Circuit Rail and Level Translator Placement Across Design Regions

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Solution Overview

Problem

The manual positioning of power supply rails, fences, and level translators in complex circuit designs increases the likelihood of human error and reduces design efficiency, especially as circuits become more intricate with advancements in technology.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method for automating the addition of power supply rails, fences, and level translators by annotating component instance pins, tracing connectivity regions, and placing these elements at crossing endpoints based on user specifications and design regions, utilizing a clock region and global voltage domain pair.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual positioning is used for power supply rails, fences, and level translators, then design flexibility is maintained, but human error increases and design efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign efficiencyVSAvoidhuman error rate

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs automated annotation of component instance pins with design region information, automatically traces connectivity regions, and places power supply rails, fences, and level translators without requiring manual intervention. The algorithm independently identifies crossing endpoints and positions components based on design region changes, enabling the system to serve itself rather than relying on manual designer input.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical process of positioning and connecting power supply components is replaced with an automated computer-implemented algorithm. The system uses computational methods to annotate pins, trace connectivity, identify crossing endpoints, and place components, substituting human manual operations with automated software-based processes that improve efficiency and reduce errors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If automated systems are used to add power supply rails, fences, and level translators, then design efficiency increases, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign efficiencyVSAvoidautomation system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The automated design process is divided into distinct sequential segments: (1) annotating component instance pins with design region information, (2) tracing connectivity regions forward through the circuit, (3) identifying crossing endpoints where design regions change, and (4) placing power supply rails, fences, and level translators at identified locations. This segmentation makes the complex automation process more manageable and systematic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary computational layer that automatically processes design region information and generates placement decisions. This intermediary algorithm acts as a mediator between the circuit design requirements and the actual placement of power supply components, automating the decision-making process without requiring direct human intervention while managing system complexity through structured computation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If manual positioning is used, then placement accuracy depends on designer skill, but the process is time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplacement accuracyVSAvoidpositioning time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary annotation of component instance pins with design region information before the actual placement process. By pre-identifying and labeling all relevant components and their design regions, the system prepares the necessary information in advance, enabling accurate and efficient placement without requiring time-consuming manual analysis during the positioning phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The manual skill-based positioning process is replaced with an automated algorithm that consistently applies design region tracing and crossing endpoint identification rules. This substitution eliminates variability in placement accuracy based on designer skill levels while significantly reducing the time required for positioning, as the automated system processes designs systematically without fatigue or distraction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20260030428A1Automated addition of power supply rail, fence and level translators in a circuit design

Publication Date: 2026.01.29 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

A computer-implemented method for automating addition of power supply rails, fences, and level translators in a circuit design, includes annotating initial component instance pins as belonging to a design region based on user specification and connectivity tracing with a design region. The design region is a clock region and global voltage domain pair. The method propagates a design region forward from the component instance pins to sequential components by assigning a design region to a sequential component based on the design region of a previous component, identifies crossing endpoints where the design region changes and places at least one of a fence, power supply rail, and a level translator at the crossing endpoints.