Optimizing integrated circuit design through use of sequential timing information
First Claim
1. A method to determine a measure of sequential flexibility in a circuit design comprising:
- obtaining a value for a limit upon clock cycle duration; and
using a computer to determine for a register in the circuit design, a limit upon addition of delay that can be added to a structural cycle in which the register is a constituent, which is not greater than any of respective maximal delays that can be added to respective structural cycles in which the register is a constituent, based upon a clock cycle duration that is not greater than the obtained limit upon clock cycle duration.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method is provided that includes: determining a minimum clock cycle that can be used to propagate a signal about the critical cycle in a circuit design; wherein the critical cycle is a cycle in the design that has a highest proportionality of delay to number of registers; determining for a circuit element in the circuit design, sequential slack associated with the circuit element; wherein the sequential slack represents a minimum delay from among respective maximum delays that can be added to respective structural cycles of which the circuit element is a constituent, based upon the determined limit upon clock cycle duration; using the sequential slack to ascertain sequential optimization based design flexibility throughout multiple stages of a design flow.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method to determine a measure of sequential flexibility in a circuit design comprising:
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obtaining a value for a limit upon clock cycle duration; and using a computer to determine for a register in the circuit design, a limit upon addition of delay that can be added to a structural cycle in which the register is a constituent, which is not greater than any of respective maximal delays that can be added to respective structural cycles in which the register is a constituent, based upon a clock cycle duration that is not greater than the obtained limit upon clock cycle duration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method to determine a measure of sequential flexibility in a circuit design comprising:
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determining a limit upon clock cycle duration indicative of a highest proportion of delay to number of registers from among a plurality of structural cycles in the design; and using a computer to determine for a register in the circuit design, a maximal limit upon addition of delay that can be added to a structural cycle in which the register is a constituent, wherein the maximal limit is substantially equal to a minimal addition of delay selected from among maximal limits of additional delay that can be added to individual structural cycles in which the circuit element is a constituent, based upon a clock cycle duration that is not greater than the obtained limit upon clock cycle duration.
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25. A method to determine a measure of sequential flexibility in a circuit design comprising:
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determining a minimum clock cycle that can be used to propagate a signal about critical cycle in a circuit design; wherein the critical cycle is a cycle in the design that has a highest proportionality of delay to number of registers; and using a computer to determine for a register in the circuit design, sequential slack associated with the circuit element; wherein the sequential slack represents a minimum delay from among respective maximum delays that can be added to respective structural cycles of which the register is a constituent, based upon the determined limit upon clock cycle duration.
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26. A system to determine a measure of sequential flexibility in a circuit design comprising:
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means for obtaining a value for a limit upon clock cycle duration; and means for determining for a register in the circuit design, a limit upon addition of delay that can be added to a structural cycle in which the register is a constituent, which is not greater than any of respective maximal delays that can be added to respective structural cycles in which the register is a constituent, based upon a clock cycle duration that is not greater than the obtained limit upon clock cycle duration. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. An article of manufacture that includes a computer data storage device, encoded with code structure, when executed by a computer causes the computer data storage device to implement a method, comprising:
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obtaining a value for a limit upon clock cycle duration; and using a computer to determine for a register in the circuit design, a limit upon addition of delay that can be added to a structural cycle in which the register is a constituent, which is not greater than any of respective maximal delays that can be added to respective structural cycles in which the register is a constituent, based upon a clock cycle duration that is not greater than the obtained limit upon clock cycle duration. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33)
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Specification