17963920. RECOMMENDING CHANGES IN THE DESIGN OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT USING A RULES-BASED ANALYSIS OF FAILURES simplified abstract (International Business Machines Corporation)

RECOMMENDING CHANGES IN THE DESIGN OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT USING A RULES-BASED ANALYSIS OF FAILURES

Organization Name

International Business Machines Corporation

Inventor(s)

SheshaShayee K Raghunathan of Bangalore (IN)

Charles Gates of Poughkeepsie NY (US)

Kerim Kalafala of Rhinebeck NY (US)

Steven Joseph Kurtz of Austin TX (US)

Morgan D. Davis of Rochester MN (US)

Debra Dean of Cary NC (US)

Chris Cavitt of Queensbury NY (US)

Chaitra M Bhat of Bangalore (IN)

Richard William Taggart of Poughkeepsie NY (US)

RECOMMENDING CHANGES IN THE DESIGN OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT USING A RULES-BASED ANALYSIS OF FAILURES - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 17963920 titled 'RECOMMENDING CHANGES IN THE DESIGN OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT USING A RULES-BASED ANALYSIS OF FAILURES

Simplified Explanation

The abstract describes a computer-implemented method for recommending design changes in designing a digital integrated circuit. An analysis of the circuit is performed to identify violations, which are then analyzed to determine the root cause using a rule-based approach. Based on the identified root cause, design changes are recommended to address the violations.

• Analysis of digital integrated circuit design
• Identification and storage of violations
• Analysis of violations to identify root cause using a rule
• Recommendation of design changes based on root cause

Potential Applications

This technology can be applied in the semiconductor industry for designing digital integrated circuits with improved efficiency and reliability. It can also be used in electronic design automation tools to streamline the design process and reduce errors.

Problems Solved

- Identification of violations in digital integrated circuit designs - Root cause analysis of violations - Recommendation of design changes based on root cause

Benefits

- Improved design efficiency - Reduced errors in digital integrated circuit designs - Streamlined design process

Potential Commercial Applications

"Root Cause Analysis for Digital Integrated Circuit Design" can be utilized in semiconductor companies, electronic design automation firms, and integrated circuit design services. It can help these businesses enhance their design processes and deliver high-quality products to their customers.

Possible Prior Art

One possible prior art in this field is the use of automated design rule checking tools in the semiconductor industry. These tools help identify violations in integrated circuit designs, but they may not provide detailed root cause analysis or design change recommendations like the technology described in the patent application.

What are the specific rules used for triaging failures in the violations?

The abstract mentions the use of rules for triaging failures in cross-domain, cross-hierarchy, and/or multi-cycle violations. However, it does not specify the specific rules or criteria used for this purpose. It would be beneficial to understand the details of these rules and how they are applied in the analysis process.

How does the offline analysis of violations compare to real-time analysis in terms of efficiency and accuracy?

The abstract focuses on offline analysis of violations in digital integrated circuit designs. It would be interesting to explore the differences between offline and real-time analysis in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and overall effectiveness in identifying and addressing design issues. Understanding these aspects can provide insights into the potential advantages of the offline analysis approach described in the patent application.

Original Abstract Submitted

A computer-implemented method, system and computer program product for recommending design changes in designing a digital integrated circuit. An analysis of the digital integrated circuit being designed is performed, where the result of such an analysis involves violations being identified and stored. A stored violation, such as a cross-domain, cross-hierarchy and multi-cycle violation, may then be analyzed to identify a root cause of the violation using a rule. Such a rule may be used for triaging various failures in the cross-domain, cross-hierarchy and/or multi-cycle violation of the digital integrated circuit. A design change in the design of the digital integrated circuit may then be recommended based on the identified root cause of the violation. In this manner, the root cause of failures are effectively identified in the design of digital integrated circuits using an offline analysis of cross-domain, cross-hierarchy and/or multi-cycle violations using a rules-based approach.