Electronic Design Change Evaluation Using Banked Signatures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current verification methods for analog and mixed signal integrated circuits are inefficient and resource-intensive, struggling to keep pace with the complexity and computational demands of ever-growing circuits, leading to significant delays and costs in the design cycle, especially with the trend towards single chip designs.
Innovation Solution
A method for evaluating changes in electronic designs through the use of banked and current signatures to determine equivalence and assess the effects of modifications, allowing for targeted verification and reducing unnecessary simulation processing, thereby improving verification efficiency and resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional verification methods are used for analog and mixed signal integrated circuits, then verification thoroughness can be maintained, but computational processing power requirements increase dramatically and time-to-market increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by generating and storing signatures of design components before verification is needed. When a design change occurs, the pre-computed signatures enable rapid change detection without requiring full re-verification, thus maintaining verification thoroughness while reducing time-to-market
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating signature representations (copies) of design components that capture essential characteristics. These signatures serve as lightweight proxies that can be quickly compared to detect changes, avoiding the need to analyze the full complex designs during verification
2Measurement precision
If full circuit verification is performed after every design change, then verification accuracy is maintained, but computational processing power and simulation resources are wasted on unchanged portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential characteristics of design components into signatures, separating the critical verification information from the full design complexity. This extraction enables accurate change detection by comparing only the relevant signature data rather than performing full circuit verification
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by performing verification only on the portions of the design that have changed, as identified through signature comparison. This avoids the excessive computational effort of verifying entire circuits when only small portions have been modified
3Reliability
If comprehensive verification is conducted to ensure circuit compliance, then design reliability is improved, but the design cycle duration increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-computing and storing design component signatures during the design phase. This preparation enables rapid change detection later, ensuring design reliability through thorough verification of only changed portions while significantly reducing design cycle duration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by continuously comparing current design signatures against stored baseline signatures. This feedback mechanism immediately identifies changes and triggers verification only when necessary, maintaining design reliability while minimizing design cycle time through targeted re-verification
Data Source
AI summary
A computer implemented method and system of change evaluation of an electronic design for verification confirmation. The method has the steps of receiving the electronic design comprised a subcomponent, employing a banked signature of data representative of the subcomponent, receiving a review request of the subcomponent, generating a current signature of the data representative of the subcomponent and determining a difference of the current signature and the banked signature.