Abstract: A congestion prediction machine learning model is trained to generate, prior to placement, a prediction value indicative of a congestion level likely to result from placement and routing of a netlist based on features of the netlist. In response to the prediction value indicating the congestion level is greater than a threshold, a design tool determines an implementation-flow action and performs the implementation-flow action to generate implementation data that is suitable for making an integrated circuit.

Abstract: Preplacement clock resolution for implementing a circuit design includes, prior to placement of the circuit design, determining, using computer hardware, pairs of clocks of the circuit design that clock synchronous inter-clock data paths. Using the computer hardware, a clock group is generated that includes clocks having a common ancestor clock node from the pairs of clocks. A clock delay group property is set, using the computer hardware, for the clocks of the clock group prior to placement. A placed version of the circuit design is generated using the computer hardware. The circuit design is placed using the clock delay group property as set for the clocks of the clock group.

Abstract: Placement of macros of a circuit design includes mapping the macros to types of sub-circuits of an integrated circuit (IC). The IC includes anchors and instances of each type of the types of sub-circuits. The macros are grouped based on couplings of the macros to the anchors specified in the circuit design. Each group includes one or more macros, and the one or more macros in each group are all coupled to the same set of one or more anchors. A location is selected from alternative locations for each group of macros based on a distance of the location from the same set of anchors. Each location includes one or more instances of one or more types of the types of sub-circuits. The circuit design is placed and routed after selecting the location for each group, and implementation data is generated for making an IC that implements the circuit design.

Abstract: Processing a circuit design includes stabilizing the circuit design by a design tool that performs one or more iterations of implementation, optimization assessment, optimization, and stability assessment until a threshold stability level is achieved. The design tool determines, in response to satisfaction of the threshold stability level, different strategies based on features of the circuit design and likelihood that use of the strategies would improve timing. Each strategy includes parameter settings for the design tool. The design tool executes multiple implementation flows using different sets of strategies to generate alternative implementations. One implementation of the alternative implementations nearest to satisfying a timing requirement is selected.

Abstract: Processing a circuit design includes stabilizing the circuit design by a design tool that performs one or more iterations of implementation, optimization assessment, optimization, and stability assessment until a threshold stability level is achieved. The design tool determines, in response to satisfaction of the threshold stability level, different strategies based on features of the circuit design and likelihood that use of the strategies would improve timing. Each strategy includes parameter settings for the design tool. The design tool executes multiple implementation flows using different sets of strategies to generate alternative implementations. One implementation of the alternative implementations nearest to satisfying a timing requirement is selected.

Abstract: Disclosed approaches for guiding actions in processing a circuit design include a design tool identifying first violations of design checks and determining severity levels of the first violations. The design tool determines for each violation, suggested actions associated with the violation and presents on a display, first data indicative of the suggested actions in order of the severity levels of the first violations. The first data include selectable objects, and each selectable object has an associated executable procedure. The design tool can execute the procedure associated with one of the selectable objects in response to selection and modify the circuit design in response to execution of the procedure.