Abstract: A method for developing a circuit design is disclosed. The method generally include the steps of (A) generating a violation display based on violation information provided from a place-and-route tool and (B) generating a layout display based on layout information provided from the place-and-route tool. The violation display may include (i) a plurality of performance violations for the circuit design and (ii) a plurality of user inputs each associated with one of the performance violations. The layout display may include a layout view of the circuit design. The layout view may highlight at least one of (i) a plurality of cells and (ii) a plurality of networks each along a path related to a particular one of the performance violations identified by a user through the user inputs.

Abstract: A method for designing an integrated circuit is disclosed. The method generally comprises the steps of (A) splitting a design layout of the integrated circuit into a plurality of tiles, (B) adding a plurality of tie-to cells to the design layout, wherein at least one of the tie-to cells generating a tie-to signal at a particular logical level is added into each of the tiles having at least one gate with an input fixed to the particular logical level and (C) routing the tie-to signal to each of the inputs within each of the tiles.

Abstract: A method for developing a circuit design is disclosed. The method generally include the steps of (A) generating a violation display based on violation information provided from a place-and-route tool and (B) generating a layout display based on layout information provided from the place-and-route tool. The violation display may include (i) a plurality of performance violations for the circuit design and (ii) a plurality of user inputs each associated with one of the performance violations. The layout display may include a layout view of the circuit design. The layout view may highlight at least one of (i) a plurality of cells and (ii) a plurality of networks each along a path related to a particular one of the performance violations identified by a user through the user inputs.

Abstract: A method for establishing standard cell power connections is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) calculating a power consumption of a plurality of logic cells receiving power directly from a power rail, (B) removing at least one excess via from a plurality of vias directly connecting the power rail to a power mesh in response to the power consumption and (C) routing a signal through an area where the at least one excess via was removed.

Abstract: A system generally including a clock structure analysis tool, a static timing analysis tool and a waveform tool is disclosed. The clock structure analysis tool may be configured to generate a simplified clock structure for a clock signal in a complex clock structure in a design of a circuit. The static timing analysis tool may be configured to generate a plurality of results for a plurality of intermediate signals in the simplified clock structure in response to a static timing analysis of the design. The waveform tool may be configured to generate a first representation in a graphical user interface format of the intermediate signals and the results.

Abstract: A library cell, a method and/or a system for adding the cell to a circuit is disclosed. The method generally comprises a first step for generating a final layout of the cell having an area of interest in at least one upper layer within a first layer stack used for the circuit, the first layer stack including at most all of a plurality of physical layers available for fabrication. A second step may include placing the final layout in the circuit. A third step may route a network of the circuit through the cell using the at least one upper layer and avoiding the area of interest according to at least one of a plurality of rules.

Abstract: A method for correcting a plurality of violations in a circuit design and new cells used in the method are disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) implementing a first engineering change order in the circuit design to correct a first of the violations, (B) implementing a second engineering change order with a special cell to correct a second of the violations, the special cell having a plurality of interfaces available for a signal path associated with the second violation, each of the interfaces having a characteristic appropriate to correct the second violation, each of the characteristics having a different performance and (C) routing the signal path to one of the interfaces to fix the second violation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing a plurality of change orders for a circuit design is disclosed. The method generally includes the steps of (A) receiving the change orders generated manually by a user, (B) analyzing the circuit design with all of the change orders implemented and (C) generating a report suitable for the user to understand based on a result of the analyzing.