IP Library Granted Patent US 8,255,854
Granted Patent B2
US 8,255,854 · App. 12/753,247 · Granted Aug 28, 2012

Architecture and method for compensating for disparate signal rise and fall times by using polarity selection to improve timing and power in an integrated circuit

Assignee: Actel Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,255,854
App. No.
12/753,247
Granted
Aug 28, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for reducing delay in an integrated circuit by compensating for differences in rise and fall delay times comprises creating a timing graph; computing minimum delay tuples for nodes in the timing graph; if there is not at least one feasible delay tuple, determining a longest path and computing minimum delay tuples for the longest path; changing polarities on the longest path to reduce delays; updating the timing graph by transferring new polarity and delay values; performing timing analysis to determine a new longest path if the new longest path is shorter than the prior longest path, accepting a resulting polarity selection and computing minimum delay tuples for the longest path; if the new longest path is not shorter than the prior longest path, accepting a resulting polarity selection and implementing changes in a user-program bitstream.

Claims (21)

1. A method for reducing delay in an integrated circuit by compensating for differences in rise and fall delay times comprising:

creating a timing graph for a circuit having a set of switching output polarities;

computing minimum delay tuples for nodes in the timing graph;

if there is not at least one feasible delay tuple, determining a longest path and computing minimum delay tuples for the longest path;

changing output polarities on the longest path to create a new set of switching output polarities;

updating the timing graph using the new set of output polarities;

performing timing analysis to determine a new longest path;

if there is not at least one feasible delay tuple:

determining a longest path and computing minimum delay tuples for the longest path;

changing output polarities on the longest path to create a new set of switching output polarities;

updating the timing graph using the new set of output polarities;

performing timing analysis to determine a new longest path;

if the new longest path is shorter than the longest path, accepting the new set of switching output polarities;

if the new longest path is not shorter than the prior longest path, accepting the set of switching output polarities; and

implementing a user-program bitstream using the one of the set of switching output polarities and the set of new switching output polarities that was accepted; and

programming the circuit into a programmable logic device using the user-program bitstream.

2. The method of claim 1 further including:

(a) selecting a tree interconnection network;

(b) identifying all LUTs in the tree interconnection network;

(c) selecting the output polarity of all LUTs in the tree interconnection network so that the maximum delay from primary inputs to primary output in the tree interconnection network is minimized; and

repeating (a) through (c) for all other tree interconnection networks in the circuit.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2018
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI SEMICONDUCTOR (U.S.), INC.; MICROSEMI FREQUENCY AND TIME CORPORATION; MICROSEMI COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; MICROSEMI SOC CORP.; MICROSEMI CORP. - POWER PRODUCTS GROUP; MICROSEMI CORP. - RF INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS
Reel/Frame 046251/0391 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 3, 2016
From: MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI SEMICONDUCTOR (U.S.) INC. (F/K/A LEGERITY, INC., ZARLINK SEMICONDUCTOR (V.N.) INC., CENTELLAX, INC., AND ZARLINK SEMICONDUCTOR (U.S.) INC.); MICROSEMI FREQUENCY AND TIME CORPORATION (F/K/A SYMMETRICON, INC.); MICROSEMI COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (F/K/A VITESSE SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION); MICROSEMI SOC CORP. (F/K/A ACTEL CORPORATION); MICROSEMI CORP. - POWER PRODUCTS GROUP (F/K/A ADVANCED POWER TECHNOLOGY INC.); MICROSEMI CORP. - RF INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS (F/K/A AML COMMUNICATIONS, INC.)
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 037691/0697 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 28, 2015
From: ACTEL CORPORATION
To: MICROSEMI SOC CORP.
Reel/Frame 037393/0572 →
Continuity (3)
Division 11859678 · Sep 21, 2007
Provisional Application 60826712 · Sep 22, 2006
Related Publication 20100192117A1 · Jul 29, 2010