Clock Tree Prototyping Using Flexible Abstraction Models
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional modeling and prototyping techniques for electronic circuit designs, particularly for Gigascale designs, consume excessive time and computing resources and often fail to identify timing errors early in the design cycle, making it challenging to ensure accurate clock tree synthesis and meet timing requirements.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of flexible abstraction models (flexmodels) that reduce the size of circuit prototypes by replacing internal paths with flexible filler cells, allowing for efficient analysis and optimization of clock trees, thereby enabling early-stage timing analysis and design exploration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional modeling and prototyping techniques are used for Gigascale designs, then complete circuit analysis can be performed, but analysis time and memory requirements become excessively large
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit design is divided into hierarchical levels (top-level, intermediate-level, and detailed-level). Each level is analyzed separately with appropriate detail, avoiding the need to analyze the entire Gigascale design at full detail. This segmentation enables timing analysis to be performed at manageable scales while maintaining accuracy where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the analysis process. Instead of analyzing all circuits at one level of detail, the system moves between hierarchical levels, performing high-level architectural analysis first, then drilling down into specific subsystems that require detailed timing analysis. This dimensional approach reduces overall analysis time while preserving timing accuracy for critical paths.
2Measurement precision
If conventional modeling techniques are used, then all circuit details are retained, but computing resources and memory requirements become excessively large
Solution Approach 1:
Different levels of modeling detail are applied to different parts of the circuit hierarchy. Top-level modules use abstract behavioral models that consume minimal memory, while specific subsystems requiring timing verification use detailed gate-level models. This local quality approach ensures memory is allocated only where needed for timing analysis, rather than retaining all circuit details throughout the entire design.
3Loss of time
If early-stage timing analysis is performed with conventional methods, then timing problems can be identified earlier, but the analysis process becomes too computationally intensive
Solution Approach 1:
High-level architectural timing analysis is performed early in the design cycle using abstract models that require minimal computing resources. This preliminary action identifies obvious timing issues at the architectural level before detailed implementation. Later, intermediate-level analysis provides more detailed timing verification without requiring full Gigascale-level computational resources at the early stage.
4Measurement precision
If full-detail circuit models are used for prototyping, then accurate timing analysis is possible, but the prototyping process consumes excessive computing resources
Solution Approach 1:
The modeling detail is made dynamic and adaptive based on the analysis stage and specific design needs. The system automatically or manually adjusts the level of detail in models being analyzed - using abstract models for early architectural exploration and detailed models only for specific timing-critical subsystems. This dynamic approach maintains timing analysis accuracy where needed while dramatically improving overall design efficiency by avoiding unnecessary detailed analysis of non-critical portions.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an improved method, system, and computer program product for implementing flexible models to perform efficient prototyping of clock structures in electronic designs, which allows for very efficient analysis of the electronic designs. Some approaches pertain to usage of the flexible abstraction models that also include clock abstractions to more efficiently perform analysis upon the electronic designs. This allows greater analysis efficiency with regards to timing analysis and physical analysis.