Patent ID: 7574344

Claim:
A computer implemented method for determining a maximum IR drop on a power grid of a circuit comprising: dividing a reference timing signal into a plurality of bins using a computer, each one of the plurality of bins having corresponding bin duration, the plurality of bins being divided by a corresponding plurality of fuzzy boundaries, each one of the plurality of fuzzy boundaries having corresponding boundary duration; analyzing each one of the plurality of bins using the computer including: selecting one of the plurality of bins; identifying a first plurality of devices in the circuit that transition to their corresponding maximum current states during the selected bin; representing the first plurality of devices in the circuit in their corresponding maximum current states; identifying a second plurality of devices in the circuit that transition to their corresponding maximum current states during at least one of the fuzzy boundaries of the selected bin, but not within the selected bin; representing the second plurality of devices in the circuit in their corresponding maximum current states; calculating a maximum current demand value for the selected bin equal to a sum of the maximum current states of the first plurality of devices in the circuit and the second plurality of devices in the circuit; and outputting the calculated maximum current value for the selected bin.