Per-Victim Cell Dynamic Voltage Drop Model for Timing Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional timing analysis tools use a one-size-fits-all model for dynamic voltage drop analysis, leading to both false positives and missed failures, as they fail to accurately model power supply noise on a per victim cell basis, causing signal delays.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines a switching window and energy lost representation for each victim cell during power analysis simulation, providing these estimates to a timing analysis system for per-victim cell timing analysis, using geometric shapes to represent energy lost and aligning with the victim cell's switching window, thereby performing separate timing analyses for each victim cell.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a global constant voltage drop model is used for timing analysis, then the analysis can be performed efficiently and simply, but the accuracy of timing analysis deteriorates due to false positives and missed failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the timing analysis into per-victim-cell basis rather than using a global model. Each victim cell receives individualized voltage drop estimates based on its specific switching window and aggressor interactions, dividing the analysis into discrete manageable units that can be processed independently while maintaining high accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing customized voltage drop estimates for each victim cell based on its local characteristics (switching window, aggressors, energy lost). Instead of a uniform global model, each cell receives tailored analysis parameters that reflect its specific operating conditions and aggressor interactions
2Measurement precision
If per-victim cell dynamic voltage drop analysis is performed, then the accuracy of timing analysis improves, but the computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential parameters needed for per-victim-cell analysis (switching window, energy lost, aggressor identification) from the complex circuit behavior. By focusing on these key extracted parameters rather than simulating all circuit details, the system achieves high accuracy while managing computational complexity through selective parameter extraction
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the complex dynamic voltage drop problem into manageable parameters (switching window timing, energy lost magnitude, aggressor cell identification). By changing the representation from continuous complex simulations to discrete parameter sets, the analysis becomes computationally tractable while maintaining accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Analysis of power supply noise in simulations of a design of a circuit can use per instance dynamic voltage drops (DVD) in timing analyses so that the simulated DVD values on a per victim cell basis can accurately guide the timing analysis on each victim instead of a global DVD for all victims during the timing analysis. In one embodiment, a method can: determine, during a power analysis simulation, a representation of an energy lost, during each switching window at each output of each victim cell, at one or more power supply rails of each of the victim cells in the set of victim cells due to aggressors in the design; and provide the representation of the energy lost separately for each victim cell to a timing analysis system. The representation can be a rectangle having a width defined by a switching window of a victim's output.