METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATICALLY ESTABLISHING HIERARCHICAL PARAMETERIZED CELL (PCELL) DEBUGGING ENVIRONMENT
First Claim
1. A method for establishing a debugging user interface for a cell within an interdependent hierarchy of cells in an integrated circuit (IC) layout, comprising:
- establishing a data store of source code portions, each source code portion defining at least part of a cell;
actuating a user interface to accept a user selection of at least one cell in an integrated circuit (IC) layout, the layout including at least one hierarchical cell having a hierarchy of subordinate cells formed therein, each subordinate cell being collectively defined by a corresponding source code portion in the data store and at least one parametric component derived from at least one other cell within the hierarchy;
actuating a computer processor to;
identify a source code portion corresponding to the selected cell;
establish a breakpoint, responsive to the user selection, at a predetermined location of the source code portion corresponding to the selected cell;
execute a set of source code portions to establish at least a portion of the hierarchical cell containing the selected cell to generate a value for at least one parametric component of the selected cell;
arrest execution at the breakpoint;
display to a user the source code portion corresponding to the selected cell and the value for the at least one parametric component of the selected cell.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are provided for establishing an automated debugging environment in an Electronic Design Automation (EDA) work flow for the debugging of parameterized cells (PCELLS/PyCELLS) in a layout. A user may merely select a particular PCELL within a hierarchical PCELL and the system and method will determine dependencies thereof. The source code for the selected PCELL and its dependencies may be located and loaded. At least one breakpoint may be set in the source code of the selected PCELL. The source code for the selected PCELL and its dependencies may be executed to be arrested at the set breakpoints. Upon the arrest of execution, a debugging environment may be established and the located source code of the selected PCELL may be displayed along with values for parametric components thereof and progression control tools.
20 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for establishing a debugging user interface for a cell within an interdependent hierarchy of cells in an integrated circuit (IC) layout, comprising:
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establishing a data store of source code portions, each source code portion defining at least part of a cell; actuating a user interface to accept a user selection of at least one cell in an integrated circuit (IC) layout, the layout including at least one hierarchical cell having a hierarchy of subordinate cells formed therein, each subordinate cell being collectively defined by a corresponding source code portion in the data store and at least one parametric component derived from at least one other cell within the hierarchy; actuating a computer processor to; identify a source code portion corresponding to the selected cell; establish a breakpoint, responsive to the user selection, at a predetermined location of the source code portion corresponding to the selected cell; execute a set of source code portions to establish at least a portion of the hierarchical cell containing the selected cell to generate a value for at least one parametric component of the selected cell; arrest execution at the breakpoint; display to a user the source code portion corresponding to the selected cell and the value for the at least one parametric component of the selected cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for establishing a debugging user interface for a hierarchical cell instantiation, comprising:
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establishing a data store of source code portions, each source code portion defining a cell template, the source code portions being executable to establish cells in an Integrated Circuit (IC) design based on a corresponding cell template; providing an IC design, the IC design including at least one hierarchical cell having a hierarchy of levels contained therein of dependent cells, each said dependent cell being collectively defined by a cell template in the data store and at least one parametric component derived from an evaluation of at least one other cell within the hierarchical cell; actuating a user interface to accept a selection of at least one cell within a hierarchical cell in the IC design; actuating a computer processor to; identify a set of cells that the selected cell depends upon; load a set of source code portions including at least the source code portion corresponding to the selected cell and the identified set of cells; execute at least a part of the set of source code portions to generate a value of at least one parametric component for the selected cell; arrest execution of the set of source code portions at a predetermined location therein; and
,actuate the user interface to display; the source code portion corresponding to the selected cell, and, the value of the at least one parametric component of the selected cell derived from an evaluation of at least one other cell within the hierarchical cell. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for automatically guiding debugging of a computer program operable to generate an integrated circuit (IC) design, comprising:
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a memory storing a plurality of source code portions, each source code portion defining at least part of a cell; a user interface functionally coupled to the memory and operable to accept a selection from a user of at least one cell in an integrated circuit (IC) layout, the layout including at least one hierarchical cell having a hierarchy of subordinate cells formed therein, each subordinate cell being collectively defined by a corresponding source code portion in the memory and at least one parametric component derived from at least one other cell within the hierarchy; a computer processor functionally coupled to the user interface and memory, the computer processor being operable to; identify a source code portion in the memory corresponding to the selected cell; establish a breakpoint, responsive to the user selection, at a predetermined location of the source code portion corresponding to the selected cell; execute a set of source code portions to establish at least a portion of the hierarchical cell containing the selected cell to generate a value for at least one parametric component of the selected cell; arrest execution at the breakpoint; display to a user the source code portion corresponding to the selected cell and the value for the at least one parametric component of the selected cell via the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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Specification