( ESNUG 515 Item 6 ) -------------------------------------------- [11/29/12]
From: [ Jim Hogan of Vista Ventures LLC ]
Subject: Custom 2.0 is design data dependencies, NOT design data managment
Hi, John,
In Custom 1.0, most analog designers were satisfied with a simple design
data management system with a little rev control throw in. Now there's a
need for overall design dependency management, especially with regard to
increased IP reuse or importing outside 3rd party IP.
The current economics of chip design require companies squeeze as much as
possible from each expensive design by maximizing IP reuse. In particular,
custom and analog designers are often the creators of IP which is used and
reused in other designs throughout their companies. Many times it's this
in-house analog IP is where their chip is differentiated from their
competitor's chip.
Once an IP block is created, it will be mutated, shrunk, and enhanced; yet
over the sequence of modifications it still retains much of its original
nature. This is where "dependency management" is vital.
TRACKING EVOLUTIONS
One aspect of dependency management is tracking an IP's evolution through
the different design dimensions; encapsulating the IP's evolving properties
and history and allowing it to inherit attributes from its ancestors, rather
than having to derive them anew for each of the new forms.
Because of this new complexity of both the IP and the designs the IP blocks
live in, as part of transforming an in-house custom design into reusable IP,
the IP must be linked with its associated properties and the attached rule
sets which define how the IP can be used.
When IP is being designed concurrently with the system, it is important to
know its current state to allow users to manage the risks that the evolving
IP presents to the entire design.
Figure 10: Custom 2.0 IP Reuse raises requirements
for design data dependency management
Custom 2.0 IP reuse and dependency management will be characterized with a
real-time information flow surrounding the IP. A key part of dependency
management is bug dependency management; when new IP bugs are found or
design changes made, the designers using previous or derivative versions of
the IP can be immediately made aware of these bugs or changes.
IP developers can communicate the current development state, such as whether
the IP is variation-clean and LVS/DRC clean, as well as bug status,
simulation coverage, and even performance versus yield curves associated
with variability (Figure 10 above).
- Jim Hogan
Vista Ventures, LLC Los Gatos, CA
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