Patent ID: 8769449

Claim:
A method of generating a circuit design, comprising: using a programmed processor, performing operations including: instantiating a plurality of cells in the circuit design in response to user input; wherein each of the plurality of cells has a respective set of data model parameters and a respective set of interface parameters; wherein each set of interface parameters is arranged into a hierarchy of interface levels as indicated by an interface model corresponding to the cell; and for each of the interface levels of the set of interface parameters in each cell: propagating values of the set of interface parameters included in the interface level to each other cell of the plurality of cells that is directly connected to the cell; and in response to propagating a value of an interface parameter from another cell of the plurality of cells to the cell and the cell having a value of the corresponding interface parameter that is different from the propagated value, determining a value for the corresponding interface parameter of the cell using a respective propagation function associated with the interface level wherein the propagation function associated with the interface level determines the value of the corresponding interface parameter of the cell and at least one data model parameter of the set of data model parameters of the cell as a function of at least one of a set of characteristics; and wherein the set of characteristics includes a strength of the corresponding interface model parameter of the cell, and a strength of the at least one data model parameter of the cell.