Method and system to evaluate signal line spacing

• US 7,100,135 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sun, Ping, McRonald, Andrew, Meyer, Neal, Neal, Brett, Genz, Lee, Garrison, Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parihar, Suchin
• Application Number:
  US10/871,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20050283745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 716/5
• US Class Current: 716/112
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/398 Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36

Abstract

A system to evaluate a distance between polyline segments includes identification of a first polyline and a second polyline associated with a differential signal, determination of whether a distance between a segment of the first polyline and a segment of the second polyline is within a first tolerance, and, if the distance is not within the first tolerance, determining whether the distance is within a second tolerance. If the distance is not within the first tolerance and is within the second tolerance, it is determined whether the length of the segment of the first polyline is less than a first threshold. If the distance is not within the first tolerance and is within the second tolerance, and if the length of the segment of the first polyline is less than the first threshold, it is indicated that the first polyline and the second polyline are sufficiently spaced. If the distance is not within the second tolerance or if the length of the segment of the first polyline is greater than the first threshold, it is determined whether the segments are located near a device pin, and, if the segments are not located near a device pin, it is indicated that the first polyline and the second polyline are not sufficiently spaced.

Claims

1. A method to evaluate a distance between polyline segments, comprising:

identifying a first polyline and a second polyline associated with a differential signal;

determining whether a distance between a segment of the first polyline and a segment of the second polyline is within a first tolerance;

if the distance is not within the first tolerance, determining whether the distance is within a second tolerance;

if the distance is not within the first tolerance and is within the second tolerance, determining whether the length of the segment of the first polyline is less than a first threshold;

indicating that the first polyline and the second polyline are sufficiently spaced if the distance is not within the first tolerance and is within the second tolerance, and if the length of the segment of the first polyline is less than the first threshold;

if the distance is not within the second tolerance or if the length of the segment of the first polyline is greater than the first threshold, determining whether the segments are located near a device pin; and

if the segments are not located near a device pin, indicating that the first polyline and the second polyline are not sufficiently spaced.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

if the distance is not within the second tolerance or if the length of the segment of the first polyline is greater than the first threshold, indicating that the first polyline and the second polyline are not sufficiently spaced.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein indicating comprises:

indicating that the first polyline and the second polyline are sufficiently spaced if the distance is not within the first tolerance and is within the second tolerance, if the length of the segment of the first polyline is less than the first threshold, and if the first polyline and the second polyline are sufficiently spaced from other polylines.

4. A medium storing processor-executable code to evaluate a distance between polyline segments, the code comprising:

code to identify a first polyline and a second polyline associated with a differential signal;

code to determine whether a distance between a segment of the first polyline and a segment of the second polyline is within a first tolerance;

code to determine, if the distance is not within the first tolerance, whether the distance is within a second tolerance;

code to determine, if the distance is not within the first tolerance and is within the second tolerance, whether the length of the segment of the first polyline is less than a first threshold;

code to indicate that the first polyline and the second polyline are sufficiently spaced, if the distance is not within the first tolerance and is within the second tolerance, and if the length of the segment of the first polyline is less than the first threshold;

code to determine, if the distance is not within the second tolerance or if the length of the segment of the first polyline is greater than the first threshold, whether the segments are located near a device pin; and

code to indicate, if the segments are not located near a device pin, that the first polyline and the second polyline are not sufficiently spaced.

5. The medium according to claim 4, the code further comprising:

code to indicate that the first polyline and the second polyline are not sufficiently spaced, if the distance is not within the second tolerance or if the length of the segment of the first polyline is greater than the first threshold.

6. A system to evaluate a distance between polyline segments, comprising:

a processor;

a fixed disk drive coupled to the processor and storing processor-executable code, the code comprising;

code to identify a first polyline and a second polyline associated with a differential signal;

code to determine whether a distance between a segment of the first polyline and a segment of the second polyline is within a first tolerance;

code to determine, if the distance is not within the first tolerance, whether the distance is within a second tolerance;

code to determine, if the distance is not within the first tolerance and is within the second tolerance, whether the length of the segment of the first polyline is less than a first threshold;

code to indicate that the first polyline and the second polyline are sufficiently spaced, if the distance is not within the first tolerance and is within the second tolerance, and if the length of the segment of the first polyline is less than the first threshold;

code to determine, if the distance is not within the second tolerance or if the length of the segment of the first polyline is greater than the first threshold, whether the segments are located near a device pin; and

code to indicate, if the segments are not located near a device pin, that the first polyline and the second polyline are not sufficiently spaced; and

a double data rate memory coupled to the processor.

7. The system according to claim 6, the code further comprising:

code to indicate that the first polyline and the second polyline are not sufficiently spaced, if the distance is not within the second tolerance or if the length of the segment of the first polyline is greater than the first threshold.