Abstract: The area of the circuit to be added for easy testability is reduced. Operations contained in a behavioral description are extracted in an operation analyzing unit; when expanding any operation at the time of behavioral synthesis, if the area of the circuit can be reduced to a greater extent when a DFT is applied to the operation before expansion, a parameter indicating that the operation is not to be expanded at the time of behavioral synthesis is generated and DFT information is added to a DFT library. A behavioral synthesis unit, in accordance with the parameter, generates an RTL description without expanding the operation. A DFT unit implements the DFT by referring to the DFT library, and thereafter expands the operation.

Abstract: A hardware/software co-verification method that achieves fast simulation execution by implementing a C-based native code simulation without degrading the accuracy of timing verification. This method is a method for co-verifying hardware and software, by using a host CPU, for a semiconductor device on which at least one target CPU and one OS are mounted wherein, first, a timed software component described in a C-based language or constructed from binary code native to the host CPU and a hardware component described in the C-based language are input as verification models, necessary compiling is performed, and the compiled components are linked together. Next, a testbench is input and compiled. Then, the components and the testbench are linked together, after which simulation is performed and the result of the simulation is output.

Abstract: An IP database includes a system level IP used in system level design. IPs A and B in the system level IP are divided into processing algorithm description portions, input data structure definition portions and output data structure definition portions. When a communication channel is provided between the IPs communicating data in architecture or functional design, a conversion circuit generating means generates a data conversion circuit between the communication channel and each of the IPs with reference to the IP database.

Abstract: An IP database includes a system level IP used in system level design. IPs A and B in the system level IP are divided into processing algorithm description portions, input data structure definition portions and output data structure definition portions. When a communication channel is provided between the IPs communicating data in architecture or functional design, a conversion circuit generating means generates a data conversion circuit between the communication channel and each of the IPs with reference to the IP database.

Abstract: A hardware/software co-verification method that achieves fast simulation execution by implementing a C-based native code simulation without degrading the accuracy of timing verification. This method is a method for co-verifying hardware and software, by using a host CPU, for a semiconductor device on which at least one target CPU and one OS are mounted wherein, first, a timed software component described in a C-based language or constructed from binary code native to the host CPU and a hardware component described in the C-based language are input as verification models, necessary compiling is performed, and the compiled components are linked together. Next, a testbench is input and compiled. Then, the components and the testbench are linked together, after which simulation is performed and the result of the simulation is output.

Abstract: In a strongly testable DFT method, the length of a test sequence is reduced, thereby reducing the amount of circuitry to be added for testing purposes. Test plans, generated one for each of circuit elements forming a data path, are scheduled in parallel in a form that can be compacted, and a compaction operation is applied to generate a compacted test plan. The test sequence is generated by inserting the test patterns needed for each circuit element into the compacted test plan.

Abstract: The area of the circuit to be added for easy testability is reduced. Operations contained in a behavioral description are extracted in an operation analyzing unit; when expanding any operation at the time of behavioral synthesis, if the area of the circuit can be reduced to a greater extent when a DFT is applied to the operation before expansion, a parameter indicating that the operation is not to be expanded at the time of behavioral synthesis is generated and DFT information is added to a DFT library. A behavioral synthesis unit, in accordance with the parameter, generates an RTL description without expanding the operation. A DFT unit implements the DFT by referring to the DFT library, and thereafter expands the operation.

Abstract: A database, in which data is stored in a flexibly usable state, is provided for use in the design of an integrated circuit device, and a method for designing an integrated circuit device using such a database is also provided. A design environment includes: a virtual core database (VCDB), which is hierarchical design data storage; and a virtual core database management system (VCDBMS) as a control system. The VCDB includes architecture information and a VC cluster. The VC cluster includes: a specification VC for storing therein data at a specification level; an architecture VC for storing therein data at an architectural level; an RTL-VC for storing therein data at a register transfer level; and a performance index used for evaluating the performance of the respective VCs. By providing these VCs for respective layers, new VCs can be generated, data within the VCs can be modified and instances can be generated at the respective levels. As a result, the data can be used flexibly and recycled as well.

Abstract: A database, in which data is stored in a flexibly usable state, is provided for use in the design of an integrated circuit device. And a method for designing an integrated circuit device using such a database is also provided. A design environment includes: a virtual core database (VCDB), which is hierarchical design data storage; and a virtual core database management system (VCDBMS) as a control system. The VCDB includes architecture information and a VC cluster. The VC cluster includes: a specification VC for storing thereon data at a specification level; an architecture VC for storing thereon data at an architectural level; an RTL-VC for storing thereon data at a register transfer level; and a performance index used for evaluating the performance of the respective VCs. By providing these VCs for respective layers, new VCs can be generated, data within the VCs can be modified and instances can be generated at the respective levels. As a result, the data can be used flexibly and recycled as well.

Abstract: A database, in which data is stored in a flexibly usable state, is provided for use in the design of an integrated circuit device. And a method for designing an integrated circuit device using such a database is also provided. A design environment includes: a virtual core database (VCDB), which is hierarchical design data storage; and a virtual core database management system (VCDBMS) as a control system. The VCDB includes architecture information and a VC cluster. The VC cluster includes: a specification VC for storing thereon data at a specification level; an architecture VC for storing thereon data at an architectural level; an RTL-VC for storing thereon data at a register transfer level; and a performance index used for evaluating the performance of the respective VCs. By providing these VCs for respective layers, new VCs can be generated, data within the VCs can be modified and instances can be generated at the respective levels. As a result, the data can be used flexibly and recycled as well.

Abstract: A netlist between functional macros is entered. Based on the netlist, an outline layout process for a functional macro is performed and physical specifications for the functional macro are determined from an outline layout produced by the outline layout process. Thereafter, a logic synthesis process is performed on the basis of the physical specifications determined. Based on the outline layout, a logic, obtained by the logic synthesis, is laid out. This makes it possible to reduce the number of times a circuit synthesis process is redone, taking into account a laying-out at an upper-stage functional design process in which no gate level is specified. For this reason, an improved LSI automatic design method is provided which is able to complete an LSI layout design, in which the LSI area and the LSI delay value are optimized, in a short period of time.

Abstract: A layout area includes a clock interconnection consisting of an upward interconnection and a downward interconnection. The upward interconnection extends from the output terminal of a clock buffer which receives an external clock signal to a turning point while passing along the vicinity of a plurality of flip-flops. The downward interconnection extends from the turning point to a free end, reversing along the upward interconnection. Clock branch circuits are provided in the vicinity of the flip-flops. The clock branch circuits have a function of letting a third clock signal make a transition when the sum of the time integral of a first clock signal on the upward interconnection and the time integral of a second clock signal on the downward interconnection has become equal to the time integral for one pulse of one of the first clock signal and the second clock signal.

Abstract: In synthesizing a gate level logic circuit using a computer based on behavioral description of LSI, a logic circuit is first synthesized based on the behavioral description and, then, its power consumption is obtained from the total number of operations. Thereafter, a specific signal propagation path having a larger power consumption is found out from a plurality of signal propagation paths in the logic circuit. A partial logic circuit consisting of logic elements positioned on the specific signal propagation path is optimized in the number of level, thereby creating an optimized partial circuit. Thereafter, obtained is a power consumption of a logic circuit consisting of the optimized partial circuit and the remaining circuit other than the circuit portion optimized. When thus obtained power consumption is small, the partial circuit being not optimized is replaced by the above optimized partial circuit.

Abstract: An automatic layout of a data-path circuit, whose performance and area are optimized, requires to input a data-path circuit, produce an external terminal directive branch having a start point placed on an input terminal group of the data-path circuit and an end point placed on an output terminal group of the same, and produce in-circuit directive branches corresponding to respective connecting lines between two circuit elements in the data-path circuit, each in-circuit directive branch having a start point placed on one circuit element supplying a signal to a related connecting line and an end point placed on the other circuit element receiving the signal from the same connecting line. Subsequently, a group circuit is produced based on the relationship between the in-circuit directive branches and the circuit elements, the group circuit comprising a plurality of circuit elements performing a series of logic processing per 1-bit signal.

Abstract: The functional design of logical circuits is represented using different types of functional components. The unification of the database and the interface permits the unification of functional design automation tools. These functional components are a data transfer component, an external pin component, a register component, a terminal component, a constant component, a function component, a memory component, a submodule component, a state machine component, and a logical expression component. An HDL (Hardware Description Language) file containing functional operation descriptions or functional design data is input, and the input functional data is assigned to each functional component stored in a functional component library through a functional component assignment process. The functional data records assigned by functional component are written into a function database by means of corresponding write sections provided in a functional data input interface.

Abstract: The logic elements and net list contained in a logic circuit are inputted to an electronic calculator. The total number N1 of primary adjacent logic circuits which are connected directly to all the logic elements contained in the foregoing logic circuit, respectively is calculated from the inputted logic elements and net list. The total number N2 of primary and secondary adjacent logic circuits, which is the sum of the foregoing total number N1 of primary adjacent logic circuits and the total number of secondary adjacent logic circuits which are connected directly to the primary adjacent logic circuits, respectively, is calculated from the inputted logic elements and net list. The difference between the logarithmic value of the foregoing total number N1 of primary adjacent logic circuits and the logarithmic value of the foregoing total number N2 of primary and secondary adjacent logic circuits is calculated as a value for classification which characterizes the aforesaid logic circuit.