Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
Fast and accurate simulation for power delivery networks with integrated voltage regulators

Abstract:

Embodiments are generally directed to a hierarchical approach for performing simulation for PDNs that have integrated VRMs. According to certain aspects, embodiments include an approach that decouples the simulation for PDN and the simulation for VRM/PKG through PDN macromodeling. In these and other embodiments, the approach includes a SPICE-accurate simulation for the VRM part using a non-linear solver and using a linear solver for the PDN part, with minimal handshaking between them. For example, using a Backward Euler method having a fixed time step, at every simulation time interval, the linear solver sends reduced boundary currents to the non-linear solver. After the non-linear solver converges at the time interval, it sends boundary voltages back to the linear solver for determining voltages in the PDN part at the time interval.