International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Paul Mark Schanely

Clarence Rosser Ogilvie

David W Milton

Tad Jeffrey Wilder

Robert Dov Herzl

Robert Spencer Horton

Christopher Douglas Hanudel

Margaret R Charlebois

Kenneth Anthony Lauricella

Charles B Winn

Nitin Sharma

Robert J Devins

Sebastian Theodore Ventrone

David C Tannenbaum

Leland D Richardson

Andrew D Bowen

Douglas P Nadeau

Jason Edward Rotella

Bruce C Hempel

W Riyon Harding

Rashmi D Chatty

Matthew P Szafir

Disclosed are a chip performance monitoring system, method and a computer program product, wherein a performance monitor output signal is propagated through an adjacent scan chain to avoid signal degradation incident to across-chip transmission of high frequency signals. Since the clock signal frequency used to control signal propagation through the scan chain will typically be less than twice the performance monitor output signal frequency, frequency sub-sampling with aliasing occurs. To compensate, signal propagation through the scan chain can be controlled during different time periods using different clock signals having different clock signal frequencies and, during these different time periods, different data outputs can be captured at an output node of the scan chain. The data output frequencies of these different data outputs can be measured and the performance monitor output signal frequency can be determined based on the different data output frequencies given the different clock signal frequencies.

Chip performance monitoring system and method

Aspects of the invention provide for a flexible performance screen ring oscillator (PSRO) integrated within a scan chain. In one embodiment, a circuit structure to create the flexible PSRO includes: a plurality of programmable scan chain elements; and a forward test scan chain path through the plurality of scan chain elements; wherein each of the programmable scan chain elements includes additional circuitry for a backward path, such that the backward path and the forward test scan chain path are combined to create the PSRO.

Flexible performance screen ring oscillator within a scan chain

A performance screen ring oscillator (PSRO) formed from paired scan chains is disclosed. A circuit structure comprises scan chains each having scan chain elements. A scan chain link is configured to pair at least one scan chain element from a first scan chain with at least one scan chain element of a second scan chain to form a PSRO. A forward path associated with data flow through the at least one scan chain element of the first scan chain becomes a backward path of the at least one scan chain element of the second scan chain, and a forward path associated with data flow through the at least one scan chain element of the second scan chain becomes a backward path of the at least one scan chain element of the first scan chain.

Performance screen ring oscillator formed from paired scan chains

A performance screen ring oscillator (PSRO) is formed from multi-dimensional pairings of scan chains. In one embodiment, there is a multi-dimensional arrangement of scan chains in an integrated circuit. Each of the scan chains has interconnected scan chain elements that form a shift register to apply test patterns to inputs of combinational logic in the integrated circuit and read outputs from the combinational logic based on the inputted test patterns. A scan chain link links selected scan chain elements from the scan chains to form at least one PSRO loop within the multi-dimensional arrangement of the scan chains.

Performance screen ring oscillator formed from multi-dimensional pairings of scan chains

Aspects of the invention provide a circuit structure that automatically monitors a plurality of ring oscillators and dynamically selects the fastest or the slowest ring oscillator for feedback into the plurality of ring oscillators. In one embodiment, a circuit includes: a plurality of delay elements, each delay element associated with a ring oscillator; a first logic gate for receiving outputs of each of the delay elements; a second logic gate for receiving outputs of each of the delay elements; and a multiplexer for receiving an output of the first logic gate and an output of the second logic gate and choosing one of the outputs, wherein a selection for the multiplexer is based on an output of the multiplexer. To select the fastest ring oscillator, a second multiplexer is provided.

Ring oscillator

A method for designing an integrated circuit. A computer determines, for one or more paths in a circuit design, for a value of a design variable at which timing closure of the circuit design is achieved, an approximate slope of a function representing path delay as a function of the design variable. When the computer determines that one of the approximate slopes is not within a defined slope range, the computer determines an adjustment direction and an adjustment value based in part on the magnitude by which the slope is not within the defined slope range. The computer changes the circuit design of the path associated with the out-of-range slope, based in part on the adjustment direction and the adjustment value, so as to bring the slope within the defined slope range.

Circuit design using design variable function slope sensitivity

A method of forming and electrical structure. The method includes determining that a first semiconductor device requires an engineering change order (ECO). An additional structure layer required to implement the ECO is determined. A first insertion point location for inserting the additional structure layer within the first semiconductor device is selected. The first insertion point location is associated with a second insertion point location within a design for a second semiconductor device. The second semiconductor device is generated in accordance with the first ECO. The second semiconductor device comprises second structures. The second structures comprise same structures as first structures in the first semiconductor device. The second structures are formed in locations within the second semiconductor device that are associated with locations in the first semiconductor device comprising the first structures. The second semiconductor device comprises the additional structure layer located within the second insertion point location.

Semiconductor layer forming method and structure

A chip design methodology. The methodology includes identifying engineering changeable logic, and replacing the identified engineering changeable logic with flexible logic blocks (FLB).

Method for identifying and implementing flexible logic block logic for easy engineering changes

A design structure for identifying engineering changeable logic, and replacing the identified engineering changeable logic with flexible logic blocks (FLB). The design structure is embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing an integrated circuit.

Structure for identifying and implementing flexible logic block logic for easy engineering changes

A method is provided for updating an existing netlist to reflect a design change. A register transfer level (RTL) design incorporating the design change and the existing netlist are provided to a synthesis tool. The existing netlist is set to a read-only condition to prevent a change to the existing netlist. The design and the read-only existing netlist are processed with the synthesis tool reusing logic structures from the read-only existing netlist by performing an optimization of the design and the read-only existing netlist with an objective to minimize the design space. The optimization is constrained by the read-only existing netlist. A result is generated by the synthesis tool including the existing netlist and a new portion of a netlist reflecting the design change.

Minimizing impact of design changes for integrated circuit designs

A method and apparatus for transmitting data between cores residing in an integrated circuit. Data is transmitted by using hubs located between the cores and an arbiter. The arbiter maintains a table that contains all the valid combinations of routing paths between the cores.

Method and apparatus for transmitting data in an integrated circuit

A design structure embodied in a machine-readable medium is disclosed in one embodiment of the invention as including a flexible logic block to facilitate engineering changes at selected locations within an IC. The flexible logic block has a consistent and identifiable structure such that a simple automated process may be used to reconfigure the structure to perform different logical operations. In certain embodiments, the flexible logic block includes a circuit, such as a multiplexer, having multiple inputs and at least one output. A metal interconnect structure is coupled to the inputs and enables connection of each of the inputs to one of several electrical potentials using a focused-ion-beam (FIB) tool. In this way, the circuit may be configured to perform different logical operations after components in the IC exist in hardware.

Design structure for facilitating engineering changes in integrated circuits

A computer-implemented method and system for performing graphics rendering on demand on a graphics subsystem, with only nominal host system operations being required. High-level specifications of graphics operations in a computer program are captured as I/O hardware programs in a memory. A graphics processor in the subsystem issues instructions in the captured programs to a graphics accelerator, which executes the instructions to perform graphics operations. The graphics accelerator has a status indicator containing status information relating to hardware events incident to the graphics operations. Under the control of instructions in the captured program, the graphics processor monitors the status indicator, and either issues, or delays issuing, the instructions in the captured programs, depending upon the status information in the indicator.

Method and system for graphics rendering using hardware-event-triggered execution of captured graphics hardware instructions

The invention transmits data on an integrated circuit chip by first propagating a first data portion along a first segment of a segmented data line and then propagating the first data portion along a second segment of the segmented data line and simultaneously propagating a second data portion along the first segment of the segmented data line. The invention breaks a single data transmission into such different data portions and later reassembles the different data portions back into the single data transmission after all of the different data portions have been individually transmitted along all portions of the segmented data line

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Essex Junction, VT, United States of America

Paul Mark Schanely