With Partitioning Patents (Class 716/105)
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Patent number: 8739102Abstract: A method for designing a system to be implemented on a target device includes generating a register transfer language (RTL) representation of the system from a description of the system without pipelined delays. The RTL representation of the system includes pipelined delays to facilitate timing of the system as implemented on a target device identified by a designer.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2013Date of Patent: May 27, 2014Assignee: Altera CorporationInventor: Steven Perry
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Publication number: 20140143744Abstract: A method of configuring a hardware design for a pipelined parallel stream processor includes obtaining a scheduled graph representing a processing operation in the time domain as a function of clock cycles. The graph includes a data path to be implemented in hardware as part of the stream processor, an input, an output, and parallel branches to enable data values to be streamed therethrough from the input to the output as a function of increasing clock cycle. The data path is partitioned into a plurality of discrete regions, each region operating on a different clock phase and having discrete control logic elements. Phase transition registers to align data separated by a boundary between regions having different clock phases are introduced into the data path at the boundary. The graph and control logic elements define a hardware design for the pipelined parallel stream processor.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 21, 2012Publication date: May 22, 2014Applicant: MAXELER TECHNOLOGIES LTD.Inventor: Robert Gwilym DIMOND
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Patent number: 8732636Abstract: Disclosed are a method, system, and computer program product for implementing various embodiments of the methods for implementing multi-power domain digital or mixed-signal verification and low power simulation. The method or the system comprises automatically generating one or more net or terminal expression, set, or one or more overriding net or terminal expression by reading, importing, or interpreting the power data file for the electronic circuit design; identifying one or more schematics of the electronic circuit design; generating an annotated schematic of the electronic circuit design by automatically annotating at least one of the one or more schematics with some of the one or more net or terminal expression, set, or one or more overriding net or terminal expression; and performing verification of the electronic circuit design by using at least the annotated schematic.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2010Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.Inventors: Arnold Ginetti, Donald J. O'Riordan, Madhur Sharma
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Patent number: 8726210Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to optimize critical paths by modulating systemic process variations, such as regional timing variations in IC designs. A method includes determining a physical location of an element in the semiconductor chip design within the critical path. The method further includes modulating a systemic process variation of the semiconductor chip design to speed up the critical path based on a polysilicon conductor perimeter density associated with the element.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2012Date of Patent: May 13, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Albert M. Chu, Manikandan Viswanath
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Patent number: 8719651Abstract: An apparatus and method for generating scan chain connections for an integrated circuit (IC) in order to perform scan diagnosis of a manufactured IC chip, in which the scan chain connections are determined using functional path information among the flip flops of the IC design corresponding to the IC chip. A plurality of flip flops included in the IC is grouped into at least a first group and a second group based on the functional path information among the flip flops. At least one scan chain is generated from at least a portion of the flip flops in the first group. At least one scan chain is generated from at least a portion of the flip flops in the second group.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2011Date of Patent: May 6, 2014Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.Inventors: Nilabha Dev, Sameer Chakravarthy Chillarige, Shaleen Bhabu
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Patent number: 8713492Abstract: There is provided a data processing apparatus (1) including a logic circuit (10) that is reconfigurable in each cycle and a library (2) that stores hardware control information (20). The hardware control information (20) includes a plurality of pieces of cycle-based mapping information (21) for individually mapping a plurality of cycle-based circuits, which each realize a function in each cycle for executing an application, onto the logic circuit (10) and configuration selection information (22) for selecting at least one of the plurality of pieces of cycle-based mapping information according to an execution state of the application. The data processing apparatus (1) includes a control unit (11) that reconfigures at least part of the logic region (10) using at least one of the plurality of pieces of cycle-based mapping information (21) according to a request in each cycle based on the configuration selection information (22).Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2010Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Inventor: Hiroki Honda
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Patent number: 8707238Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of routing probe pads to micro-bumps of an interposer. An interposer is provided having target micro-bumps and probe pads. The probe pads are initially unassigned. Target micro-bump locations and probe pad locations are obtained. Possible route assignments from the probe pads to the target micro-bumps are obtained. Costs are developed for the possible route assignments at least partially according to the target micro-bump locations and the probe pad locations. Final assignments are selected from the possible assignments according to the costs.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.Inventors: Yi-Lin Chuang, Cheng-Pin Chiu, Ching-Fang Chen, Ji-Jan Chen, Sandeep Kumar Goel, Yun-Han Lee, Charles C. C. Liu
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Patent number: 8707228Abstract: Disclosed are improved methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing flexible models to perform efficient prototyping of electronic designs, which allows for very efficient analysis of the electronic designs. The flexible models allow many of the existing tools for designing electronics to perform more efficiently.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2011Date of Patent: April 22, 2014Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.Inventors: Paul W. Kollaritsch, Ping-Chih Wu
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Publication number: 20140103959Abstract: A floorplan for a Structured ASIC chip is shown having a core region containing memory and VCLB logic cells surrounded by a plurality of IO connection fabrics that include a first IO connection fabric comprising IO sub-banks connecting the core of the chip to pins for external signals to the core, a first high-speed routing fabric disposed along the east-west vertical top of the core and connects the core to high-speed IO such as SerDes; a network-aware connection fabric connects the core to a microcontroller primarily for testing and repair of the memory in the core; and a second-high speed routing fabric is disposed on the north-south vertical sides of the core and communicates with the IO sub-banks. The VCLB Structured ASIC chip is manufactured on a 28 nm CMOS process lithographic node or smaller, having several metal layers and preferably is programmed on a single via layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2012Publication date: April 17, 2014Applicant: eASIC CorporationInventor: eASIC Corporation
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Patent number: 8701059Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for repartitioning a formalized hardware description of a hierarchically structured electronic circuit design unit comprising a plurality of macros in terms of latch macros and combinatorial macros. In a first step, each macro is dissected into latch macros and signal cones in such a way that each signal cone comprises signals linking macro input/output to a latch output/input, and each latch macro comprises at least one latch, each primary input an output of said latch macro coinciding with an input or an output of a latch within said latch macro. Subsequently, combinatorial macros are created by merging combinatorial signal cones along unit signal paths.Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2013Date of Patent: April 15, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Elmar Gaugler, Wilhelm Haller, Friedhelm Kessler
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Patent number: 8694302Abstract: Any primitive cells or blocks can be represented physically by a Barycenter compact model (or Barycenter model), and any black box model can also be physically represented by a Barycenter compact model physically. A hierarchical boundary condition between blocks is formulated by the Barycenter compact model. Hierarchical boundary condition problems between blocks can be limited within two levels only if using the Barycenter compact model.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2011Date of Patent: April 8, 2014Assignee: Worldwide Pro Ltd.Inventor: William Wai Yan Ho
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Patent number: 8683405Abstract: Apparatuses and processes for distributing signals in an integrated circuit are disclosed. An embodiment to use a custom layer together with a base layer on an integrated circuit for testing the integrated circuit includes having a structured network on the base layer. The custom layer connects the network to logic elements on the integrated circuit. The network may be evenly distributed across the base layer of the integrated circuit. Even distribution of the network may reduce skew of the test signals. Buffers are also placed along the structured network. The buffers may be placed to ensure a deterministic test signals distribution. Unused buffers in the base layer may be tied off to reduce current leakage.Type: GrantFiled: March 13, 2012Date of Patent: March 25, 2014Assignee: Altera CorporationInventors: Keong Hong Oh, Yee Liang Tan, Siang Poh Lob, Chooi Pei Lim
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Patent number: 8671371Abstract: A method of utilizing high level synthesis to automatically configure control logic of a hardware design for a pipelined parallel stream processor includes obtaining a scheduled graph representing a processing operation in the time domain as a function of clock cycles. The graph comprises a data path to be implemented in hardware as part of said stream processor, an input, an output, and parallel branches to enable data values to be streamed therethrough from the input to the output as a function of increasing clock cycle. The data path is partitioned to divide it into a plurality of discrete regions. Discrete control logic elements are assigned to each region using high level synthesis. The graph and assigned control logic is used to define a hardware design for the pipelined parallel stream processor.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2012Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: Maxeler Technologies Ltd.Inventor: Robert Gwilym Dimond
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Patent number: 8661383Abstract: A circuit verifier scans through a description of an integrated circuit to identify black-boxes in the description. The verifier assigns the identified black-boxes to clock domains and identifies clock domain crossings, in which a black-box assigned to a first clock domain is connected to an element belonging to a second clock domain. In some cases the verifier identifies signal reconvergence through black-boxes.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2012Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignee: VSYNC Circuits, Ltd.Inventors: Rostislav (Reuven) Dobkin, Leonid Brook
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Patent number: 8656326Abstract: The circuit design process requires ways to reduce the power consumption of large integrated circuits and system-on-chip designs. This is typically done by introducing a process of clock gating thereby enabling or disabling flip-flops associated with specific functional blocks within the circuit. However, such changes in the circuit require synthesis and verification to ensure correctness of design and operation as sequential clock gating changes the state function dynamically. It is therefore necessary to define synthesis methods adapted to such dynamic changes in the design. According to an embodiment a sequential clock gating method uses an exclusive-OR technique to overcome the deficiencies of the prior art methods.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2013Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Atrenta, Inc.Inventors: Solaiman Rahim, Mohammad H. Movahed-Ezazi
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Patent number: 8656327Abstract: Techniques for statistical formal activity analysis with consideration of temporal and/or spatial correlations are described herein. According to one embodiment, a sequential circuit having a feedback loop is unrolled into multiple unrolled circuits, where the sequential circuit is represented by a finite state machine (FSM). A temporal correlation is introduced to each of the unrolled circuits via a correlation network for an activity analysis of the sequential circuit. The temporal correlation represents a dependency relationship between a current logic state of a signal and a previous logic state of the signal. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2012Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.Inventors: Zhenyu Gu, Kenneth S. McElvain
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Patent number: 8656332Abstract: A method, computer program product, and data processing system for efficiently performing automated placement of timing-critical unit-level cells in a hierarchical integrated circuit design is disclosed. In preparation for global optimization the entire unit at the cell level, macro-level cells are assigned a “placement force” that serves to limit the movement of the macro-level cells from their current position. Movement boundaries for each macro element are also defined, so as to keep the components in a given macro element in relative proximity to each other. Optimization/placement of the unit design is then performed, via a force-directed layout algorithm, on a “flattened” model of the design while respecting the movement boundaries. Following this “flattened” optimization, the placed “unit-level” cells are modeled as blockages and the macro elements are optimized individually, while respecting the location(s) of the blockages.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2009Date of Patent: February 18, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Bruce M. Fleischer, David J. Geiger, Hung C. Ngo, Ruchir Puri, Haoxing Ren
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Patent number: 8650516Abstract: Methods and systems for generating and verifying circuit layouts from computer-aided design tools for vertically integrated, three-dimensional integrated circuits are disclosed. In one instance, a 3-D technology file of these teachings is obtained by providing an identifier for two or more circuit levels, providing for each one of the two or more circuit levels an identifier for a 2-D technology file corresponding to each of the one or more circuit levels and providing a file structure including the two or more circuit levels and each identifier, corresponding to each one of the one or more circuit levels, for the 2-D technology file corresponding to each one of the two or more circuit levels. Other embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2012Date of Patent: February 11, 2014Inventor: Lisa G. McIlrath
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Patent number: 8645883Abstract: A system that simulates an integrated circuit is formed of a plurality of devices. The system initially performs a fundamental circuit simulation run using original parameters for the plurality of devices and an initial time step. The system generates one or more fundamental time steps from the fundamental circuit simulation run. The fundamental time steps are generated when changes that indicate state time derivatives during two or more successive integration steps are within a predetermined range. The system stores the one or more fundamental time steps as fundamental circuit events in an events queue, and updates the parameters for the plurality of devices based on the fundamental circuit events to generate one or more derivative circuits. The system then performs one or more derivative circuit simulation runs using the derivative circuits.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2012Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: Oracle International CorporationInventors: Alexander Korobkov, Wai Chung William Au, Subramanian Venkateswaran
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Patent number: 8645899Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for extracting information for a circuit design. The method may utilize an incremental extraction process for extracting information for a portion of the circuit design. Extracted results of this portion may be merged with a previously extracted result to obtain an integrated result that is equivalent to that of extracting the entire circuit design. The incremental extraction process may identify a set of changed shapes, a set of affected shapes, and a set of involved shapes for extraction. The method may also divide the circuit design into a plurality of regions, wherein two or more regions may be processed in parallel.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2009Date of Patent: February 4, 2014Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: David J. Widiger, Ronald D. Rose, Sandy K. Kao, Lewis W. Dewey, III, Gerald F. Plumb
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Publication number: 20140028348Abstract: A via-configurable logic block architecture for a Structured ASIC has a plurality of MOSFET transistor chains connected to one another through vias. In one embodiment there are three chains and the first transistor chain is a NFET transistor chain, the second transistor chain is a PFET transistor chain, and the third transistor chain is a NFET transistor chain. The first, second and third transistor chains are formed into devices made of transistors that are selected from a voltage threshold group consisting of LVT, SVT and HVT devices, where the first and third transistor chains are formed into devices from a voltage threshold group that is different from one another. In another embodiment transistor drive strength may be varied in the transistor chains of the logic block. In yet another embodiment both voltage threshold and drive strength may be varied together in a symmetrical manner.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 11, 2012Publication date: January 30, 2014Applicant: EASIC CORPORATIONInventor: EASIC CORPORATION
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Patent number: 8640066Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of designing an integrated circuit is disclosed, including receiving a first partition block for a top level of a hierarchical design of an integrated circuit; analyzing each pin of the first partition block for an attribute associated with the pin indicating a timing exception; and if a timing exception other than false path is indicated then generating an internal timing pin in a first timing graph model of the first partition block for each timing exception, and adding a timing arc and a dummy arc coupled to the internal timing pin in the first timing graph model of the first partition block. The internal timing pin adds a timing exception constraint for each timing exception. Timing of the top level may then be analyzed with the first timing graph model to determine if timing constraints, including the added timing exception constraints, are met.Type: GrantFiled: October 4, 2010Date of Patent: January 28, 2014Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.Inventors: Dinesh Gupta, Oleg Levitsky
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Patent number: 8640073Abstract: For increasing user control and insight into preparing a mixed semiconductor design specification for simulation, there are provided methods responsive to commands that provide control over resolution of disciplines and partitioning of the design into analog and digital portions. In some aspects, the methods provide block-based assignments of disciplines, as well as design partitioning. In other aspects, the methods provide for resolving a discipline to apply in a block from among multiple possible disciplines. In some aspects, error flagging may be available for detecting disciplines different from what provided for assignment in a block. Assignments may be indicated based on instance, cell, terminal, or library names and may be specified with wild cards. In still other aspects, the methods may be embodied by instructions on computer readable media, and in systems comprising general and special purpose computer hardware that may communicate with various storage facilities and over various networks.Type: GrantFiled: May 20, 2013Date of Patent: January 28, 2014Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.Inventors: Chandrashekar L. Chetput, Abhijeet Kolpekwar, Iyengar Srinivasan
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Patent number: 8635579Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are described for optimizing local clock skew, and/or for synthesizing clock trees in an incremental fashion. For optimizing local clock skew, the circuit design can be partitioned into clock skew groups. Next, for each clock skew group, an initial clock tree can be constructed that substantially minimizes worst case clock skew in the clock skew group, and then the initial clock tree can be further optimized by substantially minimizing worst case local clock skew in the clock skew group. For performing incremental clock tree synthesis, a portion of a clock tree in the circuit design can be selected based on a set of modifications to the circuit design. Next, a new clock tree can be determined to replace the selected portion of the clock tree. The circuit design can then be modified by replacing the selected portion of the clock tree with the new clock tree.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2012Date of Patent: January 21, 2014Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.Inventors: Aiqun Cao, Ssu-Min Chang, Dah-Cherng Yuan
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Publication number: 20140013289Abstract: A method of designing a circuit is described. In an embodiment, a physical design implementation for the circuit is created using a plurality of entities. These entities are named “genomes”. Each entity includes a portion of a functional description of the circuit that has been synthesized into a gate-level implementation. An entity is selected to facilitate the physical design implementation meeting a plurality of design constraints. Several steps (e.g., beginning with selection of an entity) of this method are repeated several times to meet the design constraints. As a consequence, the physical design implementation provides more accurate information for use in a final physical design implementation. Moreover, the physical design implementation can be created faster than prior techniques while still allowing a global view of the physical design implementation in meeting design constraints.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2013Publication date: January 9, 2014Applicant: Oasys Design Systems, Inc.Inventors: Hermanus Arts, Paul van Besouw, Johnson Limqueco
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Publication number: 20140007027Abstract: An abstract decision module primitive for placement within a logical representation (i.e., a netlist) of a circuit design is described. The decision module primitive receives as inputs alternative solutions for a given function or segment of a netlist. The alternative solutions include functionally equivalent, but structurally different implementations of the function or segment of the netlist. The decision module primitive alternatively selects between connecting one of the inputs to the netlist to provide a complete functional definition for the netlist based on constraint information. The selected input of the decision module may be updated as additional constraint information is determined throughout the various stages of the design process. In addition, alternative solutions for a given function or segment of the netlist may be added to and/or removed from the inputs of a decision module as additional constraint information is identified.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2013Publication date: January 2, 2014Applicant: Tabula, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Caldwell, Steven Teig
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Patent number: 8621410Abstract: An innovative realization of computer hardware, software and firmware comprising a multiprocessor system wherein at least one processor can be configured to have a fixed instruction set and one or more processors can be statically or dynamically configured to implement a plurality of processor states in a plurality of technologies. The processor states may be instructions sets for the processors. The technologies may include programmable logic arrays.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2010Date of Patent: December 31, 2013Assignee: FTL Systems, Inc.Inventor: John C. Willis
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Patent number: 8601415Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products may provide planning for hardware-accelerated functional verification in data processing systems. A method may include receiving, by a computer system, a description of architecture of a hardware accelerator for accelerating functional verification of a circuit design, the architecture including a plurality of logical processors. The method may additionally include receiving, by the computer system, a description of the circuit design having a plurality of gates, and representing, by the computer system, each gate, each stage of the functional verification, and each logical processor as a separate object based on the received description of the architecture and the circuit design.Type: GrantFiled: April 13, 2012Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventor: Michael D Moffitt
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Patent number: 8589835Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for inferring higher level descriptions of circuit connectivity from register transfer level (RTL) netlists in order to provide more understandable and manageable design descriptions for complex System-on-Chip (SOC) designs. In particular, rule-based interface matching is automatically performed by analyzing actual port names on instances of functional elements and blocks to form signal groupings that comprise a higher-level abstracted description. An example syntax is provided for defining rules that are used to define how various analysis are performed. Data describing standard interfaces on common Intellectual Property (IP) blocks is optionally made available to facilitate interface matching. Also, a facility is included to allow user-guided mapping on instantiated interfaces with respect to actual port names in an RTL-level design.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2012Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: Atrenta, Inc.Inventors: Anshuman Nayak, Samantak Chakrabarti, Brijesh Agrawal, Nitin Bhardwaj
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Patent number: 8589850Abstract: The present invention discloses methods and apparatuses to design an integrated circuit. According to one aspect, the present invention circuit design discloses an iterative process of synthesis and placement where each iteration provides incremental changes on the design of the integrated circuit. The synthesis transform is then made with accurate timing information from the placement, and the process is incrementally iterative toward the final timing enclosure of the design. The incrementally iterative approach of the present invention provides a continuous advancement from synthesis to placement and vice versa, with the incremental improvements on synthesis made with knowledge of current instance placement, and the incremental improvements on placement made with knowledge of current circuit logic.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2008Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.Inventors: Kenneth S. McElvain, Benoit Lemonnier, William Halpin
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Patent number: 8589838Abstract: A method for designing a system on a target device includes merging a netlist for a first partition of the system generated from a bottom-up design flow with a netlist for a second partition of the system from a top-down design flow to form a combined netlist, and performing fitting on the combined netlist.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2012Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: Altera CorporationInventors: Terry Borer, Andrew Leaver, David Karchmer, Gabriel Quan, Stephen D. Brown
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Patent number: 8589841Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for automatic parity check identification. The method comprising: automatically identifying a parity signal in a circuit design, wherein the parity signal is defined as a parity function of a set of support signals, wherein the automatic identification comprises: obtaining a candidate parity signal and a corresponding set of candidate support signals; and verifying that a bit flip in exactly one of any of the corresponding candidate set of support signals induces a bit flip on a value of the candidate parity signal; wherein said method further comprises reporting the automatically identified parity signal.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2012Date of Patent: November 19, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Eli Arbel, Sergey Novimov, Karen Yorav
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Patent number: 8584062Abstract: A novel set of reconfiguration tools combine the RTL (Register Transfer Language) construct detection of synthesis compilers with a more advanced implementation of expansion syntax. HDL (Hardware Description Language) coding constructs are automatically detected and recoded and/or modified, for both behavioral and structural HDL code. Configuration file(s) may be used to define the transformations, and transformation commands within the configuration file(s) may define where and how to apply RTL changes. The tool may automatically identify sections of code as the file is parsed (e.g. like a compiler). The transformations are written out in RTL, and the resulting reconfigured RTL file(s) may be processed by a synthesis tool, or may be simulated using a suitable simulator. This allows for automated detection and configurable modification of HDL-coding constructs. Design changes may therefore be verified earlier in the design process, since changes are embedded in RTL, instead of being embedded in the netlist.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2011Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Liang Xia, Mario A. Maldonado, Jr.
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Patent number: 8584063Abstract: An approach is provided in which a computing system retrieves a design description that corresponds to an electronic circuit design. The computing system selects an assertion corresponding to the electronic circuit design, which includes one or more assertion signal identifiers corresponding to one or more description signal points included in the design description. Next, the computing system creates a partitioned region from the design description based upon the description signal points. The computing system compiles and verifies the partitioned region that, in turn, verifies the electronic circuit design.Type: GrantFiled: September 7, 2012Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Xiushan Feng, Jayanta Bhadra, Ross L. Patterson
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Patent number: 8578322Abstract: A method to create an integrated circuit that includes digital and analog components comprising: displaying on a computer system display, user input to the computer system that specifies parameter information to determine a binding between an analog circuit design component and a digital circuit design component; saving the user specified parameter information within a file that also specifies at least a portion of the analog circuit design; associating the analog circuit design component a first design block of an integrated circuit that also includes a second digital design block coupled to the first design block; using parameter information to determine a binding between the first analog circuit design component and the first digital circuit design component; saving the determined binding in computer readable storage media.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2012Date of Patent: November 5, 2013Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.Inventors: Pranav Bhushan, Chandrashekar L. Chetput, Timothy Martin O'Leary
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Publication number: 20130268905Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for circuit design are described. In one embodiment, the method comprises determining a distribution of nets of a circuit, the distribution of the nets comprising numbers of blocks that each of the nets has in each of a plurality of partitions of the circuit in a partitioning solution, moving a first block of the circuit from a source partition to a destination partition to modify the partitioning solution, and updating the distribution of the nets after the moving.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2013Publication date: October 10, 2013Inventors: Awartika Pandey, Drazen Borkovic, Kenneth S. McElvain
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Patent number: 8555218Abstract: An abstract decision module primitive for placement within a logical representation (i.e., a netlist) of a circuit design is described. The decision module primitive receives as inputs alternative solutions for a given function or segment of a netlist. The alternative solutions include functionally equivalent, but structurally different implementations of the function or segment of the netlist. The decision module primitive alternatively selects between connecting one of the inputs to the netlist to provide a complete functional definition for the netlist based on constraint information. The selected input of the decision module may be updated as additional constraint information is determined throughout the various stages of the design process. In addition, alternative solutions for a given function or segment of the netlist may be added to and/or removed from the inputs of a decision module as additional constraint information is identified.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2009Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Tabula, Inc.Inventors: Andrew Caldwell, Steven Teig
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Patent number: 8543960Abstract: A method of optimizing power and timing for an integrated circuit (IC) chip, which uses an IC technology that exhibits temperature inversion, by modifying a voltage supplied to the IC chip, while meeting power consumption and timing delay performances across lower and higher temperature ranges. A high voltage is selected that meets a closed timing analysis across a full temperature range to meet a timing performance and a low voltage is selected to meet the timing performance and the power performance across a lower temperature range to a temperature cut point in the higher temperature range. The IC chip is turned on at the high voltage and the high voltage is lowered to the low voltage when the temperature cut point is exceeded to meet the power performance while maintaining the timing performance.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 2012Date of Patent: September 24, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Jeanne P. Bickford, Eric A. Foreman, Mark W. Kuemerle, Susan K. Lichtensteiger
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Patent number: 8539428Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a method for extracting information for a circuit design. The method may utilize an incremental extraction process for extracting information for a portion of the circuit design. Extracted results of this portion may be merged with a previously extracted result to obtain an integrated result that is equivalent to that of extracting the entire circuit design. The incremental extraction process may identify a set of changed shapes, a set of affected shapes, and a set of involved shapes for extraction. The method may also divide the circuit design into a plurality of regions, wherein two or more regions may be processed in parallel.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2012Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: David J. Widiger, Ronald D. Rose, Sandy K. Kao, Lewis W. Dewey, III, Gerald F. Plumb
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Patent number: 8539401Abstract: A method of designing a circuit is described. In an embodiment, a physical design implementation for the circuit is created using a plurality of entities. These entities are named “genomes”. Each entity includes a portion of a functional description of the circuit that has been synthesized into a gate-level implementation. An entity is selected to facilitate the physical design implementation meeting a plurality of design constraints. Several steps (e.g., beginning with selection of an entity) of this method are repeated several times to meet the design constraints. As a consequence, the physical design implementation provides more accurate information for use in a final physical design implementation. Moreover, the physical design implementation can be created faster than prior techniques while still allowing a global view of the physical design implementation in meeting design constraints.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2012Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Oasys Design SystemsInventors: Hermanus Arts, Paul Van Besouw, Johnson Limqueco
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Patent number: 8539402Abstract: In one embodiment of the invention, a method includes partitioning an integrated circuit design into a hierarchy of a top level and a plurality of partitions, wherein the top level includes a top level netlist and each partition includes a partition netlist; receiving data path timing budgets and clock path timing budgets for each of the plurality of partitions of the integrated circuit design; and generating a timing budget model of each partition in response to the respective data path timing budgets and clock path timing budgets, wherein each timing budget model includes an intra-partition clock timing constraint for each respective partition for independent implementation of the top level.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2012Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.Inventors: Vivek Bhardwaj, Oleg Levitsky, Dinesh Gupta
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Publication number: 20130239076Abstract: A design apparatus generates an optimal design condition by design space exploration. The apparatus including a source code parsing (301) which parses source code and generates a parse tree, a cluster generation task (302) which generates clusters based on the parse tree, each of the clusters including a group of source codes which can operate independently, a log file task (303) which generates a log file based on a structure of the cluster, and a comparison task (304) which compares a first log file of a previous cluster with a second log file of a current cluster and re-uses previous exploration result based on a comparison result, the first log file being obtained from a previous design space exploration, the second log file being generated from a current operation.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2010Publication date: September 12, 2013Applicant: NEC CORPORATIONInventor: Benjamin Carrion Schafer
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Publication number: 20130239075Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for repartitioning a formalized hardware description of a hierarchically structured electronic circuit design unit comprising a plurality of macros in terms of latch macros and combinatorial macros. In a first step, each macro is dissected into latch macros and signal cones in such a way that each signal cone comprises signals linking macro input/output to a latch output/input, and each latch macro comprises at least one latch, each primary input an output of said latch macro coinciding with an input or an output of a latch within said latch macro. Subsequently, combinatorial macros are created by merging combinatorial signal cones along unit signal paths.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 1, 2013Publication date: September 12, 2013Applicant: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Elmar Gaugler, Wilhelm Haller, Friedhelm Kessler
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Patent number: 8533642Abstract: An automatic code generation application is used to automatically generate code and build programs from a textual model or graphical model for implementation on the computational platform based on the design. One or more model elements may be capable of frame-based data processing. Various options and optimizations are used to generate Hardware Description Language (HDL) code for the frame-based model elements.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2011Date of Patent: September 10, 2013Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.Inventors: Brian K. Ogilvie, Pieter J. Mosterman
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Patent number: 8522179Abstract: A system for, and method of, generating block timing constraints and a timing model. In one embodiment, the system includes a hierarchical modeling tool configured to: (1) generate a model file, (2) receive at least one abstracted view margin, at least one timing environment margin and at least one operational margin for inclusion in the model file, (3) generate block implementation timing constraints employing the at least one timing environment margin and the at least one operational margin and (4) generate a block timing model employing the at least one abstracted view margin and the at least one operational margin.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2012Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: LSI CorporationInventors: William R. Griesbach, Vishwas Rao, Joseph J. Jamann
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Patent number: 8516409Abstract: A method and circuit for implementing die stacking to distribute a logical function over multiple dies, die identification and sparing in through-silicon-via stacked semiconductor devices, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. Each die in the die stack includes predefined functional logic for implementing a respective predefined function. The respective predefined function is executed in each respective die and a respective functional result is provided to an adjacent die in the die stack. Each die in the die stack includes logic for providing die identification. An operational die signature is formed by combining a plurality of selected signals on each die. A die signature is coupled to a next level adjacent die using TSV interconnections where it is combined with that die signature.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2010Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Paul W. Coteus, Kyu-Hyoun Kim, Robert B. Tremaine
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Patent number: 8516417Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for repartitioning a formalized hardware description of a hierarchically structured electronic circuit design unit comprising a plurality of macros in terms of latch macros and combinatorial macros. In a first step, each macro is dissected into latch macros and signal cones in such a way that each signal cone comprises signals linking macro input/output to a latch output/input, and each latch macro comprises at least one latch, each primary input an output of said latch macro coinciding with an input or an output of a latch within said latch macro. Subsequently, combinatorial macros are created by merging combinatorial signal cones along unit signal paths.Type: GrantFiled: July 7, 2010Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Elmar Gaugler, Wilhelm Haller, Friedhelm Kessler
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Patent number: 8516412Abstract: In one embodiment, the invention is a method and apparatus for soft hierarchy-based synthesis for large-scale, high-performance circuits. One embodiment of a method for physically synthesizing a design of an integrated circuit includes compiling a logical description of the design into a flattened netlist, extracting a soft hierarchy from the flattened netlist, wherein the soft hierarchy defines a boundary on a die across which cells of the integrated circuit are permitted to move, and placing a cell of the integrated circuit on the die in accordance with the soft hierarchy.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2011Date of Patent: August 20, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Minsik Cho, Alvan W. Ng, Ruchir Puri, Haoxing Ren, Hua Xiang, Matthew M. Ziegler
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Patent number: 8498841Abstract: Methods and apparatus are provided for use with thermal electric cooling devices (TECDs). An apparatus is mapped so as to identify the heat dissipating entities and zones thereof. A first cooling plan is devised in accordance with the mapping, the cooling plan being dependant upon TECDs. At least one other cooling plan is devised that is distinct from the first cooling plan. The coefficient of performance (COP) for each of the cooling plans is calculated. One of the cooling plans is selected and implemented in accordance with a comparison of the COPs. Precision, zone-oriented cooling is provided, avoiding excessive material scale and wasted energy.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2010Date of Patent: July 30, 2013Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.Inventors: Amip Shah, Chandrakant Patel
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Patent number: RE44479Abstract: A method of adding power control circuitry to a circuit design at each of an RTL and a netlist level comprising: demarcating multiple power domains within the circuit design; specifying multiple power modes each power mode corresponding to a different combination of on/off states of the multiple demarcated power domains; and defining isolation behavior relative to respective power domains.Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2012Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.Inventors: Qi Wang, Ankur Gupta, Pinhong Chen, Christina Chu, Manish Pandey, Huan-Chih Tsai, Sandeep Bhatia, Yonghoa Chen, Steven Sharp, Vivek Chickermane, Patrick Gallagher, Mitchell W. Hines