Method and apparatus for synthesizing datapaths for integrated circuit design and fabrication

A method for datapath synthesis comprising:

• providing a datapath library including sequential components and combinational components, wherein said sequential components exhibit sequential logic having an output dependent on inputs and dependent on a state of a memory unit included within said sequential component, and wherein said combinational components exhibit combinational logic having an output only dependent on inputs to said combinational logic;
• developing a set of circuit specifications for an integrated circuit;
• encoding said set of circuit specifications in a hardware description language;
• developing a plurality of IC expression trees derived from said hardware, description language;
• matching said plurality of IC expression trees with library expression trees derived from said datapath library to provide a map of matches;
• and
• synthesizing both sequential components and combinational components for said integrated circuit according to said map.

A datapath synthesizer comprising:

• a digital processor;
• memory coupled to said digital processor;
• a datapath library stored in said memory, said datapath library including sequential components and combinational components, wherein said sequential components exhibit sequential logic having an output dependent on inputs and dependent on a state of a memory unit included within said sequential component, and wherein said combinational components exhibit combinational logic having an output only dependent on inputs to said combinational logic;
• an input device for inputting to said memory a set of circuit specifications for an integrated circuit encoded in a hardware description language;
• an IC expression tree generator which develops, using said digital processor, a plurality of IC expression trees derived from said hardware description language;
• a matcher which maps, using said digital processor, said plurality of IC expression trees with library expression trees derived from said datapath library to provide a map;
• and
• a synthesizer, using said digital processor, to synthesize a netlist for said integrated circuit including both sequential components and combinational components according to said map.