IP Library Granted Patent US 7,859,309
Granted Patent B2
US 7,859,309 · App. 12/698,366 · Granted Dec 28, 2010

Clock tree distributing method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,859,309
App. No.
12/698,366
Granted
Dec 28, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A clock tree distribution method is provided. The method, applied to an I/O interface of an integrated circuit, is for generating a clock tree utilized in the I/O interface. The clock tree distribution method includes determining a conversion rate, converting a two-dimensional interface arrangement to a one-dimensional interface arrangement according to the conversion rate, forming a one-dimensional clock tree according to the one-dimensional interface arrangement, generating the clock tree corresponding to the two-dimensional interface arrangement by converting the one-dimensional clock tree according to the conversion rate.

Claims (36)

1. A clock tree distributing method, applied to an I/O interface of an integrated circuit, for generating a clock tree utilized in the I/O interface comprising a two-dimensional interface arrangement, the method comprising:

determining a conversion rate;

converting the two-dimensional interface arrangement of the I/O interface to a one-dimensional interface arrangement according to the conversion rate;

forming a one-dimensional clock tree according to the one-dimensional interface arrangement;

generating a two-dimensional clock tree corresponding to the two-dimensional interface arrangement by converting the one-dimensional clock tree according to the conversion rate.

2. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the step of determining the conversion rate determines the conversion rate according to a wire resistance value, a wire capacitance value, and a routing rule of the integrated circuit.

3. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the I/O interface in the two-dimensional interface arrangement comprises a first plurality of first-direction I/O pins and a second plurality of second-direction I/O pins, and the first plurality of I/O pins and the second plurality of I/O pins form an L-shaped arrangement.

4. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the step of converting the two-dimensional interface arrangement of the I/O interface to the one-dimensional interface arrangement according to the conversion rate further comprises:

converting the second plurality of second-direction I/O pins to a second plurality of first-direction I/O pins according to the conversion rate; and

placing the second plurality of first-direction I/O pins adjoining to the first plurality of first-direction I/O pins to form the one-dimensional interface arrangement.

5. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the I/O interface in the two-dimensional interface arrangement further comprises:

a first plurality of first-direction I/O pins;

a second plurality of second-direction I/O pins; and

and a third plurality of second-direction I/O pins;

wherein the second plurality of second-direction I/O pins and the third plurality of second-direction I/O pins are respectively located at two sides of the first plurality of first-direction I/O pins to form a U-shaped arrangement.

6. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the step of converting the two-dimensional interface arrangement of the I/O interface to the one-dimensional interface arrangement according to the conversion rate further comprises:

converting the second plurality of second-direction I/O pins and the third plurality of second-direction I/O pins to a second plurality of first-direction I/O pins and a third plurality of first-direction I/O pins, respectively; and

placing the second plurality of first-direction I/O pins and the third plurality of first-direction I/O pins adjoining to the sides of the first plurality of first-direction I/O pins, respectively, to form the first I/O interface arrangement.

7. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the step of forming the one-dimensional clock tree according to the one-dimensional interface arrangement, the formed one-dimensional clock tree comprises a plurality of nodes in a binary tree arrangement.

8. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein each of the nodes is placed with a repeater buffer.

9. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the step of forming one-dimensional clock tree according to the one-dimensional interface arrangement comprises:

placing a first repeater buffer between a first node and a second node of the plurality of nodes in the one-dimensional clock tree; and

placing a second repeater buffer between the first node and a third node of the plurality of nodes in the one-dimensional clock tree, wherein the second repeater buffer is placed correspondingly opposite to the first repeater buffer.

10. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 1 , before the step of generating the two-dimensional clock tree corresponding to the two-dimensional interface arrangement, further comprises:

placing a dummy load to the one-dimensional clock tree.

11. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one-dimensional clock tree comprising a plurality of repeater buffers, and after the step of generating the two-dimensional clock tree corresponding to the two-dimensional interface arrangement, the method further comprising:

positioning the plurality of repeater buffers in the two-dimensional clock tree closely to the I/O interface.

12. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 11 , after the step of generating the two-dimensional clock tree corresponding to the two-dimensional interface arrangement, the method further comprises:

placing a dummy load and a decoupling capacitor corresponding to the plurality of repeater buffers in the two-dimensional clock tree.

13. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 1 , after the step of generating the two-dimensional clock tree corresponding to the two-dimensional interface arrangement, further comprises:

testing whether a clock skew and a latency of the two-dimensional clock tree meet a test standard; and

adjusting the conversion rate and returning to the step of converting the two-dimensional interface arrangement of the I/O interface to the one-dimensional interface arrangement according to the adjusted conversion rate when a test result is negative.

14. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the I/O interface comprises a plurality of I/O pins, and the two-dimensional clock tree is utilized to provide a synchronized clock signal to the plurality of I/O pins.

15. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 1 , after the step of the step of generating the two-dimensional clock tree corresponding to the two-dimensional interface arrangement, further comprises:

placing a serially connected cascading delay stage between the two-dimensional clock tree and the I/O interface.

16. The clock tree distributing method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein the I/O interface comprises a plurality of I/O pins, and the cascading delay stage in conjunction with the two-dimensional clock tree provides a controllable, non-synchronized clock signal to the plurality of I/O pins.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2021
From: MEDIATEK INC.
To: XUESHAN TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Reel/Frame 055486/0870 →
MERGER Recorded Jun 12, 2020
From: MSTAR SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: MEDIATEK INC.
Reel/Frame 052931/0468 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 2, 2010
From: LO, CHEN-HSING
To: MSTAR SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 023884/0960 →