufacture for implementing metal-fill having an elongated shape that corresponds to the length of whitespace. Also disclosed is the aspect of implementing metal-fill that matches the routing direction. Yet another disclosure is an implementation of a place & route tool incorporating an integrated metal-fill mechanism.

Methods and apparatuses to estimate delay for logic circuit optimization using back annotated placement and delay data. In one aspect of the invention, a method to design a logic circuit, the method includes: modifying a first path that is back annotated with first placement information and first delay information to generate a second path; and calculating a signal delay on the second path from second placement information for the second path, the first placement information and the first delay information (or, computing an adjustment to the first delay information from second placement information for the second path and the first placement information). In one example according to this aspect, the first placement information and the first delay information are back annotated from a timing analysis based on placing and routing at least the first path. An actual route is determined from the first placement information in calculating the signal delay.

A floor planner tool for integrated circuit design which provides tools and displays for a designer to create a floor plan to define desired placement of circuits defined in a logical netlist by creating a physical hierarchy comprised of nested pblocks. Each pblock is a data structure which contains data which defines which circuits from the logical netlist are assigned to it. Each pblock stands alone and can be input to a place and route tool without the rest of the physical hierarchy. Each pblock data structure contains pointers to the circuits on the netlist assigned to that plbock, identifies other pblocks nested within it and contains at least a list of boundary pins for that pblock. Net data structures in the physical hierarchy define which nets are connected to which pins. PCellview data structures define the internal structure of each pblock.

A semiconductor circuit pattern design method includes the following operations. A design pattern is created by placing a plurality of cells in each functional block as a unit of the semiconductor circuit and executing routing among the plurality of placed cells. Mask pattern data based on the design pattern is created. A predictive pattern to be formed on the substrate by the mask pattern data is predicted. A difference amount between the predictive pattern and a target pattern to be formed on the substrate by the mask pattern data is checked. The difference amount is compared with a predetermined allowable variation amount. If the difference amount is larger than the allowable variation amount in the comparison, at least one of placement and routing of the cells in the design pattern corresponding to the mask pattern data used to predict the predictive pattern is corrected.

In a low power consumption mode in which prior data is retained upon power shutdown, the return speed thereof is increased. While use of an existent data retaining flip-flop may be considered, this is not preferred since it increases area overhead such as enlargement of the size of a cell. A power line for data retention for power shutdown is formed with wirings finer than a usual main power line. Preferably, power lines for a data retention circuit are considered as signal lines and wired by automatic placing and mounting. For this purpose, terminals for the power line for data retention are previously designed by providing the terminals therefor for the cell in the same manner as in the existent signal lines. Additional layout for power lines is no longer necessary for the cell, which enables a decrease in the area and design by an existent placing and routing tool.

Methods for generating a padring layout design are described. These methods utilize automation while still allowing customization. Automation is emphasized as much as possible so that more time can be used to solve the various problems that make each padring layout design unique. A framework in which regular patterns can be described, replicated, and tailored is provided. The padring is broken down into zones in which slots having bumps / bond pads areas, I / O cell areas, and / or edge logic cell areas are laid out in a regular pattern through an instantiation process. Edge logic, which is comprised of standard cells, is pulled from the core of the chip because these cells couple directly to I / O cells and are critical for timing. The framework allows the bumps / bond pads, I / O cells, and edge logic cells to be laid out in respective bumps / bond pads areas, I / O cell areas, and / or edge logic cell areas according to algorithms associated with the patterns and using a variety of maps which associate the logical netlist with the physical layout design.

A floor planner tool for integrated circuit design which provides tools and displays for a designer to create a floor plan to define desired placement of circuits defined in a logical netlist by creating a physical hierarchy comprised of nested pblocks. Each pblock is a data structure which contains data which defines which circuits from the logical netlist are assigned to it. Each pblock stands alone and can be input to a place and route tool without the rest of the physical hierarchy. Each pblock data structure contains pointers to the circuits on the netlist assigned to that plbock, identifies other pblocks nested within it and contains at least a list of boundary pins for that pblock.

The invention relates to a method for realizing a full three-dimensional intelligent virtual computer room, and belongs to the fields of computer graphics and virtual reality. The method comprises the following steps of: (1) simulating a full three-dimensional system structure and state; (2) monitoring and managing the running states of multiple kinds of large computer room equipment in real time; (3) performing monitoring, transmission and three-dimensional display on signals in real time based on a C / S architecture; (4) automatically laying out and wiring in a three-dimensional space system in real time; and (5) in a three-dimensional space, performing quick positioning, three-dimensional navigation and intelligent analysis on exceptional equipment. In the method, after a two-dimensional sketch map is changed into a full three-dimensional real-time intelligent layout map, according to equipment connection information updated by a server, all equipment is subjected to real-time layout and wiring at a client, the connection relationships of the multiple kinds of equipment are more clear and intuitively, the concept of layout is added, and a phenomenon that a flow chart only has a single function of the connection relationships is improved, so each equipment comprises definite real-time position information, the exceptional equipment is quickly positioned, and the navigation display and intelligent analysis in the three-dimensional space assist users to more effectively judge problems and solve problems.

A system for calculating interconnect wire lateral capacitances in an automated integrated circuit design system subdivides the chip area of a circuit design to be placed and routed into a coarse grid of buckets. An estimate of congestion in each bucket is computed from an estimated amount of routing space available in the bucket and estimated consumption of routing resources by a global router. This congestion score is then used to determine the spacing of the wires in the bucket which is in turn used to estimate the capacitance of the wire segment in the bucket.

Progressively optimized clock tree / mesh construction is performed concurrently with placement of all remaining objects. Clock tree / mesh is specified loosely for initial placement, then followed by progressive detailed placement. In particular, preferred approach provides automated and reliable solution to clock tree / mesh construction, occuring concurrently with placement process so that clock tree wiring and buffering considers and influences placement and wiring of all other objects, such as logic gates, memory elements, macrocells, etc. Hence, in this concurrent manner, clock tree / mesh pre-wiring and pre-buffering may be based on construction of approximate clock tree using partitioning information only, i.e., prior to object placement. Further, present approach provides modified DME-based clock tree topology construction without meandering, and recursive algorithm for buffered clock tree construction.

A system and method for reducing power consumption in a reconfigurable integrated circuit. Some embodiments provide placement and routing programs that reduce the number of bits to be reconfigured. Some embodiments provide placement and routing programs that increase the number of groups of circuits that do not need reconfiguration at some times. Some embodiments include circuits that selectively block reconfiguration.

Methods and apparatuses to place and route cells on integrated circuit chips along paths. In one aspect of the invention, methods to layout an integrated circuit are based on placing and routing cells along paths. In one embodiment, a method to layout an integrated circuit including: routing a wire to connect a first cell of the integrated circuit and a second cell of the integrated circuit; and placing a third cell of the integrated circuit after the wire is routed to connect the first cell and the second cell. In one example, the first, second and third cells are on a first path; and, the third cell is connected to one of the first and second cells on the first path by only one net. The first path is selected from a set of paths; and the first and second cells are placed before the wire is routed to connect the first cell and the second cell. Timing is analyzed using a route of the wire connecting the first cell and the second cell to select a second path from the set of paths before a cell is placed on the second path.

Method and apparatus for placing and routing an electronic circuit design. Various embodiments are disclosed for analyzing placed and / or routed designs for power consumption characteristics and timing characteristics. New designs are iteratively generated in order to reduce power consumption and satisfy timing requirements of the design.

While debugging, a user chooses an incremental recompile. Internal signals of interest are selected and output pins are optionally reserved. An incremental recompile of the compiled design includes compiling a routing from each internal signal to an output pin. The technology-mapped netlist and placing and routing information corresponding to an original compiled design are saved into a database during full compilation. During debugging, an incremental compiler retrieves this information to build the original routing netlist. The database building, logic synthesis and technology mapping stages may be skipped. New connections are added, fitted to the device, and then the final routing netlist is output into a programming output file (POF) in a form suitable for programming the PLD. The user views the internal signals at the output pins chosen. The user may iterate through this process many times in order to debug the PLD. The debugging assignments may be deleted.

A system and method of designing the physical layout of an SoC incorporating row-based placement of analog standard cells whose heights are constrained to a predetermined row height or integer multiple thereof. A library of analog standard cells may be utilized by an ECAD tool to map, place, and route analog and mixed signal circuits in a manner similar to how such ECAD tool may utilize a library of digital standard cells to map, place, and route digital circuits. Mapping, placing, and routing of digital, analog, and mixed signal circuits may proceed within a unified ECAD SoC physical design flow. Finally, a general type analog standard cell is taught to further increase the speed and efficiency of analog and mixed-signal SoC layout.

A method for performing timing optimization of a detail routed netlist, incorporating statistical variability information, common path pessimism reduction, and capacitative coupling information, in a tightly coupled, incremental manner with minimal perturbations to the placement, routing, and asserted parasitic information. The method corrects violations in a placed and routed design of a VLSI circuit chip, where the design is represented by a netlist describing logical and physical characteristics of the design and by a corresponding timing graph, the method including the steps of: identifying violations in the design; iteratively eliminating the violations by incrementally transforming the logical and the physical characteristics of the design, incorporating in the design only legal placements and routes; and applying incremental timing to evaluate the transformations, and updating the existing timing graphs to reflect changes consisting of the legal placements and routes.