Method for determining the functional equivalence between two circuit models in a distributed computing environment
AssigneeJasper Design Automation, Inc.
InventorsJoseph E. Higgins, Vigyan Singhal, Adnan Aziz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention determines whether two logic level circuit models have equivalent functionality. The method allows difficult portions of the equivalent functionality check to be partitioned and concurrently solved in a distributed computing environment. This permits the user to use, in a scalable fashion, additional computing resources to rapidly solve difficult equivalent functionality checks. The method allows difficult checks to be solved using (1) a divide-and-conquer approach, (2) by a competitive approach in which many independent attempts are made to solve the same check, or (3) by allocating more resources to solve the difficult check.
Claims16
A method for determining functional equivalence between circuit models, comprising:
- partitioning two circuits models into a plurality of pairs of combinational logic cones and forming corresponding equivalence check stricture therefrom, each pair including a combinational logic cone from each of the two circuits;
- assigning a plurality of the equivalence check structures to a plurality of check engines that check equivalence of pairs of combinational logic cones in the equivalence check structures;
- determining when check engines of the plurality of check engines have finished checking equivalence of their assigned pairs of combinational logic cones in the equivalence check structures;
- obtaining finished equivalence check results from the finished check engines;
- determining when all of the plurality of check engines have finished checking equivalence of their assigned pairs of combinational logic cones in the equivalence check structures;
- and
- determining an overall equivalence check result based on all of the finished check engines' equivalence check results.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.