Product category:
Design and Development Software
News Release from: Altos Design Automation | Subject: Variety
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 25 October 2007
Software accounts for process variations
Statistical static timing analysis helps manage the systematic and random process variations inherent in IC manufacturing.
Altos Design Automation and Extreme DA have jointly developed an essential statistical design flow for IC designs manufactured at process nodes of 65nm and below Successful statistical static timing analysis (SSTA) using Altos' Variety models with the Extreme DA GoldTime analyser has been verified by several mutual customers
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 16 Jan 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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Tool generates variation-aware timing models
Variety is an ultrafast general-purpose statistical library characteriser for standard cells.
Variation models help with process shrinks
Critical element in statistical design flow gives designers much more accurate modelling of both on- and off-chip process variations.
At advanced manufacturing process nodes, a statistically enabled variation-aware design flow is required for effectively managing the systematic and random process variations inherent in IC manufacturing.
The SSTA flow featuring the Variety and GoldTime technologies enables designers to accurately account for these variations.
It eliminates the need for designers to use pessimistic guard bands, which cause longer design cycles, bigger chip areas, and increased power consumption.
The accuracy of the underlying cell library used by GoldTime to predict the effects of variation on a design's timing and yield is essential for success.
The development of this verified flow has qualified Altos as an Extreme DA-approved source for the nominal and statistical libraries required by GoldTime.
"We have worked with Extreme DA for more than eighteen months and have validated Variety's statistical timing models and Liberate's nominal timing models with GoldTime timing analysis", says Jim McCanny, Altos CEO.
"Our joint customers are benefiting from improved characterisation throughput and considerably lower disc space requirements especially for the creation of accurate statistical timing models".
"Statistical timing analysis relies on detailed characterisation of variations in the cell libraries used by designers", says Mustafa Celik, President and CEO of Extreme DA.
"Our collaboration with Altos has produced a powerful, verified statistical flow that can improve IC quality, increase yields, and accelerate time to market".
Extreme DA GoldTime for use with Altos Variety and Liberate models is available now from Extreme DA.
Pricing varies depending on configuration.
Altos Variety and Liberate approved libraries for Extreme DA GoldTime are available now from Altos.
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