Method and apparatus for a simplified system simulation description

• US 5,812,431 A
• Filed: 06/13/1994
• Issued: 09/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Kundert, Kenneth S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Walker, Tyrone V.
• Application Number:
  US08/258,951
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 364/488, 364/578, 395/500
• US Class Current: 703/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/367 Design verification, e.g. using simulation, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis [SPICE], direct methods or relaxation methods

Abstract

A method and apparatus simulates the performance of a system from a user-specified description of the components in the system and the interconnections between the components. The user may specify the descriptions using a consistent syntax. Conservation relations are automatically generated using the description of the components, the interconnections between the components in the system, or both. The description provided by the user and the conservation requirements generated may be translated into models for use by a conventional simulator to complete the simulation. Alternately the description and the conservation relation may be formulated into a set of relations and solved using conventional methods, such as Modified Nodal or Sparce Tableau. System performance simulation information is then generated as desired by a user.

Claims

1. A method of simulating system performance, comprising the steps of:

receiving at least one component description including at least one branch relation;

generating at least one conservation relation;

formulating a set of relations from at least one said branch relation and at least one said conservation relation;

solving the set of relations formulated; and

generating a set of system performance simulation information from the solved set of relations.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each branch relation is received using a consistent syntax.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of assembling at least one model corresponding to at least one said branch relation.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of assembling the model comprises assembling the set of relations in a specified language.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the specified language is a language suitable for providing input to a simulator.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the specified language is a general purpose computer programming language.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the formulating step comprises assembling the set of equations in a Modified Nodal format.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the assembling step comprises assembling the set of equations in a Sparse Tableau format.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said branch relation specifies a flow of a branch.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said branch relation is a function of at least one flow.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said branch relation specifies a branch potential.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said branch relation is a function of at least one potential.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said branch relation relates at least one flow to at least one potential.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one branch relation relates at least two potentials.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one branch relation relates at least two flows.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one said branch relation is conditional.

17. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional steps of determining whether at least one branch relation is necessary.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising the additional step of symbolically eliminating at least one branch relation thereby making said branch relation unnecessary.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one branch relation comprises an equation.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one component description contains no explicit conservation relation.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein each component description comprises at least one branch relation.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the conservation relation generated corresponds to at least one said component description.

23. A digital processing system for simulating system performance, comprising:

a storage module for storing a plurality of component descriptions comprising at least one component relation; and

a processor module coupled to the storage module for;

reading at least one component description;

generating at least one conservation relation;

formulating a set of at least one equation from at least one said branch relation and at least one said conservation relation;

solving the set of at least one equation; and

generating a set of system performance simulation information from the solved set of at least one equation.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein at least one conservation relation generated corresponds to at least one component description read.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the processor is additionally for assembling at least one model corresponding to at least one branch relation.

26. The system of claim 23 wherein the processor is additionally for identifying and eliminating at least one unnecessary branch relation.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein each component description stored by the storage module comprises at least one branch relation;

and

each branch relation uses a consistent syntax.

28. A method of simulating system performance, comprising the steps of:

providing at least one component description including at least one branch relation;

generating at least one conservation relation;

formulating a set of relations from at least one said branch relation and at least one said conservation relation;

solving the set of relations formulated; and

generating a set of system performance simulation information from the solved set of relations;

wherein the formulating step comprises assembling the set of equations in a format selected from one of Modified Nodal and Sparse Tableau.