IP Library Granted Patent US 7,479,825
Granted Patent B2
US 7,479,825 · App. 11/584,492 · Granted Jan 20, 2009

Clock forming method for semiconductor integrated circuit and program product for the method

Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,479,825
App. No.
11/584,492
Granted
Jan 20, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

Regions G 1 to G 8 each including a predetermined number of flip-flops (FF) are divided into two groups. This dividing is performed so that the number of data connection channels intersected by a boundary is minimized. In the case of intersection of two data connection channels (A 1 , A 2 ), the number of data connection channels intersected by the boundary is two, the minimum number. After grouping of all the regions (G 1 to G 4, G 5 to G 8 ), clock tree synthesis (CTS) is performed. If clock forming is performed in this way, the increase in clock skew on an actual device can be limited and on-chip variation resistance can be increased.

Claims (17)

1. A clock forming method for a semiconductor integrated circuit comprising the steps of:

a first step of dividing a circuit region into plural regions, each region having plural elements and connection channels for transferring data between the plurality of regions; and

a second step of synthesizing a clock tree by inserting clock drivers so that the elements in each region are connected in tree form,

wherein the number of connection channels intersected by a boundary is minimized when the circuit region is divided, and

wherein when the circuit region is divided, the positions of the elements contained in each region after dividing are within a predetermined distance from a centroid of the region.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein when the circuit region is divided, the boundary intersects the connection channels having a longer channel length or the connection channels having a larger number of logic stages with priority.

3. A clock forming method for a semiconductor integrated circuit, the method comprising:

a first step of dividing a circuit region into plural regions, each region having plural elements and connection channels for transferring data between the plurality of regions;

a second step of synthesizing a clock tree by inserting clock drivers so that the elements in each region are connected in tree form;

wherein the number of connection channels intersected by a boundary is minimized when the circuit region is divided, and

wherein when the circuit region is divided, the boundary does not intersect the connection channels having a setup margin equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

4. A program product for causing a computer to execute a clock forming for a semiconductor integrated circuit:

a first step of dividing a circuit region into plural regions each region having plural elements and connection channels for transferring data between the regions; and

a second step of synthesizing a clock tree by inserting clock drivers so that the elements in each region are connected in tree form,

wherein the number of the connection channels intersected by a boundary is minimized when the circuit region is divided, and

wherein when the current region is divided, the positions of the elements contained in each region after dividing are within a predetermined distance from the centroid of the region or the boundary does not intersect the connection channels having a setup margin equal to or smaller than a predetermined value.

5. The program product according to claim 4 , wherein when the circuit region is divided, the boundary intersects the connection channels having a longer channel length or the connection channels having a larger number of logic stages with priority.

Assignments (4)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Nov 29, 2017
From: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044928/0001 →
MERGER Recorded Aug 27, 2010
From: RENESAS TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024892/0901 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 27, 2010
From: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024892/0937 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2006
From: KOMODA, MICHIO
To: RENESAS TECHNOLOGY CORP.
Reel/Frame 018460/0621 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2005-309861 · Oct 25, 2005 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20070094627A1 · Apr 26, 2007