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New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
1Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
CSCI-660
Introduction to VLSI Design
Khurram Kazi
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
2Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Selecting a Semiconductor vendor
One of the first things that needs to be done when designing a chip is to select the semiconductor vendor and technology one wants to use. The following issues need to be considered during the selection process Maximum frequency of operation Power restrictions Packageing restrictions Clock tree implementation Floor planning Back-annotationsupport Design support for libraries, megacells, and RAMs Available cores Available test methods and scans
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
3Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Understanding the library
Design Compiler (DC) uses these libraries Technology libraries Symbol libraries DesignWare libraries
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
4Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Technology libraries
Contain information about the characteristics and functions of each cell provided in a semiconductor vendor’s library. The manufacturers maintain and distribute the technology libraries
Cell characteristics include information such as cell name, pin names, area, delay arcs and pin loading.
The technology library also defines the conditions that must be met for a functional design (e.g., the maximum transition time for nets). These conditions are called design rule constraints.
Also specify the operating conditions and wire load models specific to that technology
DC requires the technology libraries to be in “.db” format. These libraries are typically provided by the semiconductor manufacturer
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
5Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Symbol libraries
Symbol libraries contain definitions of the graphic symbols that represent library cells in the design schematics. Semiconductor vendors maintain and distribute the symbol libraries.
Design Compiler uses symbol libraries to generate the design schematic. You must use Design Vision to view the design schematic.
When you generate the design schematic, Design Compiler performs a one-to-one mapping of cells in the netlist to cells in the symbol library.
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
6Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
DesignWare Library
A DesignWare library is a collection of reusable circuit-design building blocks (components) that are tightly integrated into the Synopsys synthesis environment.
DesignWare components that implement many of the built-in HDL operators are provided by Synopsys. These operators include +, -, *, <, >, <=, >=, and the operations defined by if and case statements.
You can develop additional DesignWare libraries at your site by using DesignWare Developer, or you can license DesignWare libraries from Synopsys or from third parties.
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
7Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Specifying Libraries
Use dc_shell variables to specify the libraries used by the Design Compiler as shown in the table below
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
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Target Library
Design Compiler uses the target library to build a circuit. During mapping, Design Compiler selects functionally correct gates from the target library. It also calculates the timing of the circuit, using the vendor-supplied timing data for these gates.
Use the target_library variable to specify the target library. The syntax is
set target_library my_tech.db
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
9Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Link Library
Design Compiler uses the link library to resolve references. For a design to be complete, it must connect to all the library components and designs it references. This process is called linking the design or resolving references. During the linking process, Design Compiler uses the link_library system variable, the local_link_library attribute, and the search_path system variable to resolve references The syntax is set link_library {* my_tech.db}
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
10Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Specifying DesignWare Library
You do not need to specify the standard synthetic library, standard.sldb, that implements the built-in HDL operators. The software automatically uses this library.
If you are using additional DesignWare libraries, you must specify these libraries by using the synthetic_library variable (for optimization purposes) and the link_library variable (for cell resolution purposes).
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
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Describing environmental attributes
set_max_capacitance
Set_max_transition
& set_max_fanout
on Inputs and Output ports or current design
set_operating_conditions
on the whole design
ClockDividerLogic
BlockBIP calc
FramingState
Machine
Top Level
set_wire_loadfor each block,
including top level
set_loadon outputs
set_driving_cellon input signals
clkset_driveon Clock
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
12Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Environmental attributes
Design environment consists of defining the process parameters, I/O port attributes, and statistical wire load models. Set_min_library <max_library filename>
-min_version <min library filename>
dc_shell> set_min_library “ex25_worst.db” \
-min_version “ex25_best.db”
This command allows the users to simultaneously specify the best case and worst case libraries. Can be used to fix set up and hold violation. The user should set both the min and the max values for the operating conditions
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
13Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Setting operating conditions
set_operating_conditions Specifies the process, voltage and temperature conditions of
the design.
Synopsys library consists of WORST, TYPICAL and BEST cases. Each vendor has their own naming convention for the libraries!
Changing the value of the operating condition command, full range of process variations are covered.
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
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Setting operating conditions
set_operating_conditions WORST is generally used during pre-layout synthesis phase to
optimize the maximum set-up time.
BEST is normally used to fix any hold violations.
TYPICAL is generally not used since it is covered when both WORST and BEST cases are used.
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
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Setting operating conditions
set_operating_conditions It is possible to optimize the design with both WORST and
BEST cases simultaneously
dc_shell> set_operating_conditions WORST
dc_shell> set_operating_conditions –min BEST
-max WORST
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Operating conditions
best
typicalworst
Delay
Process
best
typicalworst
Delay
temperature
besttypical
worst
Delay
Voltage
min typical max
% yield
PVT (Process, Voltage andTemperature curve)
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
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Modeling wire loads
•DC uses wire loads models to estimate capacitance, resistance and the area of the nets prior to floor planning or layout.
•The wire load model is based upon a statistically average length of a net for a given fan out for a given area
“10 x 10”“20 x 20”
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
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Wire load command
DC uses wire load information to model the delay which is a function of loading
Synopsys provides wire load models in the technology library, each representing a particular size.
Designer can create their own wire load models for better accuracy
set_wire_load_model –name <wire-load model>
dc_shell>set_wire_load_model –name MEDIUM
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
19Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Wire load mode
There are 3 modes associated with the set_wire_load_mode: top, enclosed and segmented
top Defines that all nets in the hierarchy will inherit the same wire load
model as the top level block. Use it if when the plan is to flatten the design later for layout.
enclosed Specifies all the nets (of the sub-blocks) inherit the wire load model
of the block that completely encloses the sub-blocks. For example, if blocks X and Y are enclosed within block Z, then the blocks X and Y will inherit the wire load models defined for block Z.
New York Institute of Technology
Engineering and Computer Sciences
20Kazi Spring 2008 CSCI 660
Wire load mode
segmented Used when wires are crossing hierarchical boundaries. From the previous
example, the sub-blocks X and Y will inherit the wire load models specific to them, while nets between sub-blocks X and Y(which are contained within Z) will inherit wire-load model specified for block Z
Not used often, as the wire load models are specific to the net segments
set_wire_load_mode <top|enclosed|segmented>dc_shell>set_wire_load_mode top Accurately using wire load models is highly recommended as this directly
affects the synthesis runs. Wrong model can generate undesired results. Use slightly pessimistic wire load models. This will provide extra time margin that may be absorbed later in the test circuit insertion or layout
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
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Wire load models across hierarchy
50x50
20x20
40x40
40x40
30x30
50x50
20x20
40x40
50x50
30x30
50x50
20x20
40x40
40x40
30x30
mode = top: (ignores lower level wire loads)
mode = enclosed: (uses best fitting wire loads)
mode = segmented: (uses several wire loads)
30x3020x20
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
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set_drive
set_drive is used at the input ports of the block. It is used to specify the drive strength at the input port. Is typically used to model the external drive resistance to the ports of the block or chip. 0 signifies highest strength and is normally used for clock or reset ports.
set_drive <value><object list> dc_shell> set_drive 0 {clk rst}
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
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set_driving_cell
set_driving_cell is used to model the drive resistance of the driving cell to the input ports.
set_driving_cell –cell <cell name> -pin <pin name> <object list>
dc_shell>set_driving_cell –cell BUFF1 –pin Z [all_inputs]
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set_load
set_load sets the capacitive load in the units defined in the technology library (pf), to the specified ports or nets of the design. It typically sets capacitive loading on output ports of the blocks during pre-layout synthesis, and on nets, for back annotating the extracted post layout capacitive information
set load <value> <object list>
dc_shell>set_load 1.5 [all_outputs]
dc_shell> set_load 0.3 [get_nets blockA/n1234]
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
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Design rule constraints
Design rule constraints consist of set_max_transition, set_max_fanout and set_max_capacitance. These rules are technology dependent and are generally set in the technology library. The DRC commands are applied to input ports, output ports or on the current_design. It can be useful if the technology library is not adequate of is too optimistic, then these commands can be used to control the buffering in the design
set_max_transition <value> <object list> set_max_capacitance <value> object list> set_max_fanout ,value> <object list>dc_shell –t>set_max_transition 0.3 current_designdc_shell –t>set_max_capacitance 1.5 [get_ports out1]dc_shell –t>set_max_fanout 3.0 [all_outputs](dc_shell –t> corresponds to DC operating in tcl mode)
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
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Some more design constraints
dc_shell –t >create_clock –period 40 -waveform [list 0 20] CLKset_dont_touch_network is a very useful command and is
usually used for clock and reset. It is used to set_dont_touch property on a port, or a net. This prevents DC from buffering the net in order to meet DRCs.
dc_shell –t>set_dont_touch_network {clk, rst}
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Engineering and Computer Sciences
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Some more design constraints
If a block generates a secondary clock from the primary, e.g. byte clock from the serial clock, in this apply set_dont_touch_network on the generated clock output port of the block. Helps prevent DC from buffering it up. Clock trees can later be inserted to balance the clock skew.
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Some more design constraints
set_dont_touch is used to set a dont_touch property on the current design, cells, references or net. This is frequently used during hierarchical compilations of the block.
dc_shell –t>set_dont_touch current_design Useful in telling DC not to touch the current design if it has
been optimized to designer’s satisfaction. For example, if some spare gates block is instantiated, DC will not touch it or optimize it.