Abstract: An improved method for performing a formal verification of a property in an electronic circuit design comprises: specifying at least one safety property in the electronic circuit design at a register-transfer level, setting boundaries of a logic cone to a start level according to a configurable structural design criterion, extracting the logic cone from the electronic circuit design based on the at least one specified safety property and the set boundaries, executing a formal verification tool on the logic cone to verify the at least one specified property, extending the boundary of the logic cone according to a configurable structural design criterion and performing the extracting and executing on the new logic cone, if the verification result does not satisfy the at least one safety property.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip subdivided into power domains, at least one of the power domains is separately activated or deactivated and at least a part of the scannable storage elements are interconnected to one or more scan chains. At least one scan chain is serially subdivided into scan chain portions and the scan chain portion is arranged within one of the power domains. For at least one scan chain portion a bypass line is provided for passing by scan data and at least one select unit is provided for selecting between the bypass line and the corresponding scan chain portion in dependence of the activated or deactivated state of the corresponding power domains.

Abstract: An apparatus and computer program product for driving values to “don't care” (DC) adjusted/untimed nets of an integrated circuit design to thereby identify timing problems are provided. The apparatus and computer program product may be utilized, for example, with logical built-in self test (LBIST) testing of an integrated circuit in which the DC adjusted (dcadj) nets for normal functional mode of the integrated circuit may not be DC adjusted for LBIST mode. By using the apparatus and computer program product, timing related problems associated with DC adjusted/untimed nets can be made apparent either by using simulation or semi-formal/formal analysis. For example, with regard to DC adjusted/untimed nets, the apparatus and computer program product may identify any violations of these nets with regard to maintaining their DC adjusted values. Such identification of violations of DC adjusted/untimed nets may be made without interfering with the static timing analysis of timed nets.

Abstract: A method, structure and design system for performing logic built-in-self-test (LBIST) cycles on a semiconductor chip with a plurality of logic circuits and a plurality of storage elements connected serially to a number of LBIST stumps (pattern segments) between a pseudo-random-pattern generator (30) and a multiple-input-signature register. The semiconductor chip is subdivided into partitions, such that LBIST cycles may be run separately or in parallel for one or more partitions. The LBIST cycles may also be run separately or in parallel inter-connections between the partitions. The partitions to be tested are controlled by at least one corresponding clock signal, and the inter-connections to be tested are controlled by at least one corresponding clock signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for verifying the proper operation of a digital logic circuit and program product therefore. In order to add a useful alternative in the field of functional, exhaustive simulation and of symbolic simulation, it is proposed to perform the steps of: a) marking a net with an additional property other than a bit value, wherein both said bit value and said additional property are valid at said net at a given time; b) propagating the marking of the net according to a set of predetermined semantic rules, wherein the set of predetermined semantic rules are defined according to a predetermined simulation; and c) generating an output at a predetermined downstream location of the digital logic circuit, said output providing an information, if or if not said property has propagated through the circuit to said predetermined downstream location or not.

Abstract: An apparatus and computer program product for driving values to “don't care” (DC) adjusted/untimed nets of an integrated circuit design to thereby identify timing problems are provided. The apparatus and computer program product may be utilized, for example, with logical built-in self test (LBIST) testing of an integrated circuit in which the DC adjusted (dcadj) nets for normal functional mode of the integrated circuit may not be DC adjusted for LBIST mode. By using the apparatus and computer program product, timing related problems associated with DC adjusted/untimed nets can be made apparent either by using simulation or semi-formal/formal analysis. For example, with regard to DC adjusted/untimed nets, the apparatus and computer program product may identify any violations of these nets with regard to maintaining their DC adjusted values. Such identification of violations of DC adjusted/untimed nets may be made without interfering with the static timing analysis of timed nets.

Abstract: A method for driving values to “don't care” (DC) adjusted/untimed nets of an integrated circuit design to thereby identify timing problems are provided. The system and method may be utilized, for example, with logical built-in self test (LBIST) testing of an integrated circuit in which the DC adjusted (dcadj) nets for normal functional mode of the integrated circuit may not be DC adjusted for LBIST mode. By using the system and method, timing related problems associated with DC adjusted/untimed nets can be made apparent either by using simulation or semi-formal/formal analysis. For example, with regard to DC adjusted/untimed nets, the system and method may identify any violations of these nets with regard to maintaining their DC adjusted values. Such identification of violations of DC adjusted/untimed nets may be made without interfering with the static timing analysis of timed nets.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip subdivided into power domains, at least one of the power domains is separately activated or deactivated and at least a part of the scannable storage elements are interconnected to one or more scan chains. At least one scan chain is serially subdivided into scan chain portions and the scan chain portion is arranged within one of the power domains. For at least one scan chain portion a bypass line is provided for passing by scan data and at least one select unit is provided for selecting between the bypass line and the corresponding scan chain portion in dependence of the activated or deactivated state of the corresponding power domains.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for verifying the proper operation of a digital logic circuit and program product therefor. In order to add a useful alternative in the field of functional, exhaustive simulation and of symbolic simulation, it is proposed to perform the steps of: a) marking a net with an additional property other than a bit value, wherein both said bit value and said additional property are valid at said net at a given time; b) propagating the marking of the net according to a set of predetermined semantic rules, wherein the set of predetermined semantic rules are defined according to a predetermined simulation; and c) generating an output at a predetermined downstream location of the digital logic circuit, said output providing an information, if or if not said property has propagated through the circuit to said predetermined downstream location or not.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for verifying the proper operation of a digital logic circuit. In order to add a useful alternative in the field of functional, exhaustive simulation and of symbolic simulation, it is proposed to perform the steps of: a) marking a net with an additional property other than a bit value, wherein both said bit value and said additional property are valid at said net at a given time; b) propagating the marking of the net according to a set of predetermined semantic rules, wherein the set of predetermined semantic rules are defined according to a predetermined simulation aim; and c) generating an output at a predetermined downstream location of the digital logic circuit, said output providing an information, if or if not said property has propagated through the circuit to said predetermined downstream location or not.

Abstract: A system and method for driving values to “don't care” (DC) adjusted/untimed nets of an integrated circuit design to thereby identify timing problems are provided. The system and method may be utilized, for example, with logical built-in self test (LBIST) testing of an integrated circuit in which the DC adjusted (dcadj) nets for normal functional mode of the integrated circuit may not be DC adjusted for LBIST mode. By using the system and method, timing related problems associated with DC adjusted/untimed nets can be made apparent either by using simulation or semi-formal/formal analysis. For example, with regard to DC adjusted/untimed nets, the system and method may identify any violations of these nets with regard to maintaining their DC adjusted values. Such identification of violations of DC adjusted/untimed nets may be made without interfering with the static timing analysis of timed nets.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of computer hardware locic circuits, and in particular to a method for verifying the proper operation of a digital logic circuit, and in particular to symbolic simulation of a gate-level netlist corresponding to said hardware logic circuit. In order to add a useful alternative in the field of functional, exhaustive simulation and of symbolic simulation, it is proposed to perform the steps of: a) analyzing symbolic expressions visible at predetermined locations within said logic; b) determining, which nets in the netlist carry complex symbolic expressions, which comprise more than one symbol; c) replacing said complex expressions with a “crunshed color”, for cutting off said complex symbolic expression from further propagation through the netlist; d) continuing said symbolic simulation including said crunched color information on predetermined nets.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for verifying the proper operation of a digital logic circuit. In order to add a useful alternative in the field of functional, exhaustive simulation and of symbolic simulation, it is proposed to perform the steps of: a) marking a net with an additional property other than the bit value, both, bit value and additional property being valid at said net at a given time, b) propagating the marking of the net according to a set of predetermined semantic rules, wherein the rules are defined according to a predetermined simulation aim, c) generating an output at a predetermined downstream location of the circuit, said output providing an information, if or if not said property has propagated through the circuit to said predetermined circuit location.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of computer hardware locic circuits, and in particular to a method for verifying the proper operation of a digital logic circuit, and in particular to symbolic simulation of a gate-level netlist corresponding to said hardware logic circuit. In order to add a useful alternative in the field of functional, exhaustive simulation and of symbolic simulation, it is proposed to perform the steps of: a) analyzing symbolic expressions visible at predetermined locations within said logic, b) determining, which nets in the netlist carry complex symbolic expressions, which comprise more than one symbol, c) replacing said complex expressions with a “crunshed color”, for cutting off said complex symbolic expression from further propagation through the netlist, d) continuing said symbolic simulation including said crunched color information on predetermined nets.