Emulation of power shutoff behavior for integrated circuits

• US 8,352,235 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Lin, Tsair-Chin, Zhu, Bing, Beletsky, Platon
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacob, Mary C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chad, Aniss
• Application Number:
  US11/966,602
• Time in Patent Office: 1,838 Days
• Field of Search: 703/14, 703/18, 703/23, 703/28, 716/4, 716/5, 716/133
• US Class Current: 703/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/06 Power analysis or power optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/33 Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking
• 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 for modeling power management in an integrated circuit (IC) includes: specifying a circuit design and a power architecture for the IC, the power architecture including a plurality of power domains for specifying power levels in different portions of the IC; determining an emulation module for the IC by including one or more hardware elements for modeling the power architecture in the emulation module; and using the emulation module to simulate changing power levels in one or more power domains of the IC including a power shutoff in at least one power domain.

Claims

1. A method for modeling power management in an integrated circuit (IC) comprising:

specifying a circuit design and a power architecture for the IC, the circuit design including a plurality of circuit elements included in the IC, and the power architecture including a plurality of power domains for specifying power levels in different portions of the IC;

determining an emulation module for the IC by including one or more hardware elements for modeling the power architecture in the emulation module, the one or more hardware elements including a first hardware element that receives a power-shutoff control input for changing power levels in a first power domain of the IC and provides a signal-value output that corresponds to an output of a first circuit element of the first power domain, the signal-value output representing a power-shutoff value for the first circuit element when the power-shutoff control input corresponds to a power shutoff in the first power domain;

using a random number generator to randomize the power-shutoff value; and

using the emulation module to simulate changing power levels in one or more power domains of the IC including the power shutoff in the first power domain, the first hardware element providing the signal-value output for the first circuit element in the power shutoff of the first power domain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hardware element includes a logic gate that receives the power-shutoff control input for changing the power levels in the first power domain in combination with an input from a second hardware element that models the first circuit element to provide the corresponding signal-value output.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hardware element receives an isolation control input for modeling cell isolation in the power shutoff by blocking an isolated signal corresponding to the first circuit element from a portion of the IC.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hardware element receives a signal-value input for the first circuit element and a state-retention control input for saving a state-retention value corresponding to the signal-value input in a state-retention element that is included in the first hardware element.

5. The method of to claim 1, further comprising:

using the random number generator to determine a randomizing value; and

using the randomizing value to select a power-switch hardware element that provides one or more values that are correspondingly randomized for the power-shutoff value when using the emulation module, the power-switch hardware element being included in the first hardware element.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the random number generator to determine a randomizing input; and

selecting a multiplexer that receives the randomizing input and provides correspondingly randomized values for the power-shutoff value when using the emulation module, the multiplexer being included in the first hardware element.

7. The method of to claim 1, further comprising:

using the random number generator to determine a randomizing input; and

selecting a control element that receives the randomizing input with power-switch signals for the power domains, the control element being included in the emulation model, the control element adjusting values for sequential elements in power-loss states when using the emulation module, the power-switch signals including the power-shutoff control input for changing power levels in the first power domain, and the control unit using the randomizing input to correspondingly randomize the power-shutoff value for the first circuit element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the emulation module includes a second hardware element that models the first circuit element without the power shutoff of the first power domain, the second hardware element providing a signal-value input for the first circuit element to the first hardware element.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving into a database selected values for IC primary inputs, IC primary outputs and sequential-element outputs from using the emulation module; and

using at least some values from the database to calculate power-management characteristics for a selected power domain.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating emulation-module values with the power domains;

calculating power-mode values for the simulated changing power levels of the IC from the emulation-module values; and

displaying the power-mode values for the IC.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the emulation module includes incorporating values for the one or more hardware elements that model the power architecture into a netlist description for the circuit elements, the one or more hardware elements combining power-control values with circuit-element signal values to provide signal values that simulate the changing power levels in the one or more power domains of the IC.

12. An apparatus for modeling power management in an integrated circuit (IC), the apparatus comprising a computer for executing computer instructions, wherein the computer includes computer instructions for:

specifying a circuit design and a power architecture for the IC, the circuit design including a plurality of circuit elements included in the IC, and the power architecture including a plurality of power domains for specifying power levels in different portions of the IC;

determining an emulation module for the IC by including one or more hardware elements for modeling the power architecture in the emulation module, the one or more hardware elements including a first hardware element that receives a power-shutoff control input for changing power levels in a first power domain of the IC and provides a signal-value output that corresponds to an output of a first circuit element of the first power domain, the signal-value output representing a power-shutoff value for the first circuit element when the power-shutoff control input corresponds to a power shutoff in the first power domain;

using a random number generator to randomize the power-shutoff value; and

using the emulation module to simulate changing power levels in one or more power domains of the IC including the power shutoff in the first power domain, the first hardware element providing the signal-value output for the first circuit element in the power shutoff of the first power domain.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer further includes computer instructions for:

using the random number generator to determine a randomizing value; and

using the randomizing value to select a power-switch hardware element that provides one or more values that are correspondingly randomized for the power-shutoff value when using the emulation module, the power-switch hardware element being included in the first hardware element.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer further includes computer instructions for:

using the random number generator to determine a randomizing input; and

selecting a multiplexer that receives the randomizing input and provides correspondingly randomized values for the power-shutoff value when using the emulation module, the multiplexer being included in the first hardware element.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer further includes computer instructions for:

using the random number generator to determine a randomizing input; and

selecting a control element that receives the randomizing input with power-switch signals for the power domains, the control element being included in the emulation model, the control element adjusting values for sequential elements in power-loss states when using the emulation module, the power-switch signals including the power-shutoff control input for changing power levels in the first power domain, and the control unit using the randomizing input to correspondingly randomize the power-shutoff value for the first circuit element.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first hardware element includes a logic gate that receives the power-shutoff control input for changing the power levels in the first power domain in combination with an input from a second hardware element that models the first circuit element to provide the corresponding signal-value output.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer further includes computer instructions for:

saving into a database selected values for IC primary inputs, IC primary outputs and sequential-element outputs from using the emulation module; and

using at least some values from the database to calculate power-management characteristics for a selected power domain.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer further includes computer instructions for:

associating emulation-module values with the power domains;

calculating power-mode values for the simulated changing power levels of the IC from the emulation-values; and

displaying the power-mode values for the IC.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer includes a processor with memory for executing at least some of the computer instructions.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer includes circuitry for executing at least some of the computer instructions.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first hardware element receives a signal-value input for the first circuit element and a state-retention control input for saving a state-retention value corresponding to the signal-value input in a state-retention element that is included in the first hardware element.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a computer program for modeling power management in an integrated circuit (IC), wherein the computer program includes instructions for:

specifying a circuit design and a power architecture for the IC, the circuit design including a plurality of circuit elements included in the IC, and the power architecture including a plurality of power domains for specifying power levels in different portions of the IC;

determining an emulation module for the IC by including one or more hardware elements for modeling the power architecture in the emulation module, the one or more hardware elements including a first hardware element that receives a power-shutoff control input for changing power levels in a first power domain of the IC and provides a signal-value output that corresponds to an output of a first circuit element of the first power domain, the signal-value output representing a power-shutoff value for the first circuit element when the power-shutoff control input corresponds to a power shutoff in the first power domain;

using a random number generator to randomize the power-shutoff value; and

using the emulation module to simulate changing power levels in one or more power domains of the IC including the power shutoff in the first power domain, the first hardware element providing the signal-value output for the first circuit element in the power shutoff of the first power domain.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the computer program further includes instructions for:

using the random number generator to determine a randomizing value; and

using the randomizing value to select a power-switch hardware element that provides one or more values that are correspondingly randomized for the power-shutoff value when using the emulation module, the power-switch hardware element being included in the first hardware element.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the computer program further includes instructions for:

using a random number generator to determine a randomizing value; and

selecting a multiplexer that receives the randomizing input and provides correspondingly randomized values for the power-shutoff value when using the emulation module, the multiplexer being included in the first hardware element.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the computer program further includes instructions for:

using the random number generator to determine a randomizing input; and

selecting a control element that receives the randomizing input with power-switch signals for the power domains, the control element being included in the emulation model, the control element adjusting values for sequential elements in power-loss states when using the emulation module, the power-switch signals including the power-shutoff control input for changing power levels in the first power domain, and the control unit using the randomizing input to correspondingly randomize the power-shutoff value for the first circuit element.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the first hardware element includes a logic gate that receives the power-shutoff control input for changing the power levels in the first power domain in combination with an input from a second hardware element that models the first circuit element to provide the corresponding signal-value output.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the first hardware element receives a signal-value input for the first circuit element and a state-retention control input for saving a state-retention value corresponding to the signal-value input in a state-retention element that is included in the first hardware element.