Patent · US Expired

System and method for automatic generation of gate-level descriptions from table-based descriptions for electronic design automation

US6148436A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
5References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 31, 1998
Grant dateNov 14, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 31, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/318342
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Automatic generation of gate-level descriptions from table-based descriptions within the field of electronic design automation. The gate-level and structural descriptions are used for test generation processes and some formal verification processes. For combinational table-based descriptions, ordered ternary decision diagram (OTDD) graphs are used with novel input reordering to extract prime, non-redundant cube sets that can include high level functions (e.g., XOR, XNOR, MUX). For sequential table-based descriptions, a reduced or "clock" based OTDD graph is generated from which data and clock signals are identified and characterized. Input reordering is done and a complete sequential OTDD graph is generated, followed by port separation and characterization of the sequential element. Clock and data functions are then constructed on a port-by-port basis using the prime, non-redundant cube set generation processes of the combinational logic phase. By providing an automatic generation process for the gate-level and structural descriptions, processes for verifying equivalence between the gate-level and structural descriptions and the table-based descriptions can be eliminated from the d…

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