Clock Tree Visualizer for Untangled IC Debugging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex digital integrated circuits face challenges in debugging and modifying clock trees due to their intricate structures, with millions of linear and non-linear devices, making it difficult for designers to identify and correct issues in clock signal distribution and synchronization.
Innovation Solution
A clock tree visualizer system that generates a graphical user interface from a text-based netlist, allowing designers to visualize the clock tree in an untangled manner, dividing headers into levels and displaying them symbolically with simulation results, facilitating the identification and modification of faulty components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If designers analyze the clock tree in its native text-based file form, then they can access all the detailed information, but it becomes extremely difficult to review and debug due to the enormous amount of details
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the clock tree into hierarchical levels (level 0 being the clock source, level 1 being direct children, etc.), allowing designers to analyze the structure in organized groups rather than as one overwhelming text file. This segmentation maintains complete information while making it manageable through hierarchical organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the flat, one-dimensional text-based netlist into a two-dimensional hierarchical visualization with levels and indentation. This dimensional transformation allows designers to perceive the clock tree structure spatially, making debugging significantly easier while preserving all original information.
2Reliability
If the clock tree includes comprehensive gates and amplifiers to meet functionality requirements, then the clock distribution becomes more effective, but the complexity of the structure increases to millions of devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the complex clock tree into manageable hierarchical levels, where each level contains a specific subset of gates and amplifiers. This segmentation allows designers to understand and debug specific portions of the millions of devices without being overwhelmed by the entire structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and highlights only the relevant portions of the clock tree at each hierarchical level, allowing designers to focus on specific gates and amplifiers that are problematic, rather than dealing with the complete million-device structure at once.
3Manufacturing precision
If designers need to tweak or modify the clock tree to meet specifications, then the clock signal accuracy can be improved, but the difficulty of modification increases due to the complex structure
Solution Approach 1:
The hierarchical level structure allows designers to make modifications at specific levels without affecting the entire clock tree. Designers can tweak gates and amplifiers at particular levels to improve clock signal accuracy while maintaining the ability to manage complex modifications through organized structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary organization of the clock tree into hierarchical levels before modification, which prepares the structure for easier tweaking and modification. This preliminary hierarchical arrangement makes subsequent modifications more manageable and less error-prone.
Data Source
AI summary
A system that visualizes a clock tree for an integrated circuit receives an extracted cell library, an extracted clock netlist including clock headers and interconnects, and simulation results. The system generates an internal data structure for the clock headers, and divides the clock headers into a plurality of levels based on the interconnects. The system then orders the clock headers from a lowest level to a highest level, and displays the ordered clock headers in an untangled manner.