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Gate Resizer

Gate Resizer commands are described below. The resizer commands stop when the design area is -max_utilization util percent of the core area. util is between 0 and 100. The resizer stops and reports an error if the max utilization is exceeded.

Commands

Set Wire RC

set_wire_rc [-clock] [-signal]
            [-layer layer_name]
            [-resistance res]
            [-capacitance cap]

The set_wire_rc command sets the resistance and capacitance used to estimate delay of routing wires. Separate values can be specified for clock and data nets with the -signal and -clock flags. Without either -signal or -clock the resistance and capacitance for clocks and data nets are set. Use -layer or -resistance and -capacitance. If -layer is used, the LEF technology resistance and area/edge capacitance values for the layer are used for a default width wire on the layer. The resistance and capacitance values are per length of wire, not per square or per square micron. The units for -resistance and -capacitance are from the first Liberty file read, resistance_unit/distance_unit (typically kohms/micron) and Liberty capacitance_unit/distance_unit (typically pf/micron or ff/micron). If distance units are not specified in the Liberty file, microns are used.

Set Layer RC

The set_layer_rc command can be used to set the resistance and capacitance for a layer or via. This is useful if these values are missing from the LEF file, or to override the values in the LEF.

set_layer_rc [-layer layer]
             [-via via_layer]
             [-capacitance cap]
             [-resistance res]
             [-corner corner]

For layers the resistance and capacitance units are the same as set_wire_rc (per length of default width wire). layer must be the name of a routing layer.

Via resistance can also be set with the set_layer_rc command, using the -via keyword. -capacitance is not supported for vias. via_layer is the name of a via layer. Via resistance is per cut/via, not area based.

Remove Buffers

remove_buffers

Use the remove_buffers command to remove buffers inserted by synthesis. This step is recommended before using repair_design so that there is more flexibility in buffering nets.

Estimate Parasitics

estimate_parasitics -placement|-global_routing

Estimate RC parasitics based on placed component pin locations. If there are no component locations, then no parasitics are added. The resistance and capacitance values are per distance unit of a routing wire. Use the set_units command to check units or set_cmd_units to change units. The goal is to represent "average" routing layer resistance and capacitance. If the set_wire_rc command is not called before resizing, then the default_wireload model specified in the first Liberty file read or with the SDC set_wire_load command is used to make parasitics.

After the global_route command has been called, the global routing topology and layers can be used to estimate parasitics with the -global_routing flag.

Set Don't Use

set_dont_use lib_cells
unset_dont_use lib_cells

The set_dont_use command removes library cells from consideration by the resizer. lib_cells is a list of cells returned by get_lib_cells or a list of cell names (wildcards allowed). For example, DLY* says do not use cells with names that begin with DLY in all libraries.

Set Don't Touch

set_dont_touch instances_nets
unset_dont_touch instances_nets

The set_dont_touch command prevents the resizer commands from modifying instances or nets.

Buffer Ports

buffer_ports [-inputs] [-outputs] [-max_utilization util]

The buffer_ports -inputs command adds a buffer between the input and its loads. The buffer_ports -outputs adds a buffer between the port driver and the output port. The default behavior is -inputs and -outputs if neither is specified. Inserting buffers on input and output ports makes the block input capacitances and output drives independent of the block internals.

Repair Design

repair_design [-max_wire_length max_length]
              [-slew_margin slew_margin]
              [-cap_margin cap_margin]
              [-max_utilization util]

The repair_design command inserts buffers on nets to repair max slew, max capacitance and max fanout violations, and on long wires to reduce RC delay in the wire. It also resizes gates to normalize slews. Use estimate_parasitics -placement before repair_design to estimate parasitics considered during repair. Placement-based parasitics cannot accurately predict routed parasitics, so a margin can be used to "over-repair" the design to compensate. Use -slew_margin to add a margin to the slews, and -cap_margin to add a margin to the capacitances. Use -max_wire_length to specify the maximum length of wires. The maximum wirelength defaults to a value that minimizes the wire delay for the wire resistance/capacitance values specified by set_wire_rc.

Set Max Fanout

Use the set_max_fanout SDC command to set the maximum fanout for the design.

set_max_fanout <fanout> [current_design]

Repair Tie Fanout

repair_tie_fanout [-separation dist]
                  [-verbose]
                  lib_port

The repair_tie_fanout command connects each tie high/low load to a copy of the tie high/low cell. lib_port is the tie high/low port, which can be a library/cell/port name or object returned by get_lib_pins. The tie high/low instance is separated from the load by dist (in Liberty units, typically microns).

Repair Timing

repair_timing [-setup]
              [-hold]
              [-setup_margin setup_margin]
              [-hold_margin hold_margin]
              [-allow_setup_violations]
              [-repair_tns tns_end_percent]
              [-max_utilization util]
              [-max_buffer_percent buffer_percent]

The repair_timing command repairs setup and hold violations. It should be run after clock tree synthesis with propagated clocks. Setup repair is done before hold repair so that hold repair does not cause setup checks to fail. While repairing hold violations buffers are not inserted that will cause setup violations unless '-allow_setup_violations' is specified. Use -setup_margin/-hold_margin to add additional slack margin.

The worst setup path is always repaired. Next, violating paths to endpoints are repaired to reduced the total negative slack. The percentage of violating endpoints to repair is specified with -repair_tns is the percentage of violating endpoints to repair (0 to 100). When tns_end_percent is zero (the default), only the worst endpoint is repaired. When tns_end_percent is 100, all violating endpoints are repaired.

Use-max_buffer_percent to specify a maximum number of buffers to insert to repair hold violations as a percentage of the number of instances in the design. The default value for buffer_percent is 20, for 20%.

Repair Clock Nets

repair_clock_nets [-max_wire_length max_wire_length]

The 'clock_tree_synthesis' command inserts a clock tree in the design but may leave a long wire from the clock input pin to the clock tree root buffer. The repair_clock_nets command inserts buffers in the wire from the clock input pin to the clock root buffer.

Report Design Area

report_design_area

The report_design_area command reports the area of the design's components and the utilization.

Report Floating Nets

report_floating_nets [-verbose]

The report_floating_nets command reports nets with only one pin connection. Use the -verbose flag to see the net names.

Example scripts

A typical resizer command file (after a design and Liberty libraries have been read) is shown below.

read_sdc gcd.sdc

set_wire_rc -layer metal2

set_dont_use {CLKBUF_* AOI211_X1 OAI211_X1}

buffer_ports
repair_design -max_wire_length 100
repair_tie_fanout LOGIC0_X1/Z
repair_tie_fanout LOGIC1_X1/Z
# clock tree synthesis...
repair_timing

Note that OpenSTA commands can be used to report timing metrics before or after resizing the design.

set_wire_rc -layer metal2
report_checks
report_tns
report_wns
report_checks

repair_design

report_checks
report_tns
report_wns

Regression tests

Limitations

FAQs

Check out GitHub discussion about this tool.

License

BSD 3-Clause License. See LICENSE file.