Patent ID: 7257796

Claim:
A method for designing a circuit comprising: providing a database describing a plurality of interconnect components designed to be interconnected to form an interconnect system for linking nodes internal to an integrated circuit (IC) and nodes external to the IC, wherein some of the interconnect components are designed to reside inside the IC and others of the interconnect components are designed to reside outside the IC, wherein the database describes behavior models for ones of the interconnect components; generating a design of a first portion of an interconnect system that is external to the IC, wherein the first portion comprises interconnect components selected from among the interconnect components described by the database; and generating a design of the IC including a design of a second portion of the interconnect system that is internal to the IC, wherein the second portion comprises interconnect components selected from among the interconnect components described by the database; wherein the interconnect components designed to reside outside the IC comprise a plurality of different types of interconnect components; and wherein the different types of interconnect components comprise a first interconnect component comprising a lithographically formed structure and a second interconnect component comprising a length of wire.