Patent classifications
G06F30/3323
PROGRAMMATICALLY GENERATED REDUCED FAULT INJECTIONS FOR FUNCTIONAL SAFETY CIRCUITS
Techniques are disclosed for eliminating redundancy in fault simulations to improve efficiency and to reduce the time and computing power required to generate a robust fault list, which results in adequate diagnostic coverage of a particular post-silicon electronic device for functional safety applications. The techniques described herein implement an automated methodology to identify identical sub-circuits in a design after the design is synthesized to gates, and utilize isomorphism to define a manner in which identical blocks may be reliably identified to ensure adequate coverage and accurate, consistent fault injection results. The netlist may advantageously implement a “flat” as opposed to a hierarchal design. Moreover, multiple levels of granularity may be identified for the various sub-circuits associated with the reference graphs used to identify isomorphic sub-graphs.
DIAGNOSIS OF INCONSISTENT CONSTRAINTS IN A POWER INTENT FOR AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DESIGN
A power intent may be loaded on an integrated circuit (IC) design, where the power intent may be represented by a set of constraints. A logic network may be constructed based on the set of constraints and a rule check which is desired to be performed on the power intent. In response to a failure of the rule check, one or more refutation proofs may be created based on the logic network. A subset of the set of constraints may be identified based on the one or more refutation proofs, where the subset of the set of constraints may include an inconsistency which caused the rule check to fail.
OPTIMIZATION OF ALTERNATING BÜCHI AUTOMATA FOR FORMAL VERIFICATION OF A CIRCUIT DESIGN
A system receives assertions representing properties of a circuit design. The system determines a representation of an alternating Büchi automaton based on the assertions. The system transforms the representation of the alternating Büchi automaton to generate a representation of a simplified alternating Büchi automaton. The simplified alternating Büchi automaton has fewer states than the alternating Büchi automaton. One or more states of the simplified alternating Büchi automaton are obtained by merging states of the alternating Büchi automaton representing the assertions of the circuit. The system performs formal verification of the circuit design using the simplified alternating Büchi automaton.
Method and system for reducing migration errors
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes reducing errors in a migration of a first netlist to a second netlist, the first netlist corresponding to a first semiconductor process technology (SPT), the second first netlist corresponding to a second SPT, the first and second netlists each representing a same circuit design, the reducing errors including: inspecting a timing constraint list corresponding to the second netlist for addition candidates; generating a first version of the second netlist having a first number of comparison points relative to a logic equivalence check (LEC) context, the first number of comparison points being based on the addition candidates; performing a LEC between the first netlist and the first version of the second netlist, thereby identifying migration errors; and revising the second netlist to reduce the migration errors, thereby resulting in a second version of the second netlist.
Method and system for reducing migration errors
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes reducing errors in a migration of a first netlist to a second netlist, the first netlist corresponding to a first semiconductor process technology (SPT), the second first netlist corresponding to a second SPT, the first and second netlists each representing a same circuit design, the reducing errors including: inspecting a timing constraint list corresponding to the second netlist for addition candidates; generating a first version of the second netlist having a first number of comparison points relative to a logic equivalence check (LEC) context, the first number of comparison points being based on the addition candidates; performing a LEC between the first netlist and the first version of the second netlist, thereby identifying migration errors; and revising the second netlist to reduce the migration errors, thereby resulting in a second version of the second netlist.
EXTENDED REGULAR EXPRESSION MATCHING IN A DIRECTED ACYCLIC GRAPH BY USING ASSERTION SIMULATION
A directed acyclic graph (DAG) and an extended regular expression (ERE) may be received. A circuit design may be generated based on the DAG. A cover property may be generated based on the ERE. The circuit design may be simulated. A first result may be determined based on whether the cover property is satisfied during the simulating the circuit design. It may be determined whether the ERE matches a path in the DAG based on the first result.
Implementing and verifying safety measures in a system design based on safety specification generated from safety requirements
A system enhances a system design to incorporate safety measures. The system receives a system design for processing through various stages of design using design tools, for example electronic design automation tools for introducing safety features in a circuit design. The system receives safety requirements for the system design, the safety requirements specifying safety measures for the system design. The system generates from the safety requirements, a safety specification storing a set of commands. The system generates a system design enhanced with safety measures. The enhanced system design it generated for at least a subset of the plurality of tools. A tool processes the generated safety specification to implement safety measures in the system design according to the received safety requirements.
Implementing and verifying safety measures in a system design based on safety specification generated from safety requirements
A system enhances a system design to incorporate safety measures. The system receives a system design for processing through various stages of design using design tools, for example electronic design automation tools for introducing safety features in a circuit design. The system receives safety requirements for the system design, the safety requirements specifying safety measures for the system design. The system generates from the safety requirements, a safety specification storing a set of commands. The system generates a system design enhanced with safety measures. The enhanced system design it generated for at least a subset of the plurality of tools. A tool processes the generated safety specification to implement safety measures in the system design according to the received safety requirements.
Pattern centric process control
Pattern centric process control is disclosed. A layout of a semiconductor chip is decomposed into a plurality of intended circuit layout patterns. For the plurality of intended circuit layout patterns, a corresponding plurality of sets of fabrication risk assessments corresponding to respective ones of a plurality of sources is determined. Determining a set of fabrication risk assessments for an intended circuit layout pattern comprises determining fabrication risk assessments based at least in part on: simulation of the intended circuit layout pattern, statistical analysis of the intended circuit layout pattern, and evaluation of empirical data associated with a printed circuit layout pattern. A scoring formula is applied based at least in part on the sets of fabrication risk assessments to obtain a plurality of overall fabrication risk assessments for respective ones of the plurality of intended circuit layout patterns. The plurality of intended circuit layout patterns is ranked based on their fabrication risk assessments, the corresponding overall fabrication risk assessments, or both. At least a portion of ranking information is outputted to facilitate influence or control over the semiconductor fabrication process.
Pattern centric process control
Pattern centric process control is disclosed. A layout of a semiconductor chip is decomposed into a plurality of intended circuit layout patterns. For the plurality of intended circuit layout patterns, a corresponding plurality of sets of fabrication risk assessments corresponding to respective ones of a plurality of sources is determined. Determining a set of fabrication risk assessments for an intended circuit layout pattern comprises determining fabrication risk assessments based at least in part on: simulation of the intended circuit layout pattern, statistical analysis of the intended circuit layout pattern, and evaluation of empirical data associated with a printed circuit layout pattern. A scoring formula is applied based at least in part on the sets of fabrication risk assessments to obtain a plurality of overall fabrication risk assessments for respective ones of the plurality of intended circuit layout patterns. The plurality of intended circuit layout patterns is ranked based on their fabrication risk assessments, the corresponding overall fabrication risk assessments, or both. At least a portion of ranking information is outputted to facilitate influence or control over the semiconductor fabrication process.