Rapid Timing Constraints Signoff With Automated Constraint Management

By Rimpy Chugh - 28 Mar, 2024 - Comments: 0

Signoff of a system on chip (SoC) or IP design has multiple aspects, but often timing closure is the most challenging. Early use of a static timing analysis (STA) tool is clearly important, and such a tool must be tied closely into the logic synthesis process to make it more likely that the generated gate-level netlist will meet the desired timing. Power, performance, and area (PPA) goals can o... » read more

Using Virtual Metal Fill To Predict The Impact Of High Level Nets

By Vamsi Thatha - 14 Sep, 2023 - Comments: 0

A recent blog post discussed the use of virtual metal fill (VMF) to predict the effects of real metal fill when performing RC extraction on a chip layout. This enables static timing analysis (STA) closely correlated with final post-fill results without incurring the time to perform the actual metal fill insertion during the layout-STA loop. VMF is fast enough to be run in every iteration of thi... » read more

Using Virtual Metal Fill To Solve Real Design Problems

By Vamsi Thatha - 08 Jun, 2023 - Comments: 0

People learning about semiconductor manufacturing might well be confused by the concept of metal fill. It seems perfectly intuitive that laying out a complex chip will result in some regions with fewer transistors and metal interconnect than others. It makes sense that there will be areas that are mostly empty. So why spend money on more complicated masks and on extra metal just to fill those e... » read more

True 3D Is Much Tougher Than 2.5D

By Brian Bailey - 23 Mar, 2023 - Comments: 0

Creating real 3D designs is proving to be much more complex and difficult than 2.5D, requiring significant innovation in both technology and tools. While there has been much discussion about 3D designs, there are multiple interpretations about what 3D entails. This is more than just semantics, however, because each packaging option requires different design approaches and technologies. And a... » read more

Tempus Timing Signoff Solution

By Cadence - 23 Nov, 2022 - Comments: 0

The Cadence Tempus Timing Signoff Solution is the fastest static timing analysis (STA) tool in the industry today with unique distributed processing and cloud capabilities enabling hundreds of CPUs to quickly complete even the largest designs. With full foundry certification and a comprehensive set of advanced capabilities, the Tempus solution delivers SPICE-accurate results to hundreds... » read more

Next-Generation Distributed Static Timing Analysis On The Cloud

By Ajit Sequeira - 26 May, 2022 - Comments: 0

Ever-growing chip size and complexity put pressure on every step and every electronic design automation (EDA) tool in the development flow. More decisions must be made at the architectural stage, stressing virtual prototypes and high-level models. Simulations become slower and consume more memory. Formal verification struggles to achieve full proofs. Logic synthesis and layout have a harder tim... » read more

Closing The Post-Silicon Timing Analysis Gap

By Ash Patel - 10 May, 2022 - Comments: 0

Accurate static timing analysis is one of the most important steps in the development of advanced node semiconductor devices. Performance numbers are included in chip and system specifications from the earliest marketing requirements. The architects and designers carefully determine clock cycle times that can achieve the required performance using the chosen high-level architecture, micro-archi... » read more

A New Dimension Of Complexity For IC Design

By Ann Mutschler - 27 Jan, 2022 - Comments: 0

Full 3D designs involving logic-on-logic are still in the tire-kicking stage, but gaps in the tooling already are showing up. This is especially evident with static timing analysis (STA), which is used to validate a design’s timing performance by checking all possible paths for timing violations. STA issues began popping up particularly with the introduction of hybrid bonding, a bumpless p... » read more

Improving Robustness And Minimizing Over-Pessimism In The Face of Rising Design Variability

By Rahul Deokar - 14 Sep, 2021 - Comments: 0

Part 1 of this blog explored the problems facing designers working on Systems-on-a-Chip (SoCs) targeting energy-efficient design, and how Synopsys’ PrimeShield design robustness solution can help optimize designs for lower power while achieving aggressive time-to-market goals. This last part will delve into how the PrimeShield design robustness solution can help SoC designers optimize thei... » read more

Dealing With ECOs In Complex Designs

By Ed Sperling - 22 Jan, 2020 - Comments: 0

Namsuk Oh, R&D principal engineer at Synopsys, talks about the impact of more corners and engineering change orders, how that needs to be addressed in the flow to close timing, and how dependencies can complicate any changes that are required. » read more

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tag: static timing analysis