IC Failure Analysis Rules for Cross-Domain Timing Violations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current IC design tools struggle to effectively identify the root cause of timing and noise failures in digital integrated circuits due to the complexity of cross-domain, cross-hierarchy, and multi-cycle violations, making it difficult to implement efficient design changes.
Innovation Solution
A rules-based approach is employed to analyze digital integrated circuits for cross-domain, cross-hierarchy, and multi-cycle violations, using parameterized thresholds and machine learning algorithms to identify the root cause of failures and recommend design changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated design tools are used to analyze IC design violations, then analysis speed is improved, but the ability to identify root causes of cross-domain, cross-hierarchy, and multi-cycle violations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex violation analysis into distinct categories (cross-domain, cross-hierarchy, multi-cycle violations) and applies specialized analysis techniques to each segment. This allows automated tools to process violations efficiently while maintaining high root cause identification accuracy by treating different violation types with appropriate analytical methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary analysis layer that connects automated violation detection with root cause identification. This intermediary component processes the raw violation data, correlates multiple violations, and generates actionable insights, thereby bridging the gap between fast automated analysis and precise root cause determination.
2Measurement precision
If manual analysis is used to identify root causes of violations, then analysis accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary automated filtering and categorization of violations before manual analysis. By pre-processing the violation data to identify patterns, correlations, and potential root causes, the system reduces the time required for manual analysis while maintaining high accuracy, as engineers only need to review pre-sorted and pre-analyzed violation sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where manual analysis results are fed back into the automated system to refine and improve future automated analysis. This creates a continuous improvement loop where the system learns from manual expert analysis, progressively enhancing its root cause identification capabilities while reducing the need for manual intervention over time.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method, system and computer program product for recommending design changes in designing a digital integrated circuit. An analysis of the digital integrated circuit being designed is performed, where the result of such an analysis involves violations being identified and stored. A stored violation, such as a cross-domain, cross-hierarchy and multi-cycle violation, may then be analyzed to identify a root cause of the violation using a rule. Such a rule may be used for triaging various failures in the cross-domain, cross-hierarchy and/or multi-cycle violation of the digital integrated circuit. A design change in the design of the digital integrated circuit may then be recommended based on the identified root cause of the violation. In this manner, the root cause of failures are effectively identified in the design of digital integrated circuits using an offline analysis of cross-domain, cross-hierarchy and/or multi-cycle violations using a rules-based approach.