vlsiphysicaldesign

Macro Placement in Floorplan Macro placement is a physical step in the design of the VLSI circuits where the large functional components known as macros including the memory blocks, IP blocks, and the analog blocks are placed in the design layout. Macro placement is also critical as its relationship with other elements defines the impact of a design on performance, congestion, and power. Objectives of Macro Placement Minimize Interconnect Length: Shrink the gap of connected macros with standard cells to improve signal timing and minimize delay. Optimize Performance: Place macros to satisfy timing requirements and enhance the general chip performance. Reduce Routing Congestion: However, do not use placement strategies that result in dense routing regions in the FPGAs since they will cause signal integrity problems and complicate the manufacturing process. Enhance Power Distribution: Also, ensure that the placement of macros complements its power distribution and architecture aspect in m...

  Intel has revealed that it is going to shed thousands of its employees, more precisely, it is about 15 thousand people . This decision made known in its Q2 2024 quarterly financial statement is to realize $10 billion in efficiency savings by 2025 . The loss-making businesses will eliminate more than 13,000 people, or around a seventh of Intel's workforce, with the majority of these measures therefore set to be implemented by year’s end. In a memo to Intel employees, CEO Pat Gelsinger said the company needed to bring its costs in line with its new structure after the reorganization. While nowadays technology giants invest more in AI and other related technologies, Intel has not been able to increase its revenues steadily and suffers from high operational expenses, which negatively reflects on its profit margin. Specifically, forecasted difficulties in the latter half of 2024 are expected to hurt the company’s financial performance. For the year 2023, Intel has revealed that its di...

  Floorplanning is a critical stage in the physical design of integrated circuits (ICs). It involves the strategic placement of various components on a chip to ensure optimal performance, minimal area, and efficient power distribution. A well-executed floorplan lays the foundation for a successful IC design, impacting factors such as routing complexity, signal integrity, and overall power consumption. Essential Inputs for Floorplanning Before diving into floorplanning, it's essential to gather and prepare the necessary inputs: Netlist (.v): The list of circuit elements and their connections. Technology File (techlef): Contains information about the technology node and design rules. Timing Library Files (.lib): Provides timing information for different cells. Physical Library (.lef): Details the physical dimensions and characteristics of cells. Synopsys Design Constraints (.sdc): Specifies the design constraints. Tlu+: Lookup tables for resistance and capacitance values used i...

Sanity checks are a crucial step before beginning the physical design flow in VLSI. These checks ensure that the inputs received from the library team and the synthesis team are correct and free of errors. Neglecting these checks can lead to significant issues in the later stages of design. Let's explore the essential sanity checks performed before starting the physical design flow. Design/Netlist Checks These checks verify the quality and consistency of the netlist. Key aspects include: Floating Pins : Ensuring there are no pins in the design that are not connected to any net. Multidriven Nets : Checking for nets driven by multiple sources, which can lead to contention. Undriven Input Ports : Ensuring all input ports have driving sources. Unloaded Outputs : Verifying that all outputs have loads connected. Unconstrained Pins : Ensuring all pins have constraints defined. Pin Mismatch Counts : Checking for discrepancies between the pins of an instance and its reference. Tristate Buse...

  Physical design in VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) is a critical phase where a circuit's logical design (netlist) is converted into a physical layout. This layout is crucial for chip fabrication and must meet all design specifications, including timing, power, and area constraints. Here, we delve into the primary inputs required for physical design, accompanied by images to illustrate key concepts. 1. Netlist (.v) Format: Verilog (.v) Provided by: Synthesis Team The netlist is a textual representation of the circuit's components (logic gates, combinational and sequential circuits) and their interconnections. It defines the logical connectivity and can include components like resistors, capacitors, and transistors. Example Verilog Netlist: verilog module and_gate(y, a, b); input a, b; output y; AND2 U1 (.Y(y), .A(a), .B(b)); endmodule 2. Synopsys Design Constraints (SDC) Format: .sdc (written in TCL) Provided by: Synthesis Team SDC files include timing constraint...