Patent · US Expired

Method for rapid estimation of wire delays and capacitances based on placement of cells

US6931610B1 · kind B1 · utility

21Cited by
6References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 12, 2000
Grant dateAug 16, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 12, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F30/392
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A fast method of estimating capacitances and wire delays in an integrated circuit design is based on placement information such as that contained in a gate schematic net list from a logic synthesis tool. A simple tree topology called a spine tree is constructed to connect the pins of the net as an approximation of actual connections therein. Capacitance is extracted for this topology assuming a worst case scenario, and Elmore delays are computed for the wire delays based on the worst-case capacitances. The method takes linear time as a function of the number of pins in the net and is much faster than using a Steiner tree method in this context.

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