Patent ID: 8650515

Claim:
A method for use in validating a circuit design, the method implemented in a computer system comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor configure the computer system to perform the method comprising: accessing circuit information specifying a plurality of connections between a plurality of components of at least a portion of the circuit design; retrieving from a plurality of parametric models a respective parametric model for each of the plurality of components specified in the received circuit information, each of the parametric models specifying a pin type, from a plurality of pin types, and operating parameters of each pin of the associated component; determining a plurality of checks to apply to at least the portion of the circuit design based on the pin types of the plurality of components, each of the plurality of checks associated with characteristics of connected components to identify potential connection problems in the portion of a circuit definition; applying the plurality of determined checks to at least the portion of the circuit definition, wherein one or more of the plurality parametric models comprises a plurality of operating parameters for a pin of the associated component, each associated with a selecting condition for selecting its use with the component; and determining one of the operating parameters of the pin to use based on the selecting condition, wherein the selecting condition specifies an operating parameter of another pin of the associated component, and determining one of the operating parameters comprises determining the operating parameter of the other pin based on one or more connected components.