Scan path timing optimizing apparatus determining connection order of scan path circuits to realize optimum signal timings
AssigneesRenesas Technology Corp., Mitsubishi Electric Engineering Company Limited
InventorsToshihiro Kanaoka, Genichi Tanaka
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Abstract
An intra-area connection order determining unit determines at random orders of connection of scan path circuits in each area divided by an placement area dividing unit. An inter-area connection order determining unit determines orders of connection of the scan path circuits between the areas such that length of interconnection between the areas divided by the placement area dividing unit becomes short. Accordingly, length of interconnection between the scan paths can be locally made short, reducing congestion of interconnections and generation of hold time errors.
Claims10
A scan path timing optimizing apparatus, comprising:
- an placement area dividing unit dividing a cell placement area into a plurality of areas;
- an intra-area connection order determining unit determining at random order of connection of scan path circuits in each of the areas divided by said placement area dividing unit;
- and
- an inter-area connection order determining unit determining order of connection of the scan path circuits between each of the areas such that length of interconnection between the areas divided by said placement area dividing unit becomes short.
A scan path timing optimizing apparatus, comprising:
- a shortest distance order determining unit determining order of connection of scan path circuits such that the scan path becomes the shortest;
- and
- a connection order switching unit switching the order of connection of the scan path circuits determined by said shortest distance order determining unit, in accordance with a prescribed rule.
A scan path timing optimizing apparatus, comprising:
- an automatic placement unit for automatically placing cells in a semiconductor device;
- and
- a connection order determining unit determining order of connection of scan path circuits in accordance with a prescribed rule such that a delay time between the scan path circuits placed by said automatic placement unit becomes at least a prescribed time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.