Majority dominant power scheme for repeated structures and structures thereof
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsIgor Arsovski, Robert M. Houle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and structures for configuring an integrated circuit including repeated cells that are divided into banks having a respective power assist and a respective operational assist are provided. A method includes configuring the banks without power assist and operational assist. The method further includes selecting the power assist for a bank based on a determination that a weak cell remains in the bank after configuring the bank with the respective operational assist.
Claims25
A method comprising:
- sizing a plurality of banks of cells in a repeated structure IC to maximize an expected number of the plurality of banks of cells that are robust when operating without any power assist;
- configuring a first bank of the plurality of banks of cells in the repeated structure IC without any power assist and without any operational assist;
- determining that the first bank includes a weak cell;
- configuring the first bank with the operational assist;
- determining that the first bank configured with the operational assist includes at least one weak cell;
- and
- configuring the first bank with the power assist.
A method for configuring an integrated circuit (IC) including a plurality of repeated cells, the method comprising:
- dividing the IC into a plurality of banks of the repeated cells wherein the size of each of the plurality of banks maximizes an expected number of banks that are robust;
- and
- selecting a first power-saving assist of a first of the plurality of banks of the repeated cells based on determining that the first bank is robust.
A system, comprising:
- a plurality of repeated cells selectably divisionable into a plurality of individually tunable banks;
- test logic configured to determine operational weaknesses in the plurality of banks of repeated cells;
- assist logic respectively corresponding to the plurality of banks;
- and
- tuning logic configured to selectively configure the respective assist logic of the plurality of banks.
A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage device having a computer readable program stored in the device, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, is operable to cause the computing device to:
- size a plurality of banks of cells in an integrated circuit to maximize an expected number of the plurality of banks that are robust when operating without any power assist;
- determine a first weakness in a first of the plurality of banks of repeated cells in the integrated circuit;
- select an operational assist of the first bank based on the first weakness;
- determine a second weakness in the first bank configured with the selected operational assist;
- and
- select a first power assist of the first bank based on the second weakness.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.