Abstract: An architecture for nanoscale electronics is disclosed. The architecture comprises arrays of crossed nanoscale wires having selectively programmable crosspoints. Nanoscale wires of one array are shared by other arrays, thus providing signal propagation between the arrays. Nanoscale signal restoration elements are also provided, allowing an output of a first array to be used as an input to a second array. Signal restoration occurs without routing of the signal to non-nanoscale wires.

Abstract: I. A method and system is disclosed for generating a desired input/output (I/O) cell based on a basic cell from a library. After identifying a configuration requirement for a desired I/O cell to be used for an integrated circuit design, at least one basic cell is selected, the basic cell having a base component for generating the desired I/O cell to meet the configuration requirement. A connection template is generated having one or more programmable connection points identified thereon, the programmable connection points identifying locations for making connections to one or more feature components of the basic cell. The selected basic cell and the connection template are combined to generate a design file, wherein the design file corresponds to the desired I/O cell with the predetermined feature components of the basic cell integrated with the basic component to satisfy the configuration requirement. The disclosed method reduces the design cycle-time as well as circuit-library maintenance and update effort.

Abstract: A method for technology mapping user logical RAM on a programmable logic device is provided. The method preferably includes clustering non-RAM functional block types in the programmable logic device. Following synthesis of a user design, the method then includes determining the number of physical RAM locations available on the selected device. Also, the method includes determining the number of physical RAM locations available in the PLD and the number of Look-Up-Table (LUT) RAM locations available in the PLD. Finally, the method includes determining a combination of physical RAM locations and LUT RAM locations for implementation of the user logical RAM. The combination preferably represents a beneficial combination of physical RAM and LUT RAM with respect to a predetermined metric.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for improving image quality in a photolithographic process includes calculating a figure-of-demerit for a photolithographic mask function and then adjusting said photolithographic mask function to reduce the figure of demerit.

Abstract: A method and computer program for static timing analysis includes receiving as input minimum and maximum stage delays for two corners of an integrated circuit design. A path slack for a setup timing check is calculated from the minimum and maximum stage delays as a function of net clock cycle interval T_clk, launch path delay T_LP, capture path delay T_CP, data path delay T_DP, and a first delay de-rating factor Y1. A path slack for a hold timing check is calculated from the minimum and maximum stage delays as a function of the launch path delay T_LP, the capture path delay T_CP, the data path delay T_DP, and a second delay de-rating factor Y2. The path slack calculated for the setup timing check and for the hold timing check is generated as output.

Abstract: LSI device 100 is provided with standard cell regions 10, a plurality of standard cells 20, memory blocks 11 and a plurality of memory cells 21. Standard cells 20 are equal in height “Hs” and disposed in standard cell regions 10 in a vertical direction. Memory blocks 11 are provided in contact with standard cell region 10 in a horizontal direction and memory cells 21 are disposed in memory blocks 11 in the vertical direction. Height “Hm” of memory cells 21 is equal to the height “Hs” or the height of the standard cell divided by an integer. Boundary positions of standard cells 20 neighboring each other are consistent with those of memory cells 21 neighboring each other.

Abstract: The present invention is a method and system for outputting a sequence of commands and data described by a flowchart. The method includes steps as follows. A flowchart describing a sequence of commands and data is received. The flowchart includes a plurality of flowchart symbols. Each of the plurality of flowchart symbols is assigned a ROM (read only memory) record. Assigned ROM records are stored in a ROM. A processor is generated to include the ROM, wherein the processor receives as input a CLOCK signal, a RESET signal, an ENABLE signal and N binary inputs x1, x2, . . . xN, and outputs the sequence of commands and data.

Abstract: Methods and readable media for using relative positioning of items or components in a structure with dynamic ranges, such as an elastic I/O bus design for an Integrated Circuit (IC), are disclosed. Embodiments may include a user-defined type module having user-defined types representing relative instance positions within a structure. Embodiments may also include a translation helper module to receive information associated with a hierarchy and to return location information associated with the hierarchy and a translation module to translate between a specific location and a relative position of the instance based on one or more user-defined types and location information returned from the translation helper module to generate a list of translated results. Further embodiments of the translation module may include a relative position determiner to translate specific locations to relative positions and may also include a specific location determiner to translate relative positions to specific locations.

Abstract: A device for debugging an electronic circuit manufactured from an initial program in hardware description language, HDL, comprising an instrumentation unit capable of receiving the initial program; receiving an additional program describing determined functions; determining an additional circuit to be incorporated into the electronic circuit from the additional program, capable of setting to a determined value a signal selected from among an input signal, an output signal, or a signal internal to the additional circuit; and providing a modified program in HDL language incorporating a description in HDL language of the additional circuit; and a debugging unit capable of debugging a modified electronic circuit manufactured from the modified program, the debugging unit being capable of communicating with the additional circuit to control the setting to the determined value of the selected signal.

Abstract: A method of designing a layout of functional blocks and on-chip capacitors in a semiconductor integrated circuit, includes the steps of, in sequence, (a) placing a functional block, (b) placing an on-chip capacitor in an area which remains vacant after the step (a) has been carried out, (c) overlapping a portion of the functional block having been placed in the step (a) and a portion of the on-chip capacitor having been placed in the step (b) each other, if possible, and (d) placing an on-chip capacitor in a vacant area caused by carrying out the step (c).

Abstract: A circuit layout device of a semiconductor integrated circuit having scan chains comprises a circuit layout section for performing the circuit layout of a semiconductor integrated circuit considering a weighting factor being set for a wire of the semiconductor integrated circuit and outputting the layout data, a wire length calculation section for calculating a wire length of a scan chain from the layout data output by the circuit layout section and a wire weighting section for increasing the weighting factor of the scan chain wire based on the scan chain wire length calculated by the wire length calculation section.

Abstract: A method of generating timing information for a circuit design can include determining static timing data for the circuit design and identifying a source of timing information for use in functional simulation of the circuit design. The method also can include updating the source of timing information to include at least a portion of the static timing data.

Abstract: When a function design has been carried out by an RTL description using an HDL language, a CPU of an integrated circuit design support apparatus writes data such as a simulation time, a layout area, a timing and a power consumption into a header portion of the RTL description. The CPU stores, as one file, the RTL description comprising the header portion serving as a reuse design database, and an entity portion, in a hard disk drive.

Abstract: Various approaches for simulating a circuit design are disclosed. In one approach, a first specification of a testbench and a second specification of the circuit design are generated in a hardware description language. The circuit design is synchronous to at least one clock signal. The second specification of the circuit design is automatically translated into a third specification in a general-purpose programming language, and the third specification specifies the behavior of the circuit design at transitions of the at least one clock signal. A fourth specification of an interface between the first specification of the testbench and the third specification of the circuit design is automatically generated. A first behavior of the circuit design is simulated using the first and third specifications linked by the fourth specification and the stimuli from the test bench.

Abstract: A method for performing verification includes importing a design netlist containing one or more components and computing one or more output functions for the one or more components. One or more output equivalent state sets are generated from the one or more output functions and one or more next-state functions for the one or more components are identified. One or more image equivalent state sets for the one or more next-state functions are produced and one or more output-and-image equivalent state sets are classified for the one or more image equivalent state sets and the one or more output equivalent state sets. One or more input representatives of the one or more equivalent input sets are selected and an input map is formed from the one or more input representatives. The input map is synthesized and injected back into the netlist to generate a modified netlist.

Abstract: This method uses 2 copies of the design under test. These 2 copies use different values (including primary inputs and initial states) to feed the supposedly irrelevant logic while using the same (or consistent as desired) values to feed the feature being verified. Symbolic method is used to efficiently determine whether the feature being verified behaves identically (or consistently as expected) in the 2 copies for all possible cases in the supposedly irrelevant logic.

Abstract: A plurality of images, including a first image and a second image having a higher resolution than the first image, are aligned by generating an oversampled cross correlation image that corresponds to relative displacements of the first and second images, and, based on the oversampled cross correlation image, determining an offset value that corresponds to a misalignment of the first and second images. The first and second images are aligned to a precision greater than the resolution of the first image, based on the determined offset value. Enhanced results are achieved by performing another iteration of generating an oversampled cross correlation image and determining an offset value for the first and second images. Generating the oversampled cross correlation image may involve generating a cross correlation image that corresponds to relative displacements of the first and second images, and oversampling the cross correlation image to generate the oversampled cross correlation image.

Abstract: During the design of semiconductor products which incorporates a user specification and an application set, the application set being a partially manufactured semiconductor platform and its resources, a template engine is disclosed which uses a simplified computer language having a character whereby data used in commands identified by the character need only be input once, either by a user or by files, and that data, after it has been verified to be correct, is automatically allocated to one or more templates used to generate shells for the specification of a final semiconductor product. Data must be correct and compatible with other data before it can be used within the template engine and the generated shells; indeed the template engine cooperates with a plurality of rules and directives to verify the correctness of the data.

Abstract: From design information on a circuit board a wiring designation unit designates a wiring model for signal analysis. A first analysis unit generates, through a 3-D electromagnetic analysis, a first output waveform received at a receiving end of a wiring model when a first input signal pattern changing from 0 to 1 is input to a sending end of the wiring model. A second analysis unit generates, through the 3-D electromagnetic analysis, a second output waveform received at the receiving end of the wiring model when a second input signal pattern changing from 1 to 0 is input to the sending end of the wiring model. An output waveform generation unit selects the first output waveform at bit 1 of a random signal of about 100 bits and selects the second output waveform at bit 0 thereof to generate for a predetermined bit count the first output waveform or the second output waveform selected with each bit position as a starting point.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for a CPLD-structured ASIC. Circuit blocks associated with a programmed portion of a CPLD are configured to preserve timing associated with instantiation of a circuit design in the programmed portion of the CPLD. The circuit blocks have predetermined placement information obtained from the CPLD, and the placement information is used to locate CPLD-structured ASIC cells associated with the circuit blocks.