Emulation System Peak Power Detection in IC Designs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional emulation systems fail to effectively detect and analyze peak power windows in integrated circuit designs, particularly for low-power applications, as existing power optimization techniques are applied late in the design process and do not adequately capture behavioral changes, leading to inadequate power management verification.
Innovation Solution
A method involving emulation systems that provide data on operational modes, divide time windows based on power criteria, determine power-activity and consumption values, and adjust segments to target high power activity, enabling the identification of peak power segments and nodes, using a combination of hardware and software to characterize circuit behavior and save power activity values.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional emulation systems are used for power analysis, then functional verification can be performed, but peak power windows cannot be effectively detected and analyzed
Solution Approach 1:
The emulation system divides time windows into multiple segments based on power activity thresholds. Each segment represents a distinct power window (high, medium, low activity) allowing precise detection and analysis of peak power events. This segmentation enables the system to identify and focus on critical high-power segments while maintaining comprehensive power management verification across all operating conditions.
2Ease of manufacture
If power optimization techniques are applied late in the design process, then implementation is simpler, but behavioral changes are not adequately captured
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary power analysis during emulation by capturing and segmenting power activity data before final implementation. This allows behavioral changes to be identified and analyzed early in the design process, enabling designers to optimize power management strategies before committing to final implementation, thus capturing behavioral changes that would otherwise be lost.
3Use of energy by moving object
If conventional power analysis methods are used, then computational resources are conserved, but time required for power calculations is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different analysis depths to different time segments based on their power activity characteristics. High-power segments receive detailed analysis with finer granularity, while low-power segments use coarser analysis. This localized quality approach concentrates computational resources on critical peak power windows, significantly reducing overall calculation time while maintaining accuracy where it matters most.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of analyzing power consumption for a DUT (device under test) that includes an integrated circuit or an electronic system includes: providing emulation data for states of the DUT in one or more time windows; determining operational mode values from the emulation data and a selection of operational modes that characterize circuit behavior in the one or more time windows; dividing each time window into one or more segments based on at least one power criterion; determining power-activity values for the one or more segments; determining power-consumption values for the one or more segments from the power-activity values; using the power-activity values and the power-consumption values to determine relative power activity across the one or more segments and adjusting the one or more segments to target high power activity over operational modes in the one or more time windows; and saving one or more values for power activity of the DUT in a computer-readable medium.