Patent · US Expired

System chip synthesis

US7013438B1 · kind B1 · utility

36Cited by
13References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 1, 2001
Grant dateMar 14, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 20, 2023

Classification

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

Abstract

A technique to design deep sub-micron (DSM) integrated circuits is disclosed, in which global wire delays are minimized first, before performing logic synthesis. According to the present method, a designer performs layout of physical blocks by estimating an area for each block. After connecting the pins of the blocks with no timing constraints, each wire is assigned to a metal layer, based on length. The delay of each wire is minimized by inserting buffers at optimal distances. The blocks are then partitioned into “cores” and “shells.” The shells and cores are synthesized, and then recombined. This procedure greatly reduces the number of design iterations required to complete a design.

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