Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor – Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design
Utility Patent
1998-02-10
2001-01-02
Lintz, Paul R. (Department: 2768)
Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor
Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design
C716S030000, C716S030000, C326S101000
Utility Patent
active
06170079
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a design system for power supply circuit diagrams, and more particularly, to a design system for power supply circuit diagrams using CAD (Computer Aided Design) systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
In circuit design using CAD, in order to raise efficiency, IC components are categorized provisionally in advance, and recorded in a database. For example, a 14-pin IC component as shown in
FIG. 24
is divided into five types, as illustrated in FIG.
25
. Here, these five respective types are called “portions”.
In
FIG. 25
, the numbers correspond to the 14 pins of the IC component in FIG.
24
. Moreover, portion number (5) comprises a pin for connecting to a power supply and a pin for connecting to an earth, and it is called a “power portion” to differentiate it from the other general portions.
In designing a power supply circuit, a plurality of power portions for IC components contained in a device circuit are arranged such that they are connected to a power supply and an earth. In this power supply design process, hitherto, the designer has had to input the power portions and bypass capacitors (in the drawings, abbreviated to “Pass_Con”,) contained in a power supply circuit, mechanically, one by one, and connect them to the power supply and earth.
However, power portions are required in a power supply circuit diagram at a ratio of one per component, and moreover, bypass capacitors must also be input. Therefore, as the number of components used in the design increases, the number of power portions and bypass capacitors to be input also increases. As a result, a significant amount of labour and time is required to create the power supply circuit diagram.
Under these circumstances, as a design increases in scale, the design time inevitably rises and the problem of simple design errors occurs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a power supply circuit design system wherein data is input, components are automatically arranged, and wiring connections are made automatically, thereby enabling design errors associated with increases in design scale to be prevented and allowing design time to be shortened.
The aforementioned object of the present invention is achieved by means of a power supply circuit diagram design system including a data library, a CPU, and a memory storing a design aid program implemented by the CPU, which designs power supply circuit diagrams on the basis of the data library in accordance with given conditions for a power supply circuit, wherein the given conditions are taken as the respective vertical and horizontal intervals between power portions having pins for connecting to a power supply and pins for connecting to an earth, and the number of rows and the number of steps of the power portions and a plurality of power portions are arranged according to the given conditions by means of the design aid program, and the plurality of arranged power portions are each respectively wired to a power supply symbol and an earth symbol.
Moreover, in a further mode, the object of the present invention is achieved by means of a power supply circuit diagram design system comprising a data library, a CPU, and a memory storing a design aid program implemented by the CPU, which designs power supply circuit diagrams on the basis of the data library in accordance with given conditions for a power supply circuit, wherein the given conditions are taken as the vertical and horizontal intervals between bypass capacitors, and the number of bypass capacitors and the number of rows for each type of bypass capacitor. The number of bypass capacitors is arranged in the number of rows and a number of steps, derived from the number of bypass capacitors and the number of rows, by means of the design aid program, and each bypass capacitor is wired respectively to a power supply symbol and an earth symbol.
Moreover, in a further mode, the object of the present invention is achieved by means of a power supply circuit diagram design system comprising a data library, a CPU, and a memory storing a design aid program implemented by the CPU, which designs power supply circuit diagrams on the basis of the data library in accordance with given conditions for a power supply circuit, wherein the given conditions are taken as the respective vertical and horizontal intervals between components, where these components comprise power portions and bypass capacitors having pins for connecting to a power supply and pins for connecting to an earth, the number of rows and the number of steps of the components, and the number of each type of bypass capacitor and a plurality of power portions and bypass capacitors are arranged alternately according to the given conditions by means of the design aid program, and the plurality of arranged power portions and bypass capacitors are each respectively wired to a power supply symbol and an earth symbol.
In the foregoing, it is also possible for the given conditions to be taken as the vertical and horizontal intervals between bypass capacitors, and the number of bypass capacitors and the number of rows corresponding to each type of bypass capacitor, and for the number of bypass capacitors to be arranged in the number of rows and a number of steps derived from the number of bypass capacitors and the number of rows, each of these bypass capacitors being wired respectively to a power supply symbol and an earth symbol.
In the foregoing, the present invention may also be characterized in that the wiring to the power supply symbol and earth symbol is carried out with reference to the longest pins connecting to the power supply symbol and the earth symbol in the power portions or bypass capacitors arranged in the number of rows and number of steps according to the given conditions. Thereby, the shape of the circuit diagram can be established.
Furthermore, in the foregoing, the present invention may also be characterized in that, when the power supply symbol comprises a plurality of potential differences, wiring is carried out by giving priority to power portions or bypass capacitors connected to a power supply symbol of the same type, such that the wiring distance to the corresponding power supply symbol is made as short as possible. Thereby, the shape of the circuit diagram can be established.
Moreover, in the foregoing, the present invention is also characterized in that it comprises a display device for displaying the designed power supply circuit, and after the arranged number of rows and number of steps of the power portions and/or bypass capacitors has been determined, it is possible to move the circuit diagram about the screen of the display device, whilst maintaining the wiring connections to the power supply and earth.
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Kato Tsuyoshi
Saito Takashi
Shimizu Takehiko
Yamada Shuichiro
Fujitsu Limited
Lintz Paul R.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
Thompson A. M.
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