US 5,634,115 A · System and method for behavioral description translation

Abstract

A behavioral description translation method is disclosed wherein output and input access functions are identified from behavioral descriptions of the underlying circuit and its components. Structural representations of the behavioral descriptions of the circuits components as identified by the access functions are constructed therefrom from a set of branch primitives provided. From the constructed branches, those S-type branches, i.e., voltage sources and current probes, that are connected in series between the same pair of nodes into one branch where the voltage on the new branch is the sum of the voltages of the old branches are collapsed. Those P-type branches, i.e., the current sources and voltage probes, that are connected in parallel between the same pair of nodes into one branch where the current through the new branch is the sum of the currents of the old branches are collapsed. Then, for every node in the circuit a single relationship that expresses KCL is generated from the collapsed branch relationships. The relationships thus formed are combined to eliminate un-necessary branch relationships to be provided to the circuit simulator. In such a manner, the higher-level behavioral descriptions can be effectively translated into a lower-level specification which describes the circuit to a simulator program.

Claims28

Dependent claims

A method of behavioral description translation of higher-level behavioral descriptions into lower-level specifications to describe a circuit and its components to a simulator system such that users treat voltages and currents symmetrically when formulating the higher-level behavioral descriptions, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a higher level behavioral description describing voltages and currents symmetrically and identifying access functions contained therein;
constructing at least one structural representation for a component in a circuit from said access functions according to a set of pre-defined primitives such that said at least one structural representation contains a branch internal to said each component that describes behavior of said each component;
generating branch relationships from said constructed structural representations;
eliminating unnecessary branch relationships to produce a reduced relationship set;
and
providing said reduced relationship set to a simulator system.

3 more elements

A method for behavioral description translation of higher-level behavioral descriptions of a circuit to a lower-level specification for a circuit simulator system such that users treat voltages and currents symmetrically when formulating the higher-level behavioral description, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying all access functions in a higher-level behavioral description wherein said higher-level behavioral description describes voltages and currents symmetrically;
constructing a structural representation for each component in a circuit from identified access functions such that said structural representation contains a branch internal to said each component that describes behavior of said each component;
from the structural representations, performing the steps of:
collapsing all S-type branches connected in series between a pair of nodes into one new branch where voltage on the new branch is a sum of voltages of said all S-type branches;
and
collapsing all P-type branches connected in parallel between another pair of nodes into one second new branch where current through the second new branch is a sum of currents of said all P-type branches;
from said first new and second new branches, generating a set of branch relationships describing said circuit;
combining the generated set of branch relationships to eliminate unnecessary branch relationships therefrom;
and
providing said reduced relationship set to said circuit simulator system.

7 more elements

A computer circuit simulation system for behavioral description translation of a higher-level behavioral description into a lower-level specification such that users of the computer circuit simulation system can treat voltages and currents symmetrically when formulating the higher-level behavioral description, the computer circuit simulation system comprising:

a computer processor unit;
memory media storage connected to said computer processor;
and
a computer program in communication with said memory media storage and said computer processor unit performing the operation of:
identifying all access functions in the higher-level behavioral description wherein said higher-level behavioral desorption describes voltages and currents symmetrically;
constructing a structural representation for each component in a circuit from identified access functions such that said structural representation contains a branch internal to said each component that describes behavior of said each component from the structural representations, performing the steps of:
collapsing all S-type branches connected in series between a pair of nodes into one new branch where voltage on the new branch is a sum of voltages of said all S-type branches;
and
collapsing all P-type branches connected in parallel between another pair of nodes into one second new branch where current through the second new branch is a sum of currents of said all P-type branches;
from said first new and second new branches, generating a set of branch relationships describing said circuit;
and
combining the generated set of branch relationships to eliminate unnecessary branch relationships therefrom.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for behavioral description translation

Life of this patent

System and method for behavioral description translation

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims28