Rules and directives for validating correct data used in the design of semiconductor products

A program embedded in a medium capable of being read and executed by a computer, the program comprising the steps of:

• (a) reading a plurality of resources of an application set, the application set defining a semiconductor product in a partially fabricated state comprising a plurality of fabricated layers up to and including a first conductive layer;
• (b) reading a user specification that (i) is developed based upon the application set at the partially fabricated state and (ii) establishes at least one upper conductive layer added to the application set that completes the design of the semiconductor product;
• (c) allocating a new resource from the user specification to the design of the semiconductor product, said new resource having a plurality of parameters;
• (d) validating the allocation of the new resource to the semiconductor product against the resources of the application set;
• and
• (e) propagating the allocation of the new resource and the parameters throughout a description of the semiconductor product, wherein step (d) comprises the sub-steps of
• validating that a plurality of names of the resources comply with at least one of (i) an industry naming convention, (ii) a company naming convention and (iii) a syntax, and
• validating that the name of at least one of the resources is both (i) non-null and (ii) unigue throughout a hierarchy of logical modules of the semiconductor product.

A method to validate data used in a design of a semiconductor product, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reading a plurality of resources of an application set, the application set defining the semiconductor product in a partially fabricated state comprising a plurality of fabricated layers up to and including a first conductive layer;
• (b) reading a user specification that (i) is developed based upon the application set at the partially fabricated state and (ii) establishes at least one upper conductive layer added to the application set that completes the design of the semiconductor product;
• (c) allocating a new resource from the user specification to the design of the semiconductor product, said new resource having a plurality of parameters;
• (d) validating the allocation of the new resource to the semiconductor product against the resources of the application set;
• and
• (e) propagating the allocation of the new resource and the parameters throughout a description of the semiconductor product, wherein step (d) comprises the sub-steps of
• validating that a name of an oscillator source is compatible with a respective type of oscillator source, and
• validating that the respective type of oscillator source is listed in a clock specification.

A method to validate data used in a design of a semiconductor product, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reading a plurality of resources of an application set, the application set defining the semiconductor product in a partially fabricated state comprising a plurality of fabricated layers up to and including a first conductive layer;
• (b) reading a user specification that (i) is developed based upon the application set at the partially fabricated state and (ii) establishes at least one upper conductive layer added to the application set that completes the design of the semiconductor product;
• (c) allocating a new resource from the user specification to the design of the semiconductor product, said new resource having a plurality of parameters;
• (d) validating the allocation of the new resource to the semiconductor product against the resources of the application set;
• and
• (e) propagating the allocation of the new resource and the parameters throughout a description of the semiconductor product, wherein step (d) comprises the sub-step of
• validating that both (i) a number of words and (ii) a bit width allocated to a memory resource are allowable.

A method to validate data used in a design of a semiconductor product, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reading a plurality of resources of an application set, the application set defining the semiconductor product in a partially fabricated state comprising a plurality of fabricated layers up to and including a first conductive layer;
• (b) reading a user specification that (i) is developed based upon the application set at the partially fabricated state and (ii) establishes at least one upper conductive layer added to the application set that completes the design of the semiconductor product;
• (c) allocating a new resource from the user specification to the design of the semiconductor product, said new resource having a plurality of parameters;
• (d) validating the allocation of the new resource to the semiconductor product against the resources of the application set;
• and
• (e) propagating the allocation of the new resource and the parameters throughout a description of the semiconductor product, wherein (i) the resources of the semiconductor product comprise diffused resources and (ii) step (d) comprises the sub-step of
• updating a physical reference of the diffused resources as the diffused resources are allocated.

A method to validate data used in a design of a semiconductor product, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reading a plurality of resources of an application set, the application set defining the semiconductor product in a partially fabricated state comprising a plurality of fabricated layers up to and including a first conductive layer;
• (b) reading a user specification that (i) is developed based upon the application set at the partially fabricated state and (ii) establishes at least one upper conductive layer added to the application set that completes the design of the semiconductor product;
• (c) allocating a new resource from the user specification to the design of the semiconductor product, said new resource having a plurality of parameters;
• (d) validating the allocation of the new resource to the semiconductor product against the resources of the application set;
• and
• (e) propagating the allocation of the new resource and the parameters throughout a description of the semiconductor product, wherein step (d) comprises the sub-steps of
• validating that an I/O buffer utilizes a reference voltage,
• validating that the reference voltage is available in the application set, and
• assigning the reference voltage to the I/O buffer.

A method to validate data used in a design of a semiconductor product, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reading a plurality of resources of an application set, the application set defining the semiconductor product in a partially fabricated state comprising a plurality of fabricated layers up to and including a first conductive layer;
• (b) reading a user specification that (i) is developed based upon the application set at the partially fabricated state and (ii) establishes at least one upper conductive layer added to the application set that completes the design of the semiconductor product;
• (c) allocating a new resource from the user specification to the design of the semiconductor product, said new resource having a plurality of parameters;
• (d) validating the allocation of the new resource to the semiconductor product against the resources of the application set;
• and
• (e) propagating the allocation of the new resource and the parameters throughout a description of the semiconductor product, wherein step (d) comprises the sub-steps of
• validating if an I/O signal is a differential signal,
• validating that a plurality of adjacent bumps are available to an I/O buffer handling the I/O signal,
• validating that the I/O buffer is of a type compatible with the I/O signal, and
• identifying a polarity of the adjacent bumps.