Automatic Block Composition Tool for IC Custom Blocks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional automated place and route tools face difficulties in effectively placing and routing non-standard-width custom leafcells, often requiring manual intervention, which is time-consuming and increases the design cycle, leading to lost opportunities and costs.

Innovation Solution

A custom block composition tool is developed to create a placement control file and generate a router control file, allowing for the automatic placement and pre-routing of non-standard library cells, including tagging critical signals as 'do not touch', to facilitate efficient integration of custom blocks into the IC design layout.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Extent of automation

If conventional automated place and route tools are used to place non-standard-width custom leafcells, then the design process becomes automated, but the tools have difficulty meeting timing and placement requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomation of placement and routingVSAvoidplacement precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a custom block composition tool as an intermediary between the conventional automated place and route tools and the non-standard library cells. This intermediate tool creates placement control files with optimized positioning instructions and pre-routes critical signals, enabling automated processing while achieving precise placement that meets timing requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The custom block composition tool performs preliminary actions by pre-placing non-standard library cells in optimized positions and pre-routing critical signals before the conventional place and route tools are executed. This preliminary placement and routing of critical signals ensures timing requirements are met while maintaining automation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If manual intervention is used to place leafcells and re-route wires, then placement precision and timing requirements are met, but design time increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplacement precisionVSAvoiddesign cycle time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The custom block composition tool enables the design system to serve itself by automatically generating placement control files and pre-routing critical signals without requiring manual intervention. The tool autonomously optimizes the placement of non-standard library cells and routes critical signals, achieving both precision and efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The custom block composition tool acts as an intermediary that bridges the gap between automated tools and manual processes. It takes the netlist as input, automatically performs optimization, generates placement control files, and produces pre-routed custom blocks, eliminating the need for manual placement and re-routing while maintaining precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If non-standard library cells are used in custom blocks, then design flexibility and functionality are improved, but automated place and route tools struggle to process them effectively

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedesign flexibilityVSAvoidease of processing

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The custom block composition tool handles the complexity of non-standard library cells by transforming the netlist into a placement control file with optimized parameters. It changes the representation of cell placement and routing parameters, enabling automated tools to effectively process diverse non-standard cells while maintaining design flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The custom block composition tool serves as an intermediary that adapts non-standard library cells for automated processing. It translates the diverse requirements of various non-standard cells into a standardized placement control file format, making them easier to process while preserving design flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS7890909B2Automatic block composition tool for composing custom blocks having non-standard library cells in an integrated circuit design flow

Publication Date: 2011.02.15 ORACLE AMERICAN INC

AI summary

An automatic custom block composition tool for composing custom blocks of an integrated circuit (IC) design that may include non-standard library cells. The tool includes program instructions that are executable to create and use a placement control file that includes instructions for use by the custom block composition tool to place the one or more non-standard library cells into the custom block layout. In addition, the program instructions may instantiate a leafcell for each non-standard and each standard library cell included in a netlist. The program instructions may access the placement control file and place each leafcell in a row of the custom block layout according to the placement control file. The program instructions may also pre-route power, clock and critical network signals, and generate a router control file used during remaining routing of the custom block by a conventional router tool.