How about benchmarking Opensource openSTA against ——?

So, I took up two STA tools, OpenSTA from openroad project and “——-” from “——-“, to explain, to some extent, what “bench-marking” means to me. I would also encourage everyone reading this blog to come up with their definitions of “bench-marks” for other tools and we can model that. You can fill-up “——” with one of your favorite industry grade EDA tools. The concept of benchmark won’t change

Continue reading

Symposium VI – Standard cell layout/characterization

Symposium VI – Standard cell layout/characterization, ECSM puts its number in the same arc as NLDM. The numbers you see in above image, below the cell_rise, cell_fall, rise_transition is all NLDM information. Under rise_transition, you will have ecsm_waveform and ecsm_capacitance. Now this is only one waveform, because we gave it only one load and one slope, just like we have one value under “rise_transition”. If we had 3×3 under rise_transition, then you would have had ecsm_waveform(“0”), ecsm_waveform(“1”), till ecsm_waveform(“8”), essentially 9 waveforms. And same thing with capacitance

Continue reading

Symposium V – Machine Intelligence in EDA/CAD applications

Symposium V – Machine Intelligence in EDA/CAD applications- Let’s investigate a simple Wire Resistance Estimate (WiRE) model
This is common design automation problem which is used for estimating timing and power characteristics for analysis and implementation for many steps in ASIC flow. We will restrict our scope to physical implementation only, where known quantity is “length” of wire and resistance is predicted.

Continue reading

eFabless is back…with synth/PD/DRC/LVS…and a working CHIP

A working chip is all using opensource EDA tools (no more license fee). Of course, its taped-out in 180nm technology. But who knows, this might be just the beginning. Upcoming blogs will talk more about the commercial angle of this. Let’s see how it is going to benefit student/professionals/innovators community

Continue reading