Clock Tree Timing Evaluation Tool for IMD Power Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implantable medical device (IMD) systems face challenges in reducing power consumption due to the complexity and size of clock trees in integrated circuits, which increases current consumption and makes it difficult to distribute clock signals uniformly, leading to inefficiencies and potential race conditions.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves optimizing the design of clock tree networks by analyzing timing and selecting or replacing clocked components to reduce the number and size of clock tree delay elements, ensuring correct circuit timing without adding unnecessary delay elements, and using a tool to generate clock trees that prioritize data transmission speed and synchronization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If clock tree delay elements are added to balance clock distribution, then clock signal timing is improved, but power consumption and device size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes clock tree delay elements from the system entirely. Instead of adding delay elements to balance clock distribution, the invention extracts this function by selecting clocked components with inherently matched timing characteristics, thereby eliminating the power consumption and area overhead of delay elements while maintaining reliable clock signal timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the clocked components themselves serve the dual function of performing their primary logic function while also providing timing synchronization. By selecting components with matched propagation delays, the clocked components universally handle both data processing and clock distribution timing, eliminating the need for separate delay elements.
2Reliability
If clock tree delay elements are added to balance clock distribution, then clock signal timing is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes clock tree delay elements from the system entirely. Instead of adding delay elements to balance clock distribution, the invention extracts this function by selecting clocked components with inherently matched timing characteristics, thereby eliminating the area overhead of delay elements while maintaining reliable clock signal timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the clocked components themselves serve the dual function of performing their primary logic function while also providing timing synchronization. By selecting components with matched propagation delays, the clocked components universally handle both data processing and clock distribution timing, eliminating the need for separate delay elements and reducing device size.
3Adaptability or versatility
If more clocked components are added to the IC, then functionality is improved, but clock tree complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the clocked components to self-select their timing characteristics. By providing a library of clocked components with different propagation delay characteristics and allowing the design tool to automatically select components with matched timing, the system self-services the clock distribution timing without requiring complex manual clock tree synthesis or additional delay elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the selection criterion for clocked components from purely functional requirements to include timing parameters. The design tool selects clocked components based on their propagation delay characteristics to match the clock distribution requirements, thereby simplifying the clock tree structure while accommodating increased functionality.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for generating timing constraints for an integrated circuit including a clock tree network are described. The techniques may be associated with a clock tree synthesis tool that receives a design of the integrated circuit and generates a clock tree network including a plurality of clocked components of the integrated circuit. The constraints may be generated as a function of the duration of propagation of a data signal from a transmitting clocked component coupled to a receiving clocked component.