Hierarchical Net Text Synchronization for IC Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In integrated circuit design, the inconsistency of net labeling text across hierarchical levels complicates physical verification, as tools struggle to determine the highest hierarchical level of nets, leading to suboptimal performance and increased memory usage.
Innovation Solution
A method that identifies and stores text level information for each net, allowing the selection of the highest hierarchical level net text, which is then used to replace differing net text, ensuring accurate identification and optimizing the net list for physical verification tools.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If net text from different hierarchical levels is kept inconsistent, then each hierarchical level maintains its local net labeling, but physical verification tools struggle to determine the highest hierarchical level and performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by storing the hierarchical level information associated with each net text before the net list is exploded. This allows verification tools to later retrieve and use this pre-stored level information to determine the highest hierarchical level net text, avoiding the need to analyze the entire exploded net list hierarchy during verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism by maintaining a separate data structure that maps net text to its hierarchical level. This intermediary structure acts as a bridge between the local net labeling at different hierarchical levels and the verification tool's need to identify the highest level, enabling efficient lookup without traversing the hierarchical structure.
2Measurement precision
If net list is exploded to improve verification accuracy, then all cells are expanded to flat structure, but runtime increases and memory usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hierarchical level information from the net text itself and stores it separately in an associated data structure. This extraction allows the verification tool to work with a flattened net list structure while still having access to hierarchical level information, avoiding the need to maintain and traverse complex hierarchical structures during verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The hierarchical level information is extracted and stored in advance before the net list explosion occurs. This preliminary action enables the verification tool to quickly determine the highest hierarchical level for each net by simple lookup operations on the pre-stored information, rather than performing complex hierarchical analysis during verification.
3Stability of the object's composition
If hierarchical level information is tracked throughout net list processing, then net text consistency is maintained, but additional memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary data structure that stores hierarchical level information separately from the net list itself. This intermediary structure uses net text as keys to store associated level information, providing a memory-efficient way to track hierarchical levels without duplicating the entire net list structure at each hierarchical level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by storing hierarchical level information only where needed - specifically, by maintaining level information associated with each unique net text. This avoids the memory overhead of maintaining complete hierarchical structures for all nets, as only the necessary level information is stored and retained throughout processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for identifying net text in a net list at each hierarchical level of the net list is disclosed. The identified net text is then associated with the hierarchical level in which the net text was found. Each cell in the net list can then be optimized by exploding the net list of at least one cell. Once exploded, the identified net text together with the associated hierarchical level of each progeny cell of each exploded cell is associated with the net list of the exploded cell.