International Business Machines Corporation

William Alan Binder

Sherwin C Murphy, Jr

Paul David Kartschoke

Christopher J Gonzalez

Ross Boyd Leavens

Harry I Linzer

Llewellyn Bradley Marshall, Iv

William Appleton Rose

System, method, and program product analyze netlists for related electrical circuit designs by comparing predefined physical characteristics between the netlists. A baseline reference score is generated for one of the netlists and a normalized score is generated for the other netlist. The baseline reference score and the normalized score are used to generate a similarity score that is displayed on a display monitor. Preferably, the similarity score is displayed as a percentage.

Development tool for comparing netlists

In some embodiments, a method is disclosed for converging on an acceptable integrated circuit design for an integrated circuit. The method can include selecting a path, determining if the path has a timing deficiency, segmenting the path into path segments and allocating the timing deficiency across the segments according to attributes of the path segments. Segments can have attributes such as a design freeze when the design is mature or 'optimum.' Allocating can include allocating the timing deficiency across path segments according to attributes such as the proportion of the length of a segmented path to the overall path length. Allocating can include allocating the timing deficiency to path segments based on attributes provided as user input.

Arrangements for developing integrated circuit designs

The invention generally relates to integrated circuit design, and more particularly to systems and methods for providing power optimization in a hierarchical netlist. A method includes generating a hierarchical netlist of the design, wherein the design includes a plurality of macros. The method also includes determining the timing slack of each path of the design. For each pin of each one of the plurality of macros, the method includes: determining the worst timing path; determining the slack value of the worst timing path; determining the subset of macros of the plurality of macros associated with the worst timing path; determining an apportionment parameter for each one of the subset of macros; determining a distribution of the slack amongst the subset of macros based upon the respective apportionment parameters; and adjusting timing assertions for each one of the subset of macros based upon the distribution of the slack.

Method and system for achieving power optimization in a hierarchical netlist

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Morrisville, NC, United States of America

William Alan Binder