Method and apparatus for generating a database which is used for determining the design quality of network nodes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating a database to be utilized by a rules checker for evaluating the quality of a particular design, such as, for example, an integrated circuit design. The design to be evaluated comprises a plurality of elements coupled together by at least one node. The apparatus of the present invention comprises a computer running a database generation program which receives, as its input to the database generation program, information relating to characteristics of the elements and nodes. The database generation program utilizes the input to produce a data structure for each of the elements and nodes. These data structures comprise the database which can be utilized by the rules checker to evaluate the quality of the design. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the input to the database generation program corresponds to the output of a timing analyzer program which is being executed by the computer. The design is an electrical circuit design and the output of the static timing analyzer program includes statistical and other information relating to the elements and nodes in the electrical circuit design. This information is then utilized by the database generation program to generate the data structures for the elements and nodes. These data structures comprise the database which is utilized by the rules checker program to evaluate the quality of the circuit design.