EDA Layout Transparency for Hierarchical Schematic Binding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional EDA software systems struggle to maintain accurate correspondences between schematic and layout designs across disparate hierarchical levels, leading to errors in instance binding and connectivity, which hinders effective design modifications and real-time interactive editing.
Innovation Solution
The system introduces a transparency attribute in the layout design hierarchy, allowing the binder to identify and bind non-transparent instances at lower hierarchical levels, eliminating the need for intermediate netlists and enabling real-time binding across hierarchical levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional binder engines are used to maintain correspondences between schematic and layout instances, then binding accuracy is improved at the same hierarchical level, but binding accuracy deteriorates when instances are relocated to parent or child instances in disparate hierarchical levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested hierarchy traversal mechanism where the binder recursively searches through parent and child instances across multiple hierarchical levels. When a layout instance is relocated, the binder traverses the nested instance structure to find the corresponding schematic instance, maintaining binding accuracy regardless of hierarchical depth changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary binding mechanism that uses instance attributes and connectivity information as mediators to establish correspondences. This intermediary approach allows the binder to match instances based on their functional characteristics rather than strict hierarchical positioning, enabling accurate binding across disparate hierarchical levels.
2Measurement precision
If intermediate netlists are used to maintain correspondences across hierarchical levels, then binding accuracy is improved, but system complexity and administrative overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the binding logic from complex intermediate netlist processing and integrates it directly into the binder engine. By removing the intermediate netlist layer and implementing hierarchical traversal within the binder itself, the system maintains binding accuracy while reducing administrative overhead and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The binder engine performs self-service by directly traversing the instance hierarchy and maintaining correspondences without requiring external intermediate netlists. This self-sufficient approach eliminates the need for separate check-in/check-out processes and batch mode operations, reducing system complexity while maintaining binding accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If batch mode operations are used for binding, then binding accuracy is improved, but productivity and real-time interactivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic binding mechanism that operates in real-time as design modifications are made. The binder continuously traverses the instance hierarchy and updates correspondences dynamically, maintaining binding accuracy while enabling real-time interactivity and eliminating the need for batch mode operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The binding process operates continuously rather than in discrete batch modes. The binder maintains correspondences across hierarchical levels through continuous traversal and updating, ensuring binding accuracy is preserved while enabling real-time design editing and improving productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are systems and methods that allow a layout editor function, presented in a graphical user interface, of an EDA, to indicate certain layout instances or “cell views” as “transparent.” The instances are indicated as transparent using various layout editor commands or layout designer markers. Unlike conventional solutions, a binder within the layout editor of the EDA is not required to bind layout transparent instances to corresponding instances in a related schematic design file or records. Instead, the EDA may identify non-transparent instances at a lower-level of the layout design's hierarchy to bind, because the systems and methods described herein provide for a transparent instance container at a hierarchically higher-level.