Multi-Fabric Mixed-Signal Design With PDN-Aware Schematic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic design approaches fail to accurately account for power distribution and thermal analysis across multiple design fabrics, leading to imprecise power consumption and dissipation results, and neglect Joule heating and capacitances, resulting in suboptimal performance and reliability in multi-fabric mixed-signal electronic designs.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for implementing a multi-fabric mixed-signal electronic design that extracts schematic designs from multiple layouts, constructs a power delivery network model, and performs electrical and thermal analyses across multiple design fabrics, incorporating connectivity information and thermal models to generate a PDN-aware, multi-fabric full system schematic, enabling accurate electrical and thermal analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional independent design approaches are used for integrated circuits, packaging, and printed circuit boards, then each component can be designed separately with simplicity, but the overall system fails to achieve optimal power delivery and thermal performance across multiple design fabrics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent design fabrics (integrated circuit, packaging, and printed circuit board) into a unified multi-fabric design environment. This allows power delivery network analysis to consider the combined effect of all fabrics simultaneously, achieving accurate power delivery and thermal analysis across the entire system rather than treating each fabric separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a universal design platform that handles multiple fabric types (IC, package, PCB) within a single environment. This multi-functional platform can perform electrical analysis, thermal analysis, and power delivery network analysis across different fabric boundaries, eliminating the need for separate independent design tools and processes.
2Manufacturing precision
If chip-level placement decisions are made independently without considering packaging and PCB contexts, then ideal chip-level design can be achieved, but excessive coupling and complex routing are required in downstream fabrics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary consideration of packaging and PCB contexts during the chip placement phase by providing visibility into downstream fabric requirements. Designers can make informed placement decisions that anticipate future routing and coupling constraints, rather than making chip-level decisions in isolation and dealing with complexity later in the design flow.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional power distribution network analysis assumes ideal voltage on all power pads, then analysis simplicity is maintained, but accuracy is severely compromised due to ignoring voltage drops and loading effects
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the analysis parameters from assuming ideal voltage conditions to performing system-driven simulations that calculate actual voltage drops and loading effects. The power delivery network analysis considers the complete system context, including package and PCB contributions to voltage drops, providing accurate power delivery results rather than relying on simplified assumptions.
4Adaptability or versatility
If manual stitching is required between IC package and PDN model interfaces, then design flexibility is maintained, but productivity and accuracy are reduced due to manual intervention errors and time consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables automatic extraction of power delivery network models directly from multi-fabric layouts without requiring manual stitching. The system automatically identifies power pads, traces, and connectivity across different fabrics and constructs the PDN model, eliminating manual intervention while maintaining design accuracy and flexibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides more accurate power delivery and thermal analysis results, accounting for voltage drops and loading effects, and eliminates the need for manual stitching, allowing for more precise design optimization and improved performance in multi-fabric electronic systems.
Implementation Method 1
neglect Joule heating and capacitances, resulting in suboptimal performance and reliability in multi-fabric mixed-signal electronic designs
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments implementing a multi-fabric mixed-signal electronic system design spanning across multiple design fabrics with electrical and/or thermal analysis awareness. A schematic design may be extracted from and a power delivery network (PDN) model may be determined from a plurality of layouts in multiple design fabrics in a multi-fabric design environment platform. A PDN-aware, multi-fabric full system schematic may be constructed by assembling the PDN model and the schematic design into the PDN-aware, multi-fabric full system schematic. For a schematic generated for a circuit block of interest, chip power models may be determined for the remaining portion of the multi-fabric mixed-signal electronic system design, and the PDN-aware, multi-fabric full system schematic may be updated by accounting for the chip power models. The circuit block of interest may then be electrically and/or thermally analyzed within the context of the remaining portion.