Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor – Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-08
2003-11-04
Siek, Vuthe (Department: 2825)
Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor
Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design
C716S030000, C716S030000, C716S030000, C716S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06643826
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a semiconductor circuit connection data base expressing a relation of connection between functional blocks composing an internal circuit of a semiconductor device. Also, the present invention relates to a method of designing a semiconductor circuit using the semiconductor circuit connection data base.
Concerning the data base expressing a relation of connection between functional blocks forming an internal circuit of a conventional semiconductor device, the mainstream is a data base in which a net list is directly described with HDL (Hardware Description Language). In the HDL net list, the connection between functional blocks can be expressed by describing the same net name in the terminal name of one functional block and the terminal name of the another functional block. A change in the circuit according to a change in the specification and a work for inserting a test circuit are usually conducted on this HDL net list.
However, according to the above conventional method, when the connection between the functional blocks is visually checked on the HDL net list, it is necessary to search the entire net list for the net name so as to find a terminal in which the same net name is described so that the relation of connection between the terminals can be confirmed.
When the correction of wiring to connect the functional blocks is corrected or another functional block is inserted for correction, it is necessary to define a new net name, which does not overlap other net names, by dividing the net. When the correction is made manually, the correction work is complicated, and errors tend to occur. Further, it is difficult to efficiently check after that.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been accomplished to solve the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor circuit connection data base expressing a relation of connection between functional blocks forming an internal circuit of a semiconductor device, wherein the relation of connection can be easily grasped and the change in the design can be easily made without causing complicated problems.
The present invention provides a semiconductor circuit connection data base expressing a relation of connection between functional blocks (
4
,
5
,
6
:
8
,
9
) forming an internal circuit (
1
:
7
) of a semiconductor device, wherein the relation of connection between the functional blocks (
4
,
5
,
6
:
8
,
9
) is described by a form of a table on which a functional block (module/instance) on the output side (Source) and a name (pin) of a terminal on the output side (Source), and a functional block (module/instance) on the output side and a name (Pin) of a terminal on the input side (Source) are made into a set of row data (C
1
to C
6
), without using a name of a net.
According to the semiconductor circuit connection data base, the output section of the functional block and the input section of the corresponding functional block are described in one set of row data on the data base which is expressed by a table form. Therefore, the relation of the connection can be easily grasped, and it is unnecessary that a description is made at one position for each instance of the functional block, which is unlike the HDL description. Accordingly, the data base can be flexibly processed. Further, the data base can be easily processed in the case of correction to automatize.
Since the net name is not used in the case of designing the semiconductor circuit connection data base, even when the wiring is corrected or another functional block is inserted for correction with respect to the connection between the functional blocks, it is unnecessary to newly define a net name which does not overlap other net names. Accordingly, the change in the design can be easily made without causing complicated problems.
Preferably, the present invention provides a semiconductor circuit connection data base, in which the terminal of the functional block, described by the functional block on the input side and the name of the terminal on the input side, is a terminal of “0”-fixation or “1”-fixation at the logical level when the functional block on the output side and/or the name of the terminal on the output side is a specific identifier.
Moreover, the present invention described provides a semiconductor circuit connection data base, in which the terminal of the functional block, described by the functional block on the output side and the name of the terminal on the output side, is a terminal in an open state when the functional block on the input side and/or the name of the terminal on the input side is a specific identifier.
Further, the present invention provides a semiconductor circuit connection data base, in which the terminal described by the terminal name on the input side is expressed to be an output terminal to the outside of the semiconductor device when the functional block on the input side is made to be a specific identifier.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a semiconductor circuit connection data base, in which the terminal described by the terminal name on the output side is expressed to be an input terminal from the outside of the semiconductor device when the functional block on the output side is made to be a specific identifier.
Further, the present invention described provides a semiconductor circuit connection data base, in which when a terminal expressed to be an input terminal from the outside of a semiconductor device in one row data by the data base and a terminal expressed to be an output terminal to the outside of the semiconductor device in the other row data by the data base are of the same terminal name, it is expressed that the terminal having the same terminal name is a bidirectional terminal of input and output with respect to the outside of the semiconductor device.
According to the semiconductor circuit connection data base, expressions of “0”-fixation or “1”-fixation at the logical level of the input terminal, an open state of the output terminal and a specific connection state such as a connection to the outer terminal are previously determined as identifiers, and the functional block on the output side and/or the terminal name on the output side or the functional block on the input side and/or the terminal name on the input side is described as a specific identifier. Due to the foregoing, these specific connection states can be described by the same form as that of the normal connection relation between the functional blocks. Further, the processing related to the specific connection relation can be automatically performed by the specific identifier.
The present invention provides a method of designing a semiconductor circuit using a semiconductor circuit connection data base, wherein the semiconductor circuit connection data base is automatically corrected by a data base correction program using a design correction command file when a design correction for correcting a relation of connection between functional blocks is made.
According to the method of designing a semiconductor circuit, the connection relation can be easily grasped by the semiconductor circuit connection data base of a table form. Therefore, the correction of design can be easily described. By using a design correction command file describing it, the semiconductor circuit connection data base can be automatically corrected by the data base correction programming. Therefore, the occurrence of mistakes caused by manual work can be prevented, and the efficiency of the design correction work can be enhanced.
The present invention provides a method of designing a semiconductor circuit using a semiconductor circuit connection data base, wherein a net name is automatically given by the HDL conversion program so that the HDL net list is created according to the functional block on the output side and the terminal name on the output side and also according to the functional block on the input side and the terminal name on the input side.
Accordi
Dimyan Magid Y
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Siek Vuthe
LandOfFree
Semiconductor circuit connection data base and method of... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Semiconductor circuit connection data base and method of..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Semiconductor circuit connection data base and method of... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3176798