Timing-Driven Cell Swapping for IC Area and Timing Trade-offs
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing integrated circuit design and fabrication processes face challenges in maintaining circuit performance when swapping cells to meet physical design constraints, often leading to suboptimal results due to neglecting timing impacts.
Innovation Solution
A timing-driven cell swapping methodology is introduced, which considers the timing impact when swapping cells to meet physical design constraints, ensuring that the performance of the circuit is maintained and the overall quality of results (QoR) is improved.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If cells are swapped to meet physical design constraints, then area utilization is improved, but circuit timing performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters considered during cell swapping from only physical constraints to include both physical constraints and timing parameters. By incorporating timing information into the cell swapping decision process, the system selects target cells that satisfy both area requirements and timing performance, thus resolving the contradiction between area utilization and timing performance.
2Reliability
If timing constraints are considered during cell swapping, then circuit performance is maintained, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and storing timing information for candidate cells before the actual cell swapping decision. This allows the timing impact to be quickly assessed during cell swapping without performing complex real-time timing analysis, thus maintaining circuit performance while reducing computational complexity during the swapping process.
3Ease of manufacture
If cell swapping is performed without timing consideration, then manufacturing simplicity is improved, but circuit performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by using timing information from timing analysis results to guide the cell swapping process. The timing impact of potential cell swaps is evaluated and fed back into the decision-making process, ensuring that cell swapping decisions are made with knowledge of their timing consequences, thus preventing performance deterioration while maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for cell swapping is provided. A location for swapping a first cell is determined. One or more legal positions for cell placement are determined at the location. A plurality of cells is determined for of the plurality of legal positions. A second cell from the plurality of cells is determined based on timing information associated with each of the plurality. The first cell is swapped with the second cell.