Automatic application-rule checker

A method of performing an integrated circuit design, the method comprising:

• providing the integrated circuit design;
• providing a command file comprising application rules in a form of logic operations;
• providing an abstract file of intellectual properties (IPs), wherein the IPs are pre-designed and verified integrated circuits having specific functions;
• extracting, by a computer, instance-level information of the IPs from an integrated circuit design database, wherein the instance-level information excludes any devices or components at a transistor level or lower;
• retrieving properties of instances of the IPs from the abstract file;
• and
• executing the logic operations in the command file on the instance-level information of the integrated circuit design based on the properties retrieved from the abstract file.

An integrated circuit checking system for checking application rules on an integrated circuit design, the integrated circuit checking system comprising:

• a command file stored in a storage media and specifying application rules as logic operations;
• an abstract file stored in the storage media and comprising an instance abstract of intellectual properties (IPs), wherein the IPs are pre-designed and verified integrated circuits having specific functions, wherein the instance abstract comprises properties of instances of the IPs, and wherein the abstract file excludes information of any devices or components at a transistor level or lower;
• and
• an application-rule checker configured to execute the logic operations to instance-level information of the integrated circuit design, wherein the application-rule checker is further configured to retrieve the properties.