Method for estimating a frequency-based ramptime limit
AssigneeLSI Logic Corporation
InventorsQian Cui, Chun Chan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method is provided for selecting a frequency-based ramptime limit for a technology. The method includes creating a logic chain with cells from the technology and applying a sequence of signals to the logic chain. Each signal has a different ramptime relative to a clock period. At least one signal quality characteristic is measured along the logic chain for each of the signals. The frequency-based ramptime limit is selected based on a comparison of the measured signal quality characteristics measured to at least one predefined signal quality value.
Claims19
A method of selecting a frequency-based ramptime limit for a technology, the method comprising:
- (a) creating a logic chain with cells from the technology;
- (b) applying a sequence of signals to the logic chain, each signal having a different ramptime relative to a clock period;
- (c) measuring at least one signal quality characteristic along the logic chain for each of the signals;
- and
- (d) selecting the frequency-based ramptime limit based on a comparison of the quality characteristics measured in (c) to at least one predefined signal quality value.
A method of selecting a frequency-based ramptime limit for a semiconductor technology, the method comprising:
- (a) creating a simulated logic chain with cells from a cell library for the technology;
- (b) applying a simulated sequence of signals to the logic chain, each signal having a different ramptime relative to a clock period;
- (c) measuring a plurality of different signal quality characteristics along the logic chain for each of the signals;
- and
- (d) selecting the frequency-based ramptime limit as the largest of the ramptimes for which all of the plurality of measured signal quality characteristics for the corresponding signal satisfy respective predefined signal quality values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.