Product category:
Design and Development Software
News Release from: Synplicity
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 23 July 2004
Patent for novel signal integrity
technology
The US Patent Office has awarded a patent to Synplicity for technology that addresses mounting signal integrity issues in next-generation ICs.
The US Patent Office has awarded a patent to Synplicity for technology that addresses mounting signal integrity issues in next-generation ICs This announcement marks Synplicity's 18th patent for various technological innovations in the design and development of semiconductors, including FPGA, ASIC and structured/platform ASIC devices
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 8 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Synplicity has highlighted details of a second-generation physical synthesis technology for programmable logic designers, the first such technology in the industry
Synplicity's latest technology achievement, patent number 6,734,472 B2, titled, "Power and ground shield mesh to remove signal coupling effects", provides users with increased signal integrity safety, better preroute delay prediction, power and ground noise suppression and improved power distribution, guarding against unforeseen design issues that could prove costly.
The technology described in the patent uses a unique two-dimensional power and ground-interconnect mesh to shield both capacitive and inductive coupling between susceptible signal lines.
Synplicity believes this technology will enable the more efficient development of integrated circuits at 90nm and below.
Further reading
Software automatically partitions FPGA designs
Synplicity has automated its Certify verification synthesis software to speed the development of FPGA-based ASIC prototypes.
Physical optimiser gets the best from FPGAs
Synplicity's FPGA logic synthesis and physical synthesis products can provide full support for the new Xilinx Integrated Software Environment (ISE) 4.1i.
Ken McElvain, Chief Technical Officer at Synplicity, said: "Our broad patent portfolio is a testament to the innovation we have achieved over the past 10 years".
"Indeed, this newest patent further demonstrates Synplicity's fervour for technological advancement within the EDA industry".
"We believe our latest patented technology will bring significant benefits to the semiconductor design community and help minimise signal integrity problems as next-generation integrated circuits are developed in smaller and lower voltage process technologies".
Unlike current industry methods, which start at an unsafe starting point with complex, and sometimes inaccurate, modelling of aggressor and victim signal interactions followed by an attempt to repair all the signal integrity violations with ad hoc techniques, Synplicity's patented signal integrity technique has a starting point where simple routing design rules can be used to guarantee signal integrity safety and predictability of delay.
The shielding mesh, which is also used as part of the power distribution, can then be optimised while maintaining signal integrity safety.
Synplicity was granted its first patent in 2001 in the area of automatic extraction of finite state machines and has since been issued 17 additional patents in various design technology disciplines, including but not limited to, physical synthesis for both FPGAs and ASICs, ASIC prototyping and source level debugging of FPGA hardware.
Synplicity continues its research and development efforts with over 30 additional patents pending.
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