MANIPULATING PARAMETERIZED CELL DEVICES IN A CUSTOM LAYOUT DESIGN

• US 20140304671A1
• Filed: 03/10/2014
• Published: 10/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Inventors: LU, Hsiao-Tzu, McDONALD, Duncan Robert, YUAN, Chih-Wei, KANG, Wen-Lung
• Granted Patent: US 9,852,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/119
• 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

Abstract

A system, apparatus and computer-implemented method for manipulating a parameterized cell device into a custom layout design. The method begins by receiving at least one parameterized cell representing a physical circuit from, for example, a database or configuration file. The parameterized cell has a plurality of configurable attributes. The method continues by adjusting one of the configurable attributes of the parameterized cell according to a capability associated with the one attribute. The attributes may include one or more of a parameter mapping capability, a port mapping capability, an abutment capability, a directional extension capability, a channel width capability, and a boundary layer capability. The method then calculates a new configuration for the parameterized cell based upon the adjustment, and applies the new configuration for the parameterized cell to a layout of the represented physical circuit.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of manipulating a parameterized cell, comprising the steps of:

receiving a parameterized cell representing a physical circuit;

the parameterized cell having a plurality of configurable attributes;

adjusting one of the configurable attributes of the parameterized cell according to a capability associated with the one attribute;

calculating a new configuration for the parameterized cell based upon the adjustment; and

applying the new configuration for the parameterized cell to a layout of the represented physical circuit.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the configurable attributes include at least one or more of a parameter mapping capability, a port mapping capability, an abutment capability, a directional extension capability, a channel width capability, and a boundary layer capability.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting step further comprises adjusting a width parameter associated with the capability.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the adjusting step further comprises adjusting a channel width parameter associated with the capability.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting step further comprises adjusting a length parameter associated with the capability.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the adjusting step further comprises adjusting a left most OD extension parameter associated with the capability.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the adjusting step further comprises adjusting a right most OD extension parameter associated with the capability.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting step further comprises adjusting a finger number parameter associated with the capability.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting step further comprises adjusting abutment of the parameterized cell.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting step further comprises adjusting alignment of the parameterized cell.

11. A computer-implemented method for manipulating a parameterized cell, comprising the steps of:

receiving a parameterized cell representing an instance of a physical circuit;

the parameterized cell having a plurality of configurable attributes;

displaying the parameterized cell as one or more symbols on a display, the symbols being in an initial configuration;

manipulating at least one of the symbols to adjust one of the configurable attributes of the parameterized cell according to a capability associated with the one attribute, the manipulated symbols forming a new configuration for the parameterized cell; and

displaying the new configuration for the parameterized cell on the display.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 further comprising applying the new configuration for the parameterized cell to a layout of the represented physical circuit.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the manipulating step further comprises manipulating a parameter from at least one from the group of finger number parameter, width parameter, length parameter, left most OD extension parameter, and right most OD extension parameter.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the manipulating step further comprises manipulating the abutment of the parameterized cell.

15. A computer-implemented method for manipulating a parameterized cell, comprising the steps of:

receiving a layout representing an instance of a physical circuit;

converting the layout into one or more symbols associated with the parameterized cell, the parameterized cell having a plurality of configurable attributes;

displaying the parameterized cell as one or more symbols on a display, the symbols being in an initial configuration;

manipulating at least one of the symbols to adjust one of the configurable attributes of the parameterized cell according to a capability associated with the one attribute, the manipulated symbols forming a new configuration for the parameterized cell;

displaying the new configuration for the parameterized cell on the display; and

generating a new layout associated with the new configuration for the parameterized cell.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the manipulating step further comprises manipulating a parameter from at least one from the group of finger number parameter, width parameter, length parameter, left most OD extension parameter, and right most OD extension parameter.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the manipulating step further comprises manipulating the abutment of the parameterized cell.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the manipulating step further comprises changing a finger number parameter of the parameterized cell and wherein the new configuration has an increased or reduced number of fingers according to the changed finger number parameter.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the manipulating step further comprises manipulating the alignment of the parameterized cell by determining a difference between the pitch of two elements associated with the parameterized cell and applying the difference to an extension parameter wherein the new configuration displayed includes an enlarged aspect of one of the two elements.

20. An apparatus for manipulating a parameterized cell, comprising:

a processor;

a video display coupled to the processor;

an input device coupled to the processor;

a memory storage coupled to the processor, the memory storage maintaining a circuit schematic database, a device database associated with the parameterized cell, and a symbol placement editor software module; and

wherein, the processor is configured, when executing the symbol placement editor software module, to

read the parameterized cell from the device database, the parameterized cell representing an instance of a physical circuit;

the parameterized cell having a plurality of configurable attributes,

control the display of the parameterized cell as one or more symbols on the video display, the symbols being in an initial configuration,

adjust one of the configurable attributes of the parameterized cell according to a capability associated with the one attribute, the adjustment being in response to an input received by the input device, the manipulated symbols forming a new configuration for the parameterized cell, and

control the display of the parameterized cell on the video display in the new configuration for the parameterized cell.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the symbol placement editor software module, to adjust a parameter from at least one from the group of finger number parameter, width parameter, length parameter, left most OD extension parameter, and right most OD extension parameter.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the symbol placement editor, to change a finger number parameter of the parameterized cell and wherein the new configuration displayed on the video display has an increased or reduced number of fingers according to the changed finger number parameter.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured, when executing the symbol placement editor, to determine a difference between the pitch of two elements associated with the parameterized cell and apply the difference to an extension parameter, and wherein the new configuration displayed on the video display includes an enlarged aspect of one of the two elements.