Timing Edge Tracking for Crosstalk Analysis Pessimism Reduction

The patent segments the continuous timing window into discrete timing edges represented by bit vectors. Instead of analyzing all paths within a timing window, the method identifies and tracks specific timing edges (arrival times) of signals. This segmentation allows precise comparison of aggressor and victim net edges without the pessimism of covering all possible paths, thereby improving accuracy while maintaining reliability.

The patent changes the parameter representation from continuous timing windows to discrete timing edges encoded as bit vectors. By representing arrival times as specific parameter values (bit positions in vectors) rather than continuous ranges, the method enables precise edge-to-edge comparison. This parameter transformation eliminates the pessimism inherent in window-based analysis while ensuring all critical timing scenarios are captured.

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-computing and storing timing edges for all paths in bit vector format before crosstalk analysis. The earliest and latest arrival edges are identified and encoded in advance, creating a compact representation that captures all critical timing information. This preliminary encoding enables efficient O(1) comparison during actual analysis without requiring exhaustive path enumeration at runtime.

The patent creates compact bit vector copies of timing information that represent entire sets of path arrivals. Instead of storing or processing actual path combinations, the method uses bit vectors as compressed copies where each bit position represents a timing edge. This copying approach maintains complete analysis coverage while dramatically reducing computational complexity through efficient bit-wise operations.

The patent discards the continuous timing window representation and recovers only the critical discrete timing edges. By identifying and retaining only the earliest and latest arrival edges (and intermediate edges where relevant) as bit positions, the method eliminates the need to store infinite or continuous timing information. This discarding of non-critical data while recovering essential edges achieves complete path coverage with finite, efficient storage.

The patent transforms the storage parameter from continuous timing window ranges to discrete bit positions representing specific arrival times. This parameter change compresses potentially infinite storage requirements into finite bit vectors where each bit represents a specific timing edge. The transformation maintains complete coverage information while enabling efficient finite storage through discrete encoding of critical timing parameters.