Method for repeated block timing analysis

• US 7,971,168 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2008
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Magma Design Automation (Synopsys Incorporated)
• Inventors: Avidan, Jacob, Swanson, Robert, Carpenter, Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin; Sun J
• Application Number:
  US12/128,919
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 716/4, 716/5, 716/6, 716/7, 716/108, 716/113, 716/134, 716/139
• US Class Current: 716/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design

Abstract

In various embodiments, each possible different instance of a repeated block can be concurrently optimized for timing. Each instance of a repeated block may be treated as a mode, such as a functional mode or testing mode, allowing implementation calculations to be performed simultaneously. Using multimode timing analysis, all instances of a repeated block can be analyzed and optimized simultaneously. Based on the multimode analysis, instances of a repeated block may be implemented identically or substantially similarly, which can reduce costs associated with implementing the same block more than once (e.g., impact to schedule, CPU/memory resources, ECOs).

Claims

1. A method for designing an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer systems, information specifying an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of instances of a repeated block;

analyzing, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the integrated circuit using multimode timing analysis treating each instance of the repeated block as a mode; and

generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a design for the integrated circuit based on timing information associated with each instance of the repeated block.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the integrated circuit using multimode timing analysis treating each instance of the repeated block as a mode comprises treating each instance of the repeated block as a different mode.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information defining a plurality of modes, wherein each mode in the plurality of modes is associated with one or more timing constraints; and

associating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, each instance of the repeated block with at least one mode in the plurality of modes.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the analyzing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the integrated circuit using multimode timing analysis treating each instance of the repeated block as a mode comprises analyzing one or more timing constraints associated with an instance of the repeated block in addition to the one or more timing constraints of a mode associated with the instance of the repeated block.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the design for the integrated circuit based on the timing information associated with each instance of the repeated block comprises generating a design such that a timing constraint associated with a first instance of the repeated block affects a design implementation of a second instance of the repeated block.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the timing constraint associated with the first instance of the repeated block differs from a timing constraint associated with the second instance of the repeated block.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each instance of the repeated block is generated to have substantially similar timing and logic implementations.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing a cost function to cause, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, each instances of the repeated block to be similar.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein each instance of the repeated block comprises identical cells, placement, and routing.

10. A method for repeated blocks timing analysis, the method comprising:

determining, with one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, one or more modes of operation;

defining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a set of timing requirements associated with each mode in the one or more modes;

setting, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a set of timing constraints associated with each mode in the one or more modes;

associating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, at least one mode in the one or more modes with an instance of a repeated block;

selecting, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, one or more cells, implementing buffering, and performing cloning;

analyzing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, timing across each of the one or more modes using multimode timing analysis; and

generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a logic optimization in standard cells based on the multimode timing analysis.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the analyzing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, timing across each of the one or more modes using multimode timing analysis comprises treating the instance of the repeated block as a different mode in the one or more modes from another instance of the repeated block.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the analyzing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, timing across each of the one or more modes using multimode timing analysis comprises analyzing the set of timing requirements and the set of timing constraints associated with each of the one or more modes in addition to one or more timing requirements or timing constraints associated with the instance of the repeated block.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the logic optimization in standard cells based on the multimode timing analysis comprises generating a design such that a timing constraint associated with the instance of the repeated block affects a design implementation of second instance of the repeated block.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the timing constraint associated with the instance of the repeated block differs from a timing constraint of the another instance of the repeated block.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein each instance of the repeated block in a plurality of instances of the repeated block associated with an integrated circuit is generated to have substantially similar timing and logic implementations.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

utilizing a cost function to cause, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, each instance of the repeated block in a plurality of instances of the repeated block associated with an integrated circuit to be similar.

17. A method for repeated blocks timing analysis, the method comprising:

receiving, at one or more computer systems, information associated with a chip;

performing, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a timing optimization on the chip;

identifying, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, one or more repeated blocks in the chip; and

performing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, repeated blocks timing analysis on the chip.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the performing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, repeated blocks timing analysis on the chip comprises analyzing the chip using multimode timing analysis treating each instance of a repeated block in the one or more repeated blocks as a mode.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving, at the one or more computer systems, information defining a plurality of modes, wherein each mode in the plurality of modes is associated with one or more timing constraints; and

associating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, each instance of a repeated block in the one or more repeated blocks with at least one mode in the plurality of modes.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the performing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, repeated blocks timing analysis on the chip comprises analyzing timing constraints associated with an instance of a repeated block in the one or more repeated blocks in addition to one or more timing constraints of a mode associated with the instance of the repeated block.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein the performing, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, repeated blocks timing analysis on the chip comprises utilizing a cost function to cause each instance of a repeated block in the one or more repeated blocks to be similar.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store a set of code modules which when executed by a processor of a computer system become operational with the processor for designing an integrated circuit, the non-transitory computer readable medium comprising:

code for receiving information specifying an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of instances of a repeated block;

code for analyzing the integrated circuit using multimode timing analysis treating each instance of the repeated block as a mode; and

code for generating a design for the integrated circuit based on timing information associated with each instance of the repeated block.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22 wherein the code for generating the design for the integrated circuit based on the timing information associated with each instance of the repeated block comprises code for generating a design such that a timing constraint associated with a first instance of the repeated block affects a design implementation of a second instance of the repeated block.

24. A system for designing an integrated circuit, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store a plurality of instructions which when executed by the processor become operational with the processor to;

receive information specifying an integrated circuit that includes a plurality of instances of a repeated block;

analyze the integrated circuit using multimode timing analysis treating each instance of the repeated block as a mode; and

generate a design for the integrated circuit based on timing information associated with each instance of the repeated block.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the plurality of instructions further become operational with the processor to generate a design such that a timing constraint associated with a first instance of the repeated block affects a design implementation of a second instance of the repeated block.