Digital Netlist Partitioning for Circuit Reverse Engineering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for analyzing complex electrical circuits with tens of thousands of components and connections are inefficient, leading to increased project costs and time, making it impractical to group logic cells effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system that categorizes circuitry elements into combinational and state cells, traces connections to identify combinational cell groups, and replaces these groups with logical clouds, simplifying the circuit representation and allowing conventional analysis methods to be applied.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional methods are used to group logic cells by tracing connections one-by-one, then analysis accuracy is maintained, but analysis time and project costs increase significantly for large circuits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the circuit analysis process into distinct phases: identifying state cells, tracing their connections to combinational cells, grouping related combinational cells, and replacing groups with clouds. This segmentation allows the system to handle large circuits systematically by breaking down the overwhelming task of analyzing all connections into manageable segments that can be processed efficiently
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces clouds as intermediary representations that replace groups of combinational cells. These clouds act as mediators between the state cells and the detailed combinational logic, allowing analysts to work at multiple levels of abstraction. The cloud captures the essential behavior of the grouped cells without requiring examination of every individual connection, thus maintaining accuracy while reducing analysis time
2Loss of information
If conventional methods are used to analyze circuits with tens of thousands of components, then detailed connection information is preserved, but the complexity of the analysis process becomes unmanageable
Solution Approach 1:
The analysis process is segmented into distinct stages: state cell identification, connection tracing, combinational cell grouping, and cloud replacement. Each segment handles a specific aspect of the circuit, preventing the analyst from being overwhelmed by the full complexity of tens of thousands of connections simultaneously. This structured segmentation makes the analysis process manageable while preserving essential connection information
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds an abstraction dimension by introducing clouds that represent groups of combinational cells. This dimensional change allows the circuit to be analyzed at multiple levels: the detailed level where individual connections are traced, and the abstracted level where clouds represent functional groups. This multi-dimensional approach preserves connection information when needed while reducing complexity through abstraction
3Loss of information
If all combinational cells are analyzed in detail, then complete circuit understanding is achieved, but the time and resources required become prohibitive for large projects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by focusing detailed analysis only on state cells and their direct combinational connections, while grouping other combinational cells into clouds. This selective approach captures the essential circuit behavior without requiring exhaustive analysis of every combinational cell, thereby maintaining sufficient circuit understanding while dramatically improving analysis efficiency for large projects
Solution Approach 2:
By introducing the cloud abstraction dimension, the patent enables analysts to work at different levels of detail. Essential circuit understanding is achieved through detailed analysis of state cells and their connections, while less critical combinational logic is handled at the cloud level. This dimensional approach optimizes the balance between understanding completeness and analysis efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided to reduce the complexity of sequential digital circuitry including cells of unknown function by grouping and defining like instance of combinational circuitry cells. The system groups together cells that feed into the same combination of one or more state cells. The groups of cells are then replaced by clouds which are defined in the netlist for the sequential digital circuitry to produce a simpler representation of the circuitry for analysis purposes and to aid in determining the function of those cells for which the function is unknown.