Unified Tool for Circuit Design Constraint Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tools for generating and verifying circuit design constraints are inefficient, particularly in complex microprocessor and SOC designs, due to manual processes and inconsistencies between design varieties, leading to incomplete constraint generation and verification.
Innovation Solution
A unified tool that uses a new design intent language to automatically generate design constraints and test benches, ensuring consistency between physical and verification flows by analyzing design data and intent together, thereby eliminating manual intervention and independent tool inconsistencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual processes are used for creating design constraints, then flexibility and adaptability to different design varieties are maintained, but productivity and efficiency deteriorate due to the increasing complexity of microprocessor and SOC design
Solution Approach 1:
The constraint generation tool is designed to handle multiple design varieties and constraint types through a unified framework. It automatically adapts to different design scenarios (clock gating, multiple clock domains, power domains) by interpreting design data and generating appropriate constraints without requiring manual reconfiguration, thus achieving both universality and efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The tool performs self-service by automatically generating design constraints from design data without requiring manual intervention. It autonomously analyzes the design, identifies necessary constraints, and generates them in the appropriate format, eliminating the need for manual constraint creation while maintaining adaptability to various design complexities
2Ease of manufacture
If independent tools are used for constraint generation and verification, then specialization in specific tasks is achieved, but consistency between physical and verification flows deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the constraint generation and verification processes into a unified tool that operates on the same design data. This ensures that the same constraint logic is applied consistently to both physical implementation and verification flows, eliminating inconsistencies that arise from using separate independent tools while maintaining the ease of specialized constraint handling
3Reliability
If verification is performed at later stages of the design process, then thorough checking is achieved, but loss of time in the overall design cycle increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tool performs preliminary action by generating and verifying design constraints early in the design process, during the constraint generation phase itself. This early verification catches potential issues before they propagate through subsequent design stages, maintaining thoroughness while significantly reducing the overall design cycle time by eliminating later rework
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with providing a unified tool for performing design constraints generation and verification for circuit designs are described. In one embodiment, the unified tool reads design data and design intent information for a circuit design. The unified tool generates physical flow elements and verification flow elements of the circuit design, together and in dependence on each other, based, at least in part, on the design data and the design intent information.