Intel Corporation
Techniques For Providing Optimizations Based On Categories Of Slack In Timing Paths

Abstract:

Systems and methods are provided for using an integrated circuit design tool to analyze timing requirements of a circuit design for an integrated circuit. A slack is calculated for a timing path in the circuit design that fails to satisfy a timing constraint. The slack is decomposed into multiple categories of delays in the timing path. The categories of delays for the slack may include intrinsic margin, clock skew, logic delay, and fabric interconnect delay. The logic delay may include local interconnect delay and logic circuit delay. The fabric interconnect delay may include delays in interconnect elements that are used to make connections between larger blocks of the logic circuits. Different optimization strategies are provided to solve the timing constraint failure for each of the different categories of slack breakdown. Slack profiles of the entire design in each of the four categories of slack are also provided.