Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining capacitances and charge models for MOS devices to be used in calculating delays in a timing verifier for a circuit. The models are generated by first creating a variety of configurations of MOS devices which vary the inputs to the source, drain, and gate. Such inputs may include rising and falling values as well as constant values at VDD and VSS. Simulations are run on all of the configurations using conditions anticipated for the circuit to be analyzed. Capacitance values obtained from the simulations are used to determine models based upon length and width of the MOS devices using standard curve fitting techniques. Models then can be used for determining delays within the circuit.

Abstract: A technique for managing register assignments. The technique involves maintaining, in a register list memory circuit having entries that respectively correspond to physical registers, a list of register assignments that assign logical registers to the physical registers. The technique further involves maintaining, in a vector memory circuit having bits that respectively correspond to the physical registers, a valid vector that forms, in combination with the list of register assignments, a list of valid register assignments. Furthermore, the technique involves storing, for an instruction that is mapped by the data processor, a copy of the valid vector from the vector memory circuit to a silo memory circuit. Preferably, the processor using the technique has the ability to execute branches of instructions speculatively, and to recover if it is determined that the processor executed down an incorrect instruction branch.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for determining capacitance and charge models for MOS devices to be used in calculating delays in a timing verifier for a circuit. The models are generated by first creating a variety of configurations of MOS devices which vary the inputs to the source, drain, and gate. Such inputs may include rising and falling values as well as constant values at VDD and VSS. Simulations are run on all of the configurations using conditions anticipated for the circuit to be analyzed. Capacitance values obtained from the simulations are used to determine models based upon length and width of the MOS devices using standard curve fitting techniques. Models then can be used for determining delays within the circuit.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining load capacitance of DCVSL circuits in timing verification of a circuit is disclosed in the present invention. The gate capacitances for various MOS devices are modeled based upon simulations with certain conditions for inputs to the gate, source and drain. The system then determines the existence of DCVSL circuits within the topology of a circuit, and applies one of several models to determine minimum and maximum capacitances for the encountered DCVSL structures. The determination of minimum and maximum capacitance depends upon the selected model and the capacitance of each of the MOS devices as previously calculated.

Abstract: A technique for managing register assignments. The technique involves maintaining, in a register list memory circuit having entries that respectively correspond to physical registers, a list of register assignments that assign logical registers to the physical registers. The technique further involves maintaining, in a vector memory circuit having bits that respectively correspond to the physical registers, a valid vector that forms, in combination with the list of register assignments, a list of valid register assignments. Furthermore, the technique involves storing, for an instruction that is mapped by the data processor, a copy of the valid vector from the vector memory circuit to a silo memory circuit. Preferably, the processor using the technique has the ability to execute branches of instructions speculatively, and to recover if it is determined that the processor executed down an incorrect instruction branch.

Abstract: A technique for managing register assignments. The technique involves maintaining, in a register list memory circuit having entries that respectively correspond to physical registers, a list of register assignments that assign logical registers to the physical registers. The technique further involves maintaining, in a vector memory circuit having bits that respectively correspond to the physical registers, a valid vector that forms, in combination with the list of register assignments, a list of valid register assignments. Furthermore, the technique involves storing, for an instruction that is mapped by the data processor, a copy of the valid vector from the vector memory circuit to a silo memory circuit. Preferably, the processor using the technique has the ability to execute branches of instructions speculatively, and to recover if it is determined that the processor executed down an incorrect instruction branch.