Baysand Inc.

Easic Corporation

Yin Hao Liew

Jonathan C Park

Salah M Werfelli

Kok Seong Lee

Jonathan C Parks

Teck Siong Ong

Yau Kok Lai

Soon Chieh Lim

Yit Ping Kok

Wai Leng Chek

Jeremy Lee Jia Jian

Embodiments of the invention relate to a configurable register file for inclusion in ASIC and other integrated circuit designs such as those based on metal configurable standard cell (MCSC) technology. According to certain general aspects, configurable register files provided by the present embodiments improve area, power and routing efficiencies and flexibility over conventional approaches such as hard memory macros and RTL designs. In embodiments, a configurable register file is implemented as a soft macro constructed from metal configurable standard cell (MCSC) base cells. According to certain aspects, unlike a hard memory macro, width and depth are not fixed and can be configured or programmed to any desired dimension or configuration. In some embodiments, a bit array of a configurable register file is comprised of register file bit cells. In other embodiments, a bit array of a configurable register file is comprised of ROM bit cells. In these and other embodiments, a configurable register file is constructed with a bit-line sharing approach that improves the routing and logic resource usage as compared to RTL based memory.

Metal configurable register file

Embodiments of the invention relate to a metal configurable hybrid memory for use in integrated circuit designs for implementation in structured ASIC or similar platforms utilizing a base cell or standard cell. In accordance with certain aspects, a hybrid memory according to embodiments of the invention utilizes a fixed custom memory core and a customizable peripheral set of base cells. In accordance with these and further aspects, the hybrid memory can be specified using a macro, in which certain memory features (e.g. ECC, etc.) are implemented using the customizable peripheral set of base cells, and which may be selected or omitted from the design by the user. This enables the overall logic use for the memory to be optimized for a user's particular design. Unused logic in the customizable peripheral set of base cells can thus be freed for top-level logic use, thereby optimizing the design according to a user's functional and dimensional requirements and minimizing unnecessary waste of silicon area and power.

Metal configurable hybrid memory

Flexible, space-efficient I/O architectures for integrated circuits simplify circuit design and shorten design times. In one aspect, cells for power supply pads are eliminated, in part by locating ESD circuitry for these pads underneath the pads themselves, leaving only signal I/O buffers. Pads coupled to the signal I/O buffers may be defined as either signal I/O pads or power supply pads in accordance with customization circuitry. Customization circuitry also provides for flexible bank architectures, where signal I/O buffers within a bank share power supply requirements that may be different from another bank. The number of banks and the number of signal I/O buffers belonging to each bank is flexibly defined. In other aspects, ESD circuitry is provided at corners of the IC layout and optionally within selected I/O slots. Decap circuitry is provided at an outer edge of the IC layout and is scalable in order to meet different requirements.

Flexible, space-efficient I/O circuitry for integrated circuits

Flexible, space-efficient I/O architectures for integrated circuits simplify circuit design and shorten design times. In one aspect, cells for power supply pads are eliminated, in part by locating ESD protection circuitry for these pads underneath the pads themselves, leaving only signal I/O buffers. Pads coupled to the signal I/O buffers may be defined as either signal I/O pads or power supply pads in accordance with customization circuitry. Customization circuitry also provides for flexible bank architectures, where signal I/O buffers within a bank share power supply requirements that may be different from power supply requirements of signal I/O buffers of another bank. The number of banks and the number of signal I/O buffers belonging to each bank is flexibly defined. Customization circuitry also provides for flexible pad options, whereby the IC pads may be configured for different packaging technology, for example, for wire bonding for flip-chip bonding, or for other types of bonding.

A design methodology is provided to fully automate the creation of multiple-personality programmable macros for use in metal/via programmable ICs. Programmability is achieved using programmable switches, each of which may include one or more metal traces and/or vias on one or more layers configured in series, in parallel, or in combination. Multiple overlapping switches may exist in the same location. That is, switches may be defined that use some of the same resources. Any one of the switches may be 'turned on,' while the remaining switches remain turned off. As part of the design methodology, different nets or parts of an electrical circuit design are programmed by replacing the switches with hard connections that close the circuit, or with no connections so as to open the circuit, or cause the circuit to remain open. The methodology allows for sharing routing or programming resources to achieve optimize layout area usage.

Programmable macros for metal/via programmable gate array integrated circuits

A method for verifying library components and designs on a via customizable ASIC, which may include the process of adding capacitors to model possible via sites of a model of an un-customized portion of or a whole ASIC, and replacing the capacitors with resistors to model where custom vias have been placed on the ASIC to implement a desired component or design. Views of this model may then be generated to verify the functionality of the component or design, and component models for timing, function and via customization may then be generated for the component library.

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Penang, Malaysia

Yin Hao Liew