Method for placement of connectors used interconnecting circuit components in an integrated circuit

Abstract

Inter-area connectors are optimally placed on peripheries of bounded areas within an integrated circuit. Once circuit components are placed upon the integrated circuit, global optimum paths for connector lines between signal connectors within all the circuit components are calculated. This may be performed by calculating a global optimum rectilinear spanning tree for each net of signal connectors. Once the global optimum paths are calculated, inter-area connectors are placed at each location on a periphery of any of the circuit components where a global optimum path crosses the periphery. Finally, connector lines may be placed along the global optimum paths. For signal connectors and inter-area connectors within each circuit component, internal connector lines are routed between signal connectors along the global optimum paths within the circuit component. Also, between the circuit components, inter-area connector lines are routed between inter-area connectors along the global optimum paths.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.