Power-Aware Driver Resizing Using Net Activity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional driver resizing methods in integrated circuit design fail to account for switching power, leading to increased power consumption and potential detrimental consequences, such as slow run-time and inefficient rebuffering solutions.
Innovation Solution
A power-aware resizing approach that evaluates and selects replacement drivers based on their impact on upstream net switching power, considering both internal and leakage power dissipation, to achieve overall power savings and optimize design constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If driver resizing is performed without considering switching power, then transition time and delay are improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the evaluation parameters for driver resizing from conventional metrics (transition time, delay) to include switching power consumption. By introducing net activity as an additional parameter, the resizing algorithm can select drivers that optimize both performance and power consumption, resolving the contradiction between speed improvement and power increase.
2Manufacturing precision
If driver resizing is performed without considering net activity, then sizing optimization is achieved, but switching power increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by calculating net activity (switching power) for each net and using this information to guide the driver resizing process. The algorithm evaluates the impact of resizing on upstream net switching power and adjusts driver selection accordingly, creating a feedback loop that prevents power consumption increases while maintaining sizing optimization.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional buffering algorithms are used, then layout optimization is achieved, but run-time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calculation of net activity for all nets before the driver resizing process. By pre-computing the switching power characteristics and storing them for reference, the algorithm avoids repeated calculations during optimization, significantly reducing run-time while maintaining layout optimization capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes one or more processors and a computer storage medium storing instructions that cause a machine to perform operations including accessing an integrated circuit (IC) design including an initial clock tree. The operations include selecting a first driver to evaluate for resizing, the first driver being a first size and having a first leakage current and determining a baseline power consumption measurement of clock tree based on the first size and the first leakage current of the first driver. The operations include identifying a plurality of replacement drivers to replace the first driver and determining a power consumption measurement for a second driver. Based on determining that the power consumption measurement for the second driver is less than the baseline power consumption measurement replacing the first driver with the second driver and generating a layout instance based on the second driver.