# US 8,572,536 B2 · Spare latch distribution

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- Number: US 8,572,536 B2
- Document ID: US8572536B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/246,038
- Filed: 2011-09-27
- Published: 2013-03-28
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2011-09-27
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: George Antony; Sridhar H. Rangarajan; Thomas E. Rosser
- Inventors: George Antony; Sridhar H. Rangarajan; Thomas E. Rosser
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8572536B2

## CPC

- G06F 30/392: Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
- G06F 2117/06: Spare resources, e.g. for permanent fault suppression
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Aspects of the invention provide for spare latch distribution for an integrated circuit design. In one embodiment, aspects of the invention include a method of generating a computer system for spare latch distribution in an integration circuit design, the method including: providing a computer system operable to: receive design data for the integrated circuit design, the design data including a plurality of latches; segment the integrated circuit design into a plurality of equal sections; determine a latch density within each of the equal sections; and determine a number of spare latches, based on the latch density, for each of the equal sections. Further, it is understood that the above are performed for each clock domain within the integrated circuit design.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for spare latch distribution in an integration circuit design, the method comprising:
using a computer system to:
receive design data for the integrated circuit design, the design data including a plurality of latches and a plurality of clock domains;
segment the integrated circuit design into a plurality of equal sections; and
for each clock domain:
determine a latch density within each of the equal sections; and
determine a number of spare latches, based on the latch density, for each of the equal sections; and
further comprising determining a center of each of the equal sections, and positioning the number of spare latches at the center of each of the equal sections.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the latch density further comprises:
determining a total number of the plurality of latches; and
determining a total number of latches within each of the equal sections.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the number of spare latches is further based on a total number of spare latches.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the total number of spare latches is provided by the design data.

### Claim 5

A non-transitory computer-readable medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method for spare latch distribution in an integrated circuit design, the method comprising:
receiving design data for the integrated circuit design, the design data including a plurality of latches and a plurality of clock domains;
segmenting the integrated circuit design into a plurality of equal sections; and
for each clock domain:
determining a latch density within each of the equal sections; and
determining a number of spare latches, based on the latch density, for each of the equal sections; and
further comprising determining a center of each of the equal sections, and positioning the number of spare latches at the center of each of the equal sections.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein determining the latch density further comprises:
determining a total number of the plurality of latches; and
determining a total number of latches within each of the equal sections.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein determining the number of spare latches is further based on a total number of spare latches.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the total number of spare latches is provided by the design data.

### Claim 9

A computer system, comprising:
at least one computing device configured to perform spare latch distribution of an integrated circuit design by:
receiving design data for the integrated circuit design, the design data including a plurality of latches and a plurality of clock domains;
segmenting the integrated circuit design into a plurality of equal sections; and
for each clock domain:
determining a latch density within each of the equal sections; and
determining a number of spare latches, based on the latch density, for each of the equal sections; and
further comprising determining a center of each of the equal sections, and positioning the number of spare latches at the center of each of the equal sections.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The computer system of claim 9, wherein determining the latch density further comprises:
determining a total number of the plurality of latches; and
determining a total number of latches within each of the equal sections.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The computer system of claim 9, wherein determining the number of spare latches is further based on a total number of spare latches provided by the design data.