Method and mechanism for implementing electronic designs having power information specifications background

An article of manufacture that includes a computer data storage device, encoded with code structure, when executed by a computer causes the computer data storage device, to implement a method comprising:

• using a computer to instruct a circuit design process to include power control behavior in a circuit design at each of an RTL and a netlist level, the behavior including:
• multiple power domains demarcated by design objects of the circuit design;
• and
• multiple power modes each power mode including a different combination of on/off states of the multiple demarcated power domains.

A method of designing power control circuitry for an RTL circuit design comprising:

• using a computer to produce a power specification encoded in computer readable medium that specifies:
• multiple power domains demarcated by design objects of the circuit design, and
• multiple power modes each power mode including a different combination of on/off states of the multiple demarcated power domains;
• using the power specification to simulate power-related behavior of an RTL version of the circuit design;
• and
• using the power specification to place power-related cells of a netlist version of the circuit design.

A method of designing power control circuitry for an integrated circuit design at each of an RTL and a netlist level comprising:

• using a computer to produce a power specification encoded in computer readable medium that specifies:
• multiple power domains demarcated by design objects of the RTL circuit design, and
• multiple power modes each power mode including a different combination of on/off states of the multiple demarcated power domains;
• using the power specification to synthesize power-related logic of the circuit design;
• and
• using the power specification to place power-related cells of a netlist version of the circuit design.

A method of designing power control circuitry for an integrated circuit design at each of an RTL and a netlist level comprising:

• using a computer to produce a power specification encoded in computer readable medium that specifies:
• multiple power domains demarcated by design objects of the RTL circuit design, and
• multiple power modes each power mode including a different combination of on/off states of the multiple demarcated power domains;
• using the power specification to place power-related cells of a netlist version of the circuit design;
• and
• using the power specification to generate test signal patterns to test operation of the circuit design.