Extracting high frequency impedance in a circuit design using an electronic design automation tool

A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• loading at least a portion of a circuit description, the circuit description being indicative of a layout of at least signal-wire segments, ground-wire segments, and power-wire segments;
• selecting a signal-wire segment of a signal wire;
• identifying a predetermined number of return paths for the selected signal-wire segment, the return paths comprising ground-wire segments, power-wire segments, or both ground-wire segments and power-wire segments;
• further segmenting the selected signal-wire segment and the identified return paths into a plurality of bundles, the bundles comprising signal-wire subsegments and one or more associated return-path subsegments, the associated return-path subsegments being parallel to and having the same length as the signal-wire subsegments;
• and
• determining loop inductance values and loop resistance values for the signal-wire subsegments in the bundles for at least one frequency of operation.

A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• providing a user interface that allows a user to select a maximum number of paths to be used as return paths for signal-wire segments during an impedance extraction process;
• selecting a signal-wire segment from a circuit description, the circuit description being indicative of a layout of signal-wire segments, ground-wire segments, and power-wire segments in a circuit design;
• identifying return paths for the selected signal-wire segment, wherein the return paths comprise ground-wire segments, power-wire segments, or both ground-wire segments and power-wire segments, and wherein the number of return paths identified is limited by the maximum number selected by the user;
• determining one or more inductance values and one or more resistance values for the signal-wire segment, the determination being based at least in part on the identified return paths;
• and
• storing the one or more inductance values and one or more loop resistance values.

A method, comprising:

• loading at least a portion of a circuit description, the circuit description being indicative of the layout of at least signal wires, signal-wire segments, ground wires, ground-wire segments, power wires, and power-wire segments in the circuit design;
• selecting a signal wire;
• using a computer, identifying one or more neighboring signal wires that could electrically couple with the signal wire through mutual impedance, wherein the act of identifying comprises,
• generating one or more three-dimensional regions centered on respective signal-wire segments of the signal wire;
• and
• searching the three-dimensional region for neighboring signal wires that are at least partially within the three-dimensional region;
• determining one or more values representative of the mutual impedance between the signal wire and the identified neighboring signal wires, the mutual impedance comprising mutual inductance, mutual resistance, or both mutual inductance and mutual resistance;
• and
• storing the one or more values representative of the mutual impedance on one or more computer-readable media.

A computer-readable storage device storing computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• loading at least a portion of a circuit description, the circuit description being indicative of the layout of at least signal wires, signal-wire segments, ground wires, ground-wire segments, power wires, and power-wire segments in the circuit design;
• selecting a signal wire;
• identifying one or more neighboring signal wires that could electrically couple with the signal wire through mutual impedance, wherein the act of identifying comprises,
• generating one or more three-dimensional regions centered on respective signal-wire segments of the signal wire;
• and
• searching the three-dimensional region for neighboring signal wires that are at least partially within the three-dimensional region;
• determining one or more values representative of the mutual impedance between the signal wire and the identified neighboring signal wires, the mutual impedance comprising mutual inductance, mutual resistance, or both mutual inductance and mutual resistance;
• and
• storing the one or more values representative of the mutual impedance.