US 10,885,246 B2Granted

Structural matching for fast re-synthesis of electronic circuits

AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California

InventorsRafael Possignolo, Jose Renau

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Abstract

Techniques include retrieving a first structural netlist (SN1) that indicates electronic components, values of programmable parameters, and connections for a first electronic circuit, and retrieving a first placed and routed netlist (PR1) that indicates physical placement of the electronic components and physical routing of connections for SN1. Also retrieved is a second structural netlist (SN2) for a different second electronic circuit. For each component in SN2, a matching component, if any, is found in SN1 based on type of component and inputs that are output from other matching components without regard to value of the programmable parameter. A different second placed and routed netlist (PR2) is generated for the second circuit by including, from PR1, all matching components and connections, updated value of the programmable parameter from SN2, and by deriving new placement and routing for non-matching components in SN2. An electronic circuit is constructed according to PR2.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A method for constructing an electronic circuit, the method comprising:

retrieving from a computer-readable medium a first structural netlist data structure that indicates electronic components and connections therebetween for a first electronic circuit;
retrieving from the computer-readable medium a first placed and routed netlist data structure that indicates physical placement of the electronic components and physical routing of connections therebetween for the electronic components and the connections in the first structural netlist data structure;
retrieving from the computer-readable medium a second structural netlist data structure that indicates electronic components and connections therebetween for a different second electronic circuit;
finding for each component in the second structural netlist data structure, using a processor, a matching component, if any, in the first structural netlist data structure based on type of component and inputs that are output from other matching components, without regard to a value of a programmable parameter of the component;
generating, using a processor, a different second placed and routed netlist data structure that indicates physical placement of components and physical routing of connections for the second electronic circuit by
including, from the first placed and routed netlist data structure, all matching component and connections therebetween,
updating the value of the programmable parameter in any matching component that has a different value of the programmable parameter in the second structural netlist data structure,
deriving new placement of components and new routing of connections for components in the second structural netlist data structure that are not found matching components in the first structural netlist data structure;
and
causing the electronic circuit to be constructed according to the second placed and routed netlist data structure.

7 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

retrieving from a computer-readable medium a first structural netlist data structure that indicates electronic components and connections therebetween for a first electronic circuit;
retrieving from the computer-readable medium a first placed and routed netlist data structure that indicates physical placement of the electronic components and physical routing of connections therebetween for the electronic components and the connections in the first structural netlist data structure;
retrieving from the computer-readable medium a second structural netlist data structure that indicates electronic components and connections therebetween for a different second electronic circuit;
finding for each component in the second structural netlist data structure a matching component, if any, in the first structural netlist data structure based on type of component and inputs that are output from other matching components, without regard to a value of a programmable parameter of the component;
generating a different second placed and routed netlist data structure that indicates physical placement of components and physical routing of connections for the second electronic circuit by
including, from the first placed and routed netlist data structure, all matching component and connections therebetween,
updating the value of the programmable parameter in any matching component that has a different value of the programmable parameter in the second structural netlist data structure, and
deriving new placement of components and new routing of connections for components in the second structural netlist data structure that are not found matching components in the first structural netlist data structure;
and
causing the electronic circuit to be constructed according to the second placed and routed netlist data structure.

7 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;
and
at least one memory including one or more sequences of instructions,
the at least one memory and the one or more sequences of instructions configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
retrieve from a computer-readable medium a first structural netlist data structure that indicates electronic components and connections therebetween for a first electronic circuit;
retrieve from the computer-readable medium a first placed and routed netlist data structure that indicates physical placement of the electronic components and physical routing of connections therebetween for the electronic components and the connections in the first structural netlist data structure;
retrieve from the computer-readable medium a second structural netlist data structure that indicates electronic components and connections therebetween for a different second electronic circuit;
find, for each component in the second structural netlist data structure, a matching component, if any, in the first structural netlist data structure based on type of component and inputs that are output from other matching components, without regard to a value of a programmable parameter of the component;
generate a different second placed and routed netlist data structure that indicates physical placement of components and physical routing of connections for the second electronic circuit by
including, from the first placed and routed netlist data structure, all matching component and connections therebetween,
updating the value of the programmable parameter in any matching component that has a different value of the programmable parameter in the second structural netlist data structure, and
by deriving new placement of components and new routing of connections for components in the second structural netlist data structure that are not found matching components in the first structural netlist data structure;
and
cause the electronic circuit to be constructed according to the second placed and routed netlist data structure.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/662,092Filed 24 Oct 2019 · us provisional application
Priority: 26 Oct 2018
Published: US 2020/0134108 A130 Apr 2020
Granted: 5 Jan 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G06F 30/327
Circuit design at the digital level: logic synthesis; Behaviour synthesis, e.g. mapping logic, HDL to netlist, high-level language to RTL or netlist
G06F 30/331
Using simulation: with hardware acceleration, e.g. by using field programmable gate array [FPGA] or emulation
G06F 30/347
For reconfigurable circuits, e.g. field programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]: physical level, e.g. placement or routing
G06F 30/392
Circuit design at the physical level: floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement