Hardware description language (HDL) incorporating statistically derived data and related methods
AssigneeCypress Semiconductor Corporation
InventorsJason Rubero, Jonathan Thurgood
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of designing a circuit can include modeling one or more circuits in a hardware design language (HDL) (102) and confirming a basic behavior of such models (104). If a basic behavior has been met, the model can be modified to include an algorithm that is based on an experimental statistical analysis of manufactured circuits representing particular condition (e.g., factor) limits (referred to as “corners”) (106). Once a circuit model has been modified to include an algorithm that can represent performance corners, a simulation can be run that will represent circuit response at such an operational corner (110).
Claims19
A method for designing circuits, comprising:
- a) creating an initial HDL model of at least one circuit;
- a′) determining if the initial HDL model accurately matches desired behavior for the at least one circuit, and creating a new initial HDL model if the initial HDL model does not accurately match desired transistor level behavior;
- a″) establishing a plurality of variables for an algorithm for a parameter value, wherein the parameter value is derived from a design of experiments (DoE) statistical analysis performed on an initial design of the at least one circuit, and wherein the algorithm includes a multiple regression equation for generating the parameter value, wherein the multiple regression equation includes at least one term representing an interaction between the plurality of variables;
- b) creating an HDL model from the initial HDL model or the new HDL model for the at least one circuit, wherein the HDL model includes the algorithm for the parameter value;
- and
- c) executing a simulation of the at least one circuit with the HDL model for each of a plurality of corner conditions represented as different combinations of possible values for the plurality of variables.
A simulation system, comprising:
- a processor configured to execute simulator software;
- and
- a circuit model embodied in machine readable media, wherein the circuit model comprises a plurality of sub-circuit models coupled with the processor, each representing a portion of an integrated circuit, and each sub-circuit model comprising a first code segment that includes hardware design description of the sub-circuit having a function dependent upon at least one variable parameter, and wherein the circuit model further comprises a second code segment configured to generate a value of the at least one variable parameter based on design of experiments (DoE) based data generated from sub-circuits modeled according to the DoE and based on independent variables corresponding to at least DoE factor limits, wherein the second code segment is configured to generate the value of the at least one variable parameter using a multiple regression equation, wherein the multiple regression equation includes at least one term representing an interaction between the plurality of variables.
A system for integrating circuit performance data into a hardware design language (HDL) model of the circuit, comprising:
- at least one processor;
- a first machine readable media portion that includes HDL model code for a plurality of sub-circuit models that each represent a portion of the circuit, each sub-circuit HDL model code comprising a sub-circuit description code that defines a function of the sub-circuit and includes at least one parameter that incorporates design of experiment (DoE) analysis results of the sub-circuit, wherein the parameter that incorporates DoE analysis results includes an algorithm with factor variables representing DoE factor limits, wherein the algorithm includes a multiple regression equation configured to generate a value of the parameter, wherein the multiple regression equation includes at least one term representing an interaction between the plurality of variables;
- and
- a second machine readable media portion that includes setting code for each sub-circuit HDL model code.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.