Patent · US Expired

Transistor sizing system for integrated circuits

US4827428A · kind A · utility

109Cited by
4References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 15, 1985
Grant dateMay 2, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 15, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F30/327
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system for improving the design of an integrated circuit by iteratively analyzing the circuit and improving it with each iteration, until a preselected constraint is met. The design improvement is realized by selecting a model for the delay through each active element of the circuit that is characterized by a convex-function of the logarithm of the active element's size. Using the convex function model, with each iteration a static timing analysis of the circuit identifies the output that most grievously violates the specified constraint. With that output selected, an analysis of the path's timing structure identifies the active element in that path whose change in size would yield the largest improvement in performance. The size of that active element is adjusted accordingly and the iteration is repeated. For further improvement, the interconnection pattern of subnetworks of the circuit is evaluated and rearranged to improve performance.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.