Patent ID: 8762904
Filing Date: 2014-06-24
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A system for synthesizing a circuit design from a logic design, for use in developing and fabricating integrated circuit devices which implement the functions of the logic design, for use by a computer system having a processor and accessible storage, the logic design specifying functional blocks having inputs and outputs and signal paths from functional block outputs to functional block inputs, each signal path including a source functional block and optionally one or more signal path functional blocks downstream of the source functional block but upstream of a destination functional block, the signal paths including a particular path from a particular source functional block to a particular destination functional block, the system comprising: a memory; a data processor coupled to the memory; a module which develops a candidate set identifying a plurality of candidate solutions for the particular path, each of the solutions identifying a library cell implementing a particular one of the functional blocks in the particular path, a first one of the candidate solutions identifying, for implementing the particular functional block, a first one of the library cells followed immediately downstream thereof by a first set of zero or more buffers, and a second one of the candidate solutions identifying, for implementing the particular functional block, a second one of the library cells followed immediately downstream thereof by a second set of zero or more buffers, the first library cell and first set of buffers in combination being different from the second library cell and second set of buffers in combination, each candidate solution in the candidate set having associated therewith a sensitivity value indicating the amount by which an operational parameter of the candidate solution varies in response to a change in load capacitance in the particular path; a module which selects among the candidate solutions in dependence upon their respective sensitivity values; and a module which stores the selected solution in the storage for subsequent use in further developing and fabricating an integrated circuit device.