Lsi Corporation

International Business Machines Corporation

Todd Jason Youngman

John Emery Nordman

Scott Thomas Senst

Daniel Frank Moertl

Timothy J Schimke

Bruce Marshall Walk

Gary Paul McClannahan

Paul Gary Reuland

Frederic Lawrence Huss

John Handley Shaffer

Russell Paul VanDuine

Michael A MInter

Donald Gabrielson

Troy Evan Faber

Daniel Dean Ortmann

Patrick James Zuroski

During the design of semiconductor products which incorporates a user specification and an application set, the application set being a partially manufactured semiconductor platform and its resources, a template engine is disclosed which uses a simplified computer language having a character whereby data used in commands identified by the character need only be input once, either by a user or by files, and that data, after it has been verified to be correct, is automatically allocated to one or more templates used to generate shells for the specification of a final semiconductor product. Data must be correct and compatible with other data before it can be used within the template engine and the generated shells; indeed the template engine cooperates with a plurality of rules and directives to verify the correctness of the data. The template engine may generate one or more of the following shells: an RTL shell, a documentation shell, a timing analysis shell, a synthesis shell, a manufacturing test shell, and/or a floorplan shell.

Language and templates for use in the design of semiconductor products

A method to validate data used in a design of a semiconductor product currently in a partially fabricated state is disclosed. The partially fabricated state having a plurality of layers up to and including a first conductive layer. The method generally includes the steps of (A) adding a second conductive layer from a user specification to an application set, the application set having a plurality of resources that define the semiconductor product, (B) validating a new resource in the user specification against the resources in the application set, (C) adding the new resource to the application set upon passing the validating and (D) propagating the new resource throughout a description of the semiconductor product, the description being stored in a computer-readable medium.

Rules and directives for validating correct data used in the design of semiconductor products

A method, system, and a computer program product to provide correct and complete input into a shell generation tool that provides the infrastructure for design and development of an integrated circuit. Given a definition of a platform, in part a partially manufactured semiconductor product having some diffused and some configurable resources, a user can enter data that is correct and complete into the shell generation tool using several techniques. The tool itself can present data for the user to select that is complete and correct, i.e., the data, inter alia, has no syntactic or other errors of an HDL, satisfies the constraints and naming conventions required by the tool, a customer of the semiconductor product, and/or the entity designing the product, provides appropriate timing and voltage levels, and is otherwise compatible with other data in the generation tool. If a user inputs data into an entry field, the tool automatically validates the input data by invoking one or more algorithms to determine its correctness and completeness before entering the data for shell generation.

Assuring correct data entry to generate shells for a semiconductor platform

A method to validate data used in a design of a semiconductor product. The method includes (a) reading resources of an application set defining the semiconductor product in a partially fabricated state comprising fabrication layers up to and including a lowest conductive layer (b) reading a user specification that (i) is developed based upon the application set at the partially fabricated state and (ii) establishes at least one upper conductive layer added to the application set that completes the design of the semiconductor product, (c) allocating a new resource from the user specification to the design of the semiconductor product, said new resource having multiple parameters, (d) validating the allocation of the new resource against the resources of the application set and (e) propagating the allocation of the new resource and the parameters throughout a description of the semiconductor product.

A tool for facilitating automatic test pin assignment for a programmable platform device including a process for collecting information related to the programmable platform device, a process for automatically initializing a test pin assignment for the programmable platform device, a process configured to receive user specifications for IOs and a process for performing dynamic test pin reassignment in response to the user specifications.

System for performing automatic test pin assignment for a programmable device

A storage area network (SAN) fibre channel arbitrated loop (FCAL) multiple system, multiple resource, storage enclosure and a method are provided for performing enclosure maintenance concurrent with device operations. The storage enclosure includes a plurality of storage resources or storage devices, a plurality of IO adapters (IOAs) coupled to the storage area network and a pair of enclosure services node cards. Each enclosure services node card includes loop connections for the plurality of storage resources. Each enclosure services node card includes a respective global bus connection and a loop connection to each of the plurality of IOAs. Each enclosure services node card is used concurrently by the multiple systems to manage the plurality of storage resources. In the method for performing enclosure maintenance concurrent with device operations, identical maintenance procedures are implemented for the enclosure services node cards and the storage devices. The enclosure services node cards are removable cards and contain active components including port bypass circuits (PBCs). Fibre channel (FC) connections for the plurality of storage resources provide redundant paths to each storage resource and allows access to data on the storage resources to continue when one of the pair of enclosure services node cards fails or is being maintained. Out of band communications to the enclosure services node cards are provided with the global buses, such as I2C buses, rather than FC loop. Multiple IOAs can concurrently use the same enclosure services node card without contention or collision.

Storage area network (SAN) fibre channel arbitrated loop (FCAL) multi-system multi-resource storage enclosure and method for performing enclosure maintenance concurrent with device operations

Method, system and signal bearing medium for configuring an integrated circuit are provided. One embodiment provides a method for configuring an integrated circuit, comprising: providing a user interface for displaying one or more abstract data elements for user selection, wherein the one or more abstract data elements represent one or more controls associated with characteristics of the integrated circuit; receiving a user selection of an abstract data element; validating associated abstract rules for the user selected abstract data element; and validating product rules for the one or more product data elements associated with the user selected abstract data element, wherein the one or more product data elements represent one or more controllable features of the integrated circuit.

Reusable configuration tool

An apparatus for grounding network cabling prior to insertion in a network device. The apparatus includes a cable connector receptor for receiving a standardized network cable connector. The apparatus also includes a current limiting device coupled to the cable connector receptor for reducing any electrical potential present on the cable. The current limiting device is coupled to electrical ground via a ground connector which provides a discharge path for any electrical potential present on the cable. In alternative embodiments, the apparatus can exist as a standalone device, as an integrated feature of a grounding wrist strap, or as an integrated feature of a computer system or network hub.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester, MN, United States of America

Todd Jason Youngman