Patent ID: 7810062

Claim:
A method of optimizing a design represented by a netlist in a single state of static timing analysis (TA) that determines a minimum achievable slack for a transformation category based on at least another corresponding contrived state of the static timing analysis, the method comprising: a) using a computer, performing on a first and second TA on the netlist, the first TA measuring a potential impact of a synthesis or netlist transformation on a timing of the design, and the second TA modifying an environment of the first TA to create a more realistic environment in which the netlist transformation is applied to and measured; b) forming a constraint by transferring an output of the first TA to the second TA; c) using the constraint, determining which transformations have a greater potential to eliminate a negative slack by performing an optimization on the second TA environment; d) determining a best transformation to be applied to a current state of the netlist timing by dynamically eliminating a maximum negative slack; and e) determining that the optimization is achieved without applying particular transformations beyond their respective capabilities, and bounding the negative slack elimination that is applied to a current state of the netlist timing.