IP Library Granted Patent US 8,825,420
Granted Patent B1
US 8,825,420 · App. 12/690,047 · Granted Sep 2, 2014

Method and system for calculating timing variations considering simultaneous switching noise

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,825,420
App. No.
12/690,047
Granted
Sep 2, 2014
Kind
B1
Abstract

A computer implemented method for determining a timing variation for an edge of a waveform under simultaneous switching noise (SSN) conditions is provided. The method includes characterizing an impact of mutual inductive relationships on a pin while the pin is at a quiet state and characterizing a signal edge applied to the pin. The signal edge can be characterized by the slew rate in one embodiment. A voltage change related to a curve characterizing the impact of mutual inductive relationships is identified and the voltage change is applied to a curve characterizing an impact of SSN on the signal edge. The method includes calculating a timing variation correlated to the voltage change applied to the curve characterizing the impact of SSN on the signal edge and presenting the calculated timing variation.

Claims (42)

1. A computer implemented method for determining a timing variation for an edge of a transitioning waveform while considering simultaneous switching noise (SSN) conditions, comprising:

determining a phase relationship between signals of a victim pin and an aggressor pin;

calculating an amplitude value for a SSN condition at a phase offset corresponding to the phase relationship;

adjusting the amplitude value with a pre-calculated constant, the pre-calculated constant derived from physical measurements;

combining the adjusted amplitude value with an impact from additional aggressor pins within a bank of pins having the aggressor pin to determine the timing variation; and

presenting the timing variation for the edge of the transitioning waveform.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

combining output of the adjusted amplitude value and the impact from additional aggressor pins within the bank of pins with an impact from additional aggressor pins within a bank of pins adjacent to the bank of pins to further determine the timing variation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the amplitude value is correlated to an inductive crosstalk and wherein each method operation is executed through a processor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the amplitude value is correlated to a power distribution network (PDN) noise for Input/Output (I/O) pins.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the amplitude value includes determining a timing impact on a signal edge of a victim I/O pin relative to a quiet state for the victim I/O pin.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining a timing impact includes identifying a slope at a point on a curve representing the quiet state, the point being associated with a voltage at which the timing variation occurs.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the curve representing the quiet state is predetermined and stored for use with the computer implemented method.

8. A computer implemented method for determining a timing variation for an edge of a waveform under simultaneous switching noise (SSN) conditions, comprising:

characterizing an impact of mutual inductive relationships on a pin while the pin is at a quiet state;

characterizing a signal edge applied to the pin;

selecting a voltage change related to a curve characterizing the impact of mutual inductive relationships;

applying the voltage change to a curve characterizing an impact of SSN on the signal edge;

calculating a timing variation correlated to the voltage change applied to the curve characterizing the impact of SSN on the signal edge; and

presenting the calculated timing variation.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the characterizing the impact of mutual inductive relationships on the pin includes,

capturing mutual inductive relationships between pins of the integrated circuit into a matrix, the capturing based on physical measurements; and

storing the matrix.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the impact of SSN on the signal edge is generated by accessing data representing the signal edge at a quiet state; and wherein the method includes determining a slope of a curve representing the data at a point on the curve correlated with the voltage change.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

calculating the timing variation from the slope and the voltage change.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the characterizing of the signal edge applied to the pin is performed under quiet conditions.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the characterizing of the signal edge is based on simulated results.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein each method operation is a program instruction on a computer readable storage medium.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the signal edge of a waveform applied to the pin is out of phase with waveforms applied to aggressor pins.

16. The method of claim 8 , wherein the timing variation includes a sag impact due to noise on a pre-drive voltage supply.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the pre-drive voltage supply supplies a voltage for pre-drive buffers supplying a voltage to a gate of a transistor in communication with an I/O pin for a design of an integrated circuit.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program instructions for determining a timing variation for an edge of a waveform under simultaneous switching noise (SSN) conditions, comprising:

program instructions for selecting a voltage change related to a curve characterizing an impact of mutual inductive relationships between a victim pin and aggressor pins;

program instructions for applying the voltage change to a curve characterizing an impact of SSN on the signal edge applied to the victim pin under quiet conditions; and

program instructions for calculating a timing variation correlated to the voltage change applied to the curve characterizing the impact of SSN on the signal edge.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , further comprising:

program instructions for determining a slope of the curve characterizing an impact of SSN on the signal edge at a point on the curve correlated with the voltage change.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , further comprising:

program instructions for accessing data characterizing the impact of mutual inductive relationships between the victim pin and aggressor pins; and

program instructions for accessing data characterizing the impact of SSN on the signal edge.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the program instructions for calculating a timing variation consider a sag impact due to noise on a pre-drive voltage supply.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2025
From: ALTERA CORPORATION
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073431/0309 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 20, 2010
From: LIU, GEPING; CHAND, KUNDAN; LI, ZHE; MOO, WUI HUNG; KHO, JOSEPH BOON HOCK
To: ALTERA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 023820/0352 →