US 2012/0060139 A1 · Using Port Obscurity Factors to Improve Routing

Abstract

An integrated circuit characterized by a netlist may be routed using a routing priority list that may be created using port obscurity factors. A port obscurity factor may indicate how difficult it may be to route to that port and may be calculated as being inversely proportional to the number of routing tracks that may be connectable to that port. Routing priorities for the nets of the netlist may then be created using the port obscurity factors of the ports in the net. Routing may then be done in the order determined by the routing priority list and the generated layout information stored in a computer useable medium. In some cases, routing may be performed using multiple routing passes where a new routing priority list may be calculated for each routing pass.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method, executed on a processor, for routing an integrated circuit design characterized by a netlist, the method comprising:

identifying the netlist to be routed, the netlist comprising at least a first net and a second net, wherein the first net is comprised of a first plurality of ports to be electrically connected and the second net is comprised of a second plurality of ports to be electrically connected;
creating a first routing priority for the first net and a second routing priority for the second net, wherein the first routing priority is based on a first plurality of port obscurity factors associated with the first plurality of ports and the second routing priority is based on a second plurality of port obscurity factors associated with the second plurality of ports;
routing the first net and the second net in an order based on the first routing priority and the second routing priority to create layout information;
and
storing the layout information in a non-transitory computer usable medium.

2 more elements

A computer program product for routing an integrated circuit design characterized by a netlist, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code configured to identify the netlist to be routed, the netlist comprising at least a first net and a second net, wherein the first net is comprised of a first plurality of ports to be electrically connected and the second net is comprised of a second plurality of ports to be electrically connected;
computer readable program code configured to create a first routing priority for the first net and a second routing priority for the second net, wherein the first routing priority is based on a first plurality of port obscurity factors associated with the first plurality of ports and the second routing priority is based on a second plurality of port obscurity factors associated with the second plurality of ports;
computer readable program code configured to route the first net and the second net in an order based on the first routing priority and the second routing priority to create layout information;
and
computer readable program code configured to store the layout information in a non-transitory computer usable medium.

3 more elements

A method, executed on a processor, for prioritizing routing of an integrated circuit design characterized by a netlist, the method comprising:

identifying the netlist to be routed, the netlist comprising at least a first net and a second net, wherein the first net is comprised of a first plurality of ports to be electrically connected and the second net is comprised of a second plurality of ports to be electrically connected;
creating a first routing priority for the first net and a second routing priority for the second net, wherein the first routing priority is based on a first plurality of port obscurity factors associated with the first plurality of ports and the second routing priority is based on a second plurality of port obscurity factors associated with the second plurality of ports;
routing the first net and the second net in an order based on the first routing priority and the second routing priority to create layout information;
and
storing the routing priority for said each net in a non-transitory computer usable medium.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Using Port Obscurity Factors to Improve Routing

Life of this patent

Using Port Obscurity Factors to Improve Routing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18