System and method for adapting electrical integrity analysis to parametrically integrated environment

• US 8,286,110 B1
• Filed: 12/27/2010
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Kukal, Taranjit Singh, Komow, Raymond, Tan, Jilin, Al-Hawari, Feras, Nagle, Dennis
• Primary Examiner(s): Do, Thuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US12/979,080
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 716/51, 716/52, 716/106, 716/115, 716/132, 716/133, 716/136, 716/109
• US Class Current: 716/109
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/06 Power analysis or power optimisation
• 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 system and method is provided for generating a programmably implemented model which emulates a power delivery network serving an integrated circuit (IC) core in an electronic system. The system and method generally comprise measures for establishing a power integrity (PI) topology including models for a voltage regulator module that generates at least one predetermined supply voltage level, and for a conductive power rail portion of the power delivery network (PDN). The system and method further comprise measures for interconnecting to the conductive power rail portion model a first behavioral model indicative of the current consumption characteristics of the IC core, and a second behavioral model indicative of the current consumption of an IO interface buffer driving an output signal of the electronic system.

Claims

1. A method for generating a programmably implemented model for emulating signal processing operation of an integrated circuit (IC) core in an electronic system using a computer, the method comprising:

establishing a power integrity (PI) topology including behavioral models to emulate a power delivery network (PDN) serving the IC core, said PI topology maintaining at least one supply reference voltage in variable manner responsive to parametric coupling of the PDN with the IC core and an IO interface buffer of the electronic system during operation thereof;

establishing a signal integrity (SI) topology including behavioral models to emulate analog input, output, and transmission characteristics of the IC core; and

,

interconnecting said SI topology to said PI topology to form a composite SI/PI topology, said SI topology being thereby;

executing, by using a computer, alternating current (AC) and transient simulation for the composite SI/PI topology to generate SI integrity analysis data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said SI topology is established to include a plurality of buffer models and at least one transmission line model representing signal trace interconnections therebetween.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said PI topology is established to include a power plane model extracted by a solver for a conductive power rail portion of the PDN, said transmission line model for the signal trace interconnections of said SI topology being included with a layout of said conductive power rail portion of the PDN in extracting said power plane model.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said PI topology is established to further include:

a first behavioral model interconnected to said power rail model indicative of the current consumption characteristics of the IC core; and

,

a second behavioral model interconnected to said power rail model indicative of the current consumption of an IO interface buffer driving an output signal of the electronic system.

5. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said buffer models are each defined according to the IBIS standard.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said IBIS buffer models are each adaptively reconfigured according to said variable supply reference voltages of said PI topology.

7. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said PI topology is established to provide variable VCC and GND supply reference levels to power each of said buffer models.

8. A method for unified signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) analysis using a computer for an integrated circuit (IC) core powered operating in an electronic system by a power delivery network (PDN), the method comprising:

establishing a PI topology including models to emulate the PDN serving the IC core, said PI topology maintaining at least one supply reference voltage in variable manner responsive to parametric coupling of the PDN with the IC core and an IO interface buffer of the electronic system during operation thereof, said PI topology including;

a power plane model for a conductive power rail portion of the PDN;

a first behavioral model interconnected to said power rail model indicative of the current consumption characteristics of the IC core; and

,

a second behavioral model interconnected to said power rail model indicative of the current consumption of an IO interface buffer driving an output signal of the electronic system;

establishing an SI topology including a plurality of behavioral buffer models and at least one transmission line model representing signal trace interconnections therebetween to emulate analog input, output, and transmission characteristics of the IC core;

interconnecting said SI topology to said PI topology to form a composite SI/PI topology, said SI topology being thereby powered responsive to said variable supply reference voltage of said PI topology; and

,

executing, by using a computer, alternating current (AC) and transient simulation for the composite SI/PI topology to generate SI integrity analysis data.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein said power plane model of said PI topology is extracted by a solver for said conductive power rail portion of the PDN, said transmission line model for the signal trace interconnections of said SI topology being included with a layout of said conductive power rail portion of the PDN in extracting said power plane model.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said behavioral buffer models of said SI topology are each defined according to the IBIS standard.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said IBIS buffer models of said SI topology are each adaptively reconfigured according to said variable supply reference voltages of said PI topology.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein said PI topology is established to provide variable VCC and GND supply reference levels to power each of said IBIS buffer models.

13. A system for unified signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) analysis of an integrated circuit (IC) core powered operate in an electronic system by a power delivery network (PDN), the system comprising:

a controller unit generating a programmably implemented composite model for emulating signal processing operation of the IC core, the composite model including;

a PI topology having behavioral models interconnected to emulate the PDN serving the IC core, said PI topology maintaining at least one supply reference voltage in variable manner responsive to parametric coupling of the PDN with the IC core and an IO interface buffer of the electronic system during operation thereof; and

,

an SI topology interconnected to said PI topology, said SI topology having behavioral models interconnected to emulate analog input, output, and transmission characteristics of the IC core, said SI topology being thereby powered responsive to said variable supply reference voltage of said PI topology; and

,

a simulator unit coupled to said controller unit, said simulator unit executing alternating current (AC) and transient simulation for the composite model to generate SI integrity analysis data for IC core operation.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said SI topology includes a plurality of buffer models and at least one transmission line model representing signal trace interconnections therebetween.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein said PI topology includes a power plane model extracted by a solver for a conductive power rail portion of the PDN, said transmission line model for the signal trace interconnections of said SI topology being included with a layout of said conductive power rail portion of the PDN in extracting said power plane model.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said PI topology further includes:

a first behavioral model interconnected to said power rail model indicative of the current consumption characteristics of the IC core; and

,

a second behavioral model interconnected to said power rail model indicative of the current consumption of an IO interface buffer driving an output signal of the electronic system.

17. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein said buffer models are each defined according to the IBIS standard.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein said IBIS buffer models are each adaptively reconfigured according to said variable supply reference voltages of said PI topology.

19. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein said PI topology provides variable VCC and GND supply reference levels to power each of said buffer models.

20. A computer program product for generating a programmably implemented model to emulate signal processing operation of an integrated circuit (IC) core in an electronic system, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having program instructions for:

establishing a power integrity (PI) topology including behavioral models to emulate a power delivery network (PDN) serving the IC core, said PI topology maintaining at least one supply reference voltage in variable manner responsive to parametric coupling of the PDN with the IC core and an IO interface buffer of the electronic system during operation thereof;

establishing a signal integrity (SI) topology including behavioral models to emulate analog input, output, and transmission characteristics of the IC core; and

,

interconnecting said SI topology to said PI topology to form a composite SI/PI topology, said SI topology being thereby;

executing, by using a computer, alternating current (AC) and transient simulation for the composite SI/PI topology to generate SI integrity analysis data.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 20, wherein:

said SI topology is established to include a plurality of buffer models and at least one transmission line model representing signal trace interconnections therebetween; and

,

said PI topology is established to include a power plane model extracted by a solver for a conductive power rail portion of the PDN, said transmission line model for the signal trace interconnections of said SI topology being included with a layout of said conductive power rail portion of the PDN in extracting said power plane model.

22. The computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein said PI topology is established to further include:

a first behavioral model interconnected to said power rail model indicative of the current consumption characteristics of the IC core; and

,

a second behavioral model interconnected to said power rail model indicative of the current consumption of an IO interface buffer driving an output signal of the electronic system.

23. The computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein said buffer models are each defined according to the IBIS standard, each of said IBIS buffer models being adaptively reconfigured according to said variable supply reference voltages of said PI topology.

24. The computer program product as recited in claim 21, wherein said PI topology is established to provide variable VCC and GND supply reference levels to power each of said buffer models.