Method and apparatus for simulating a storage component
US6370495B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 2, 1999 |
| Grant date | Apr 9, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 2, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F30/33
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The present invention simulates the behavior of a storage component by first determining whether a timing violation has occurred for the storage component. If one or more timing violations is detected, then an x (indicating uncertainty) is reflected at the output of the storage component. This x is maintained at the output of the storage component for a predetermined number of timing units. After the predetermined number of timing units has expired, the output of the storage component is changed from x to a certain value, such as a logical 1 or a logical 0. By changing the output to a certain value, the present invention prevents the x at the output of the storage component from indefinitely propagating to other components in the circuit. This in turn prevents large numbers of x's from appearing in the simulation results provided to the designer. Instead, values that are certain will appear in the results. Because these values are certain, they can be used by the designer to determine whether the rest of the circuit operated properly.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.