Automated Power Distribution Analysis for Integrated Circuits
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current software tools for integrated circuit design fail to provide a macro-level analysis of power distribution and signal interface issues, often reporting numerous micro-level problems that obscure the root cause of power-related design errors, particularly due to mismatches between circuit blocks served by different power supplies.
Innovation Solution
An automated software method that analyzes the netlist of an integrated circuit chip to evaluate the adequacy of power distribution and protection schemes by determining power supply needs, connectivity, and identifying problematic interfaces, presenting results in a high-level format to highlight root causes of power-related issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current software tools report micro-level power problems in detail, then measurement precision of power issues is improved, but the complexity of analyzing root causes increases due to overwhelming number of micro-problems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power distribution analysis into multiple hierarchical levels (macro-level power domains and micro-level circuit blocks). This allows the system to first identify and report macro-level power supply issues, then drill down to micro-level details only when necessary, thereby reducing the complexity of analyzing root causes while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and separates macro-level power domain information from micro-level circuit block details. By taking out the macro-level analysis, the system can present root cause problems in a simplified manner, removing the overwhelming complexity of individual micro-problems while preserving the essential power distribution insights.
2Manufacturing precision
If the system provides detailed micro-level power analysis, then power distribution accuracy is improved, but the time required to analyze and interpret results increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary macro-level analysis to identify power domain issues before diving into micro-level details. This preliminary action filters out irrelevant micro-problems and focuses analysis time only on areas where macro-level power supply issues exist, thereby reducing overall analysis time while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the analysis into macro and micro levels, the system can quickly present high-level accuracy results first, then provide detailed micro-level breakdowns only when needed, reducing the time required to analyze and interpret results while maintaining power distribution accuracy.
3Reliability
If the system analyzes all circuit blocks in the netlist, then completeness of power analysis is improved, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and focuses analysis on only those circuit blocks that are part of identified power domains with issues. By taking out the analysis scope to match only problematic areas, the system maintains reliability through complete analysis of relevant blocks while reducing processing complexity by excluding blocks outside power domains.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the analysis scope based on identified power domain issues. The system can flexibly expand or contract the analysis depth for different circuit blocks within power domains, maintaining completeness where needed while reducing processing complexity in areas with fewer issues.
4Loss of information
If the system reports all power-related issues, then information completeness is improved, but the ease of operation decreases due to difficulty in identifying root causes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the reported information into macro-level power domain summaries and micro-level circuit block details. This segmentation allows users to first understand the root causes at the macro level, then drill down to micro-level details only when necessary, thereby maintaining information completeness while improving ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of presenting all micro-level details first and requiring users to search for root causes, the patent inverts the approach by presenting macro-level root cause information first, then providing micro-level details as supplementary information. This inversion significantly improves ease of operation while maintaining information completeness.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer software implemented method of automatically determining adequacy of an integrated circuit electrical power distribution and signal protection schemes, based on netlist data, which does not rely on other a-priori data. The method determines which nets are power supply nets, their connectivity to different types of power supplies. The method automatically traverses the nested block structure of the circuit, ascending and descending in block hierarchy as needed, and automatically determines (often based on an inspection of the power needs of the individual block devices) the type of power supply needed to power that block, power supply adequacy, and adequate protection of signal interfaces to other blocks. The method can present the analysis in a high level report, such as a graphical map, that can make root cause sources of power and power related signal interface problems immediately evident, and which suppresses most irrelevant details.