Retiming sequential elements having initital states

A system comprising:

• one or more computer processors configured to execute program code;
• and
• a memory arrangement coupled to the one or more computer processors, wherein the memory arrangement is configured with instructions of a design tool that when executed by the one or more computer processors cause the one or more computer processors to perform operations including:
• determining whether or not an initial value specified for a candidate register can be removed based on an input logic cone to the candidate register and an output logic cone from the candidate register, including setting the initial value to a logic 0 and to a logic 1, and determining the initial value can be removed when reachable endpoints in the output logic cone match both settings, wherein the candidate register is a register in a critical path in a circuit design;
• retiming the candidate register into a retimed register in response to determining that the initial value specified for the candidate register can be removed;
• deriving a new initial value for the retimed register based on initial values of registers in a logic cone of the retimed register;
• and
• assigning the new initial value to the retimed register.