Automated adjustment of wire connections in computer-assisted design of circuits

• US 9,208,277 B1
• Filed: 08/19/2011
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Lamant, Gilles S. C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, A. M.
• Application Number:
  US13/214,119
• Time in Patent Office: 1,572 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/392 Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/394 Routing G06F30/396 takes precedence
• 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

In one aspect, a method for providing a circuit design includes defining an interconnect network comprising a plurality of wire connections, the defining performed after modification of the interconnect network and before completion of the interconnect network. An adjustment technique is applied to the wire connections of the defined interconnect network before completion of the interconnect network.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing a circuit design, the method comprising:

determining that one or more new wire connections have been added to an existing interconnect network comprising a plurality of existing wire connections that connect a plurality of electrical components of the circuit design, wherein at least one of the one or more new wire connections connects at least one additional electrical component of the circuit design to the existing interconnect network;

defining a new interconnect network to include the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections;

determining an adjustment technique that adjusts a width of at least one of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections based on one or more predetermined requirements for the circuit design;

in response to the adjustment technique comprising a decrease of width of the at least one of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections, determining whether a user has allowed the decrease of width, such that the adjustment technique is not applied if the user has not allowed the decrease of width; and

applying, by at least one processor, the adjustment technique to the new interconnect network before each of the at least one additional electrical component is connected to the existing interconnect network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections include at least one of:

a plurality of wire segments and a plurality of vias.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein defining the new interconnect network and applying the adjustment technique are performed after each of the one or more new wire connections is added to the existing interconnect network, wherein the existing interconnect network is defined as the new interconnect network after each of the new wire connections is added.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the addition of each of the one or more new wire connections is an editing action performed by a user with a software tool on the existing interconnect network that is at least partially displayed on a display screen.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining whether the adjustment technique is necessary before adjusting the width of the at least one of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjustment technique includes adjustment of at least one of the plurality of vias connected to at least one of the plurality of wire segments if the adjustment technique is determined to be necessary.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional electrical component has never been connected to the interconnect network in the circuit design when the defining and applying are performed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the adjustment technique further comprises:

determining a required configuration of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections in the new interconnect network based on the one or more predetermined requirements for the circuit design;

comparing the required configuration to a configuration of the new interconnect network to determine if the new interconnect network has one or more violations of the one or more predetermined requirements; and

adjusting at least one of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections if the one or more violations are found.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more predetermined requirements include minimum widths of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections based on electrical currents intended to flow through the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more predetermined requirements include a required number of vias based on electrical currents intended to flow through the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the determining, defining, and applying until all additional electrical components are connected to the new interconnect network.

12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium including program instructions implemented by a computer to provide a circuit design by performing a process comprising:

determining that a user has added one or more new wire segments to an existing interconnect network comprising a plurality of existing wire segments;

defining a new interconnect network to include the plurality of existing wire segments and the one or more new wire segments, wherein the defining is performed after each of the one or more new wire segments is added to the existing interconnect network;

determining an adjustment technique that adjusts a width of at least one of the plurality of existing wire segments and the one or more new wire segments based on one or more predetermined requirements for the circuit design;

in response to the adjustment technique comprising a decrease of width of the at least one of the plurality of existing wire segments and the one or more new wire segments, determining whether a user has allowed the decrease of width, such that the adjustment technique is not applied if the user has not allowed the decrease of width; and

applying the adjustment technique to the new interconnect network after each of the one or more new wire segments is added to the existing interconnect network.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

repeating the determining, defining, and applying until all of the one or more new wire segments are connected to the new interconnect network.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

determining whether the adjustment technique is necessary before adjusting the width of the at least one of the plurality of existing wire segments and the one or more new wire segments.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein applying the adjustment technique comprises:

determining a required configuration of the plurality of existing wire segments and the one or more new wire segments in the new interconnect network based on the one or more predetermined requirements for the circuit design;

comparing the required configuration to a configuration of the new interconnect network to determine if the new interconnect network has one or more violations of the one or more predetermined requirements; and

adjusting at least one of the plurality of existing wire segments and the one or more new wire segments if the one or more violations are found.

16. A system for providing a circuit design, the system comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor in communication with the memory, wherein the memory, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to;

cause a display of the circuit design on a display device connected to the processor;

determine that one or more new wire connections have been added to an existing interconnect network comprising a plurality of existing wire connections that connect a plurality of electrical components of the circuit design, wherein at least one of the one or more new wire connections connects at least one additional electrical component of the circuit design to the existing interconnect network;

define a new interconnect network to include the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections; and

determine an adjustment technique that adjusts a width of at least one of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections based on one or more predetermined requirements for the circuit design;

in response to the adjustment technique comprising a decrease of width of the at least one of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections, determine whether a user has allowed the decrease of width, such that the adjustment technique is not applied if the user has not allowed the decrease of width; and

apply, by at least one processor, the adjustment technique to the new interconnect network before each of the at least one additional electrical component is connected to the existing interconnect network.

17. The system of claim 16, further causing the processor to:

determine whether the adjustment technique is necessary before adjusting the width of the at least one of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor applies the adjustment technique comprises causing the processor to:

determine a required configuration of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections in the new interconnect network based on the one or more predetermined requirements for the circuit design; and

compare the required configuration to a configuration of the new interconnect network to determine if the new interconnect network has one or more violations of the one or more predetermined requirements; and

adjust at least one of the plurality of existing wire connections and the one or more new wire connections if the one or more violations are found.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor further repeats the determining, defining, and applying until all additional electrical components are connected to the new interconnect network.