Logic Element Overlap Minimization in Integrated Circuit Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
In designing logic circuits for integrated circuits, existing technologies face challenges in minimizing overlap between logic elements, which can lead to increased complexity and render elements inoperable, requiring efficient placement and routing strategies to optimize timing, area, and power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the identification of rectangular regions within a logic design, generation of a cost function to minimize overlap, and utilization of a solver engine to optimize placement coordinates, considering constraints like wiring, timing, and congestion, to generate configuration data for programming programmable integrated circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If logic elements are placed adjacent to one another on the target programmable device, then area utilization is improved, but overlap between logic elements occurs leading to increased complexity and potential inoperability
Solution Approach 1:
The logic design is segmented into multiple rectangular regions that can be independently placed and routed. This segmentation allows the placement tool to distribute logic elements across different regions, avoiding overlap while maintaining area utilization. Each rectangular region acts as an independent unit that can be optimized separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a new dimension to the placement problem by considering rectangular regions as discrete placeable units rather than individual logic elements. This dimensional abstraction allows the solver to optimize placement at the region level, preventing overlap while achieving efficient area utilization through coordinated region placement.
2Device complexity
If logic elements are placed with minimal overlap, then device complexity is reduced, but area utilization decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The placement solution is dynamic rather than static. The solver engine iteratively adjusts the placement of rectangular regions to find an optimal balance between overlap reduction and area utilization. This dynamic optimization allows the system to adapt placement coordinates to achieve both low complexity and high area utilization simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The cost function provides feedback to the solver engine about the current state of placement, including overlap metrics and area utilization. This feedback loop allows the solver to continuously refine placement coordinates, reducing overlap while maintaining efficient area usage through iterative optimization based on measured performance.
3Reliability
If placement optimization is performed to minimize overlap, then reliability is improved, but computation time increases due to cost function evaluation and solver execution
Solution Approach 1:
Rectangular regions are identified and defined before the placement optimization process begins. This preliminary action pre-processes the logic design into manageable units with defined boundaries and constraints, reducing the computational complexity of the subsequent optimization process while ensuring reliable placement outcomes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter space of the optimization problem by working with rectangular region coordinates rather than individual logic element positions. This parameter transformation reduces the dimensionality of the search space, decreasing computation time while maintaining placement reliability through the structured region-based approach.
Data Source
AI summary
Configuration data for an integrated circuit may be generated using logic design equipment to implement an optimal design on the integrated circuit. Implementing the optimal design may include placing hardware resources within the integrated circuit to decrease or remove overlaps between corresponding hardware resources. A given hardware resource may be defined as a rectangular region, an adjacent hardware resource may be defined as another rectangular region, and together, they may be defined as a hardware resource pair. The hardware resource pair may define an overlap region, with which a cost function may be associated. The cost function may be minimized in conjunction with other types of cost functions using a solver. The solver may generate coordinates that minimize or remove overlap to be implemented in the optimal design.