In Pursuit of Design Complexity

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In Pursuit of Design Complexity
Rhett Davis BEE/SSHAFT Group Members Chen
Chang, Tina Smilkstein, Nathan Chan, Allen Chen,
Kimmo Kuusilinna, Rhett Davis, Brian
RichardsMCMA Group MembersHaiyun Tang, Ada S.
Y. Poon, Dejan Markovic, Peimin Chi, Changchun
Shi, Danijela Cabric, Hans-Martin Blüthgen
Prof. Borivoje Nikolic, Prof. Bob Brodersen

• 2002 Summer Retreat

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My Big News
July 1, 2002
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Is SSHAFT Dead?
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Phoenix or Zombie?
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Changes to the SSHAFT Flow

• Retired BCC, Using Xilinx System Generator as
  Front-End, planned new netlister (Chen Chang)
• Retired Elaboration/Macro-Generation Step,
  netlist now assembled entirely in Design Compiler
• Retired LOGIC_CTGEN, now using
  insert_clock_gating command in Design Compiler
• ICMake no longer the only entry point into the
  flow, merely a mechanism for automating a
  dependency graph

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Unified BEE/SHAFT Flow
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BEE ISE FPGA Flow GUI
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BEE Lives
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INSECTA ASIC Flow GUI
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Mapping System Generator Logic to ASICs
OUTPUT0
a0
MUX
b0
a10
b10
OUTPUT1
a1
MUX
b1
a_valid
b_valid
VCC
valid_out
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Current Projects
Implementation Target

BEE

SSHAFT
http//bwrc.eecs.berkeley.edu/Research/ic_design_f
low/examples.html
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Pushing the Envelope of Complexity
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System Generator Capacity

• MCMA AFS System, 1 FPGA (Haiyun Tang,
  Hans-Martin Blüthgen)
• 20 minutes for netlisting and synthesis
• 10240 tap FIR filter, 512 taps per FPGA (Chen
  Chang)
• 30 minutes for netlisting and synthesis
• LDPC Decoder, 4000 blocks (Engling Yeo)
• ? (3 hours execution before crashing)
• New netlister is needed to increase capacity

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Fourth Tape-Out with SSHAFT Flow

• 2.8M transistors
• 0.18 mm
• 1.8 V
• 25 MHz

Maskless Lithography Decompressor Spring 2002
(B. Wild)
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Sharing Tools Expertise with SSHAFT and CVS
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Case for an Open Technology
Progress is slowed by the difficulty of sharing
tools expertise without violating non-disclosure
agreements. An openly distributable technology
would mitigate this problem. Such technology
data would include the following

• Routing / Design Rules
• Standard-Cell Library
• Design Compiler Liberty Database
• Layout Abstract Views (GDS II or equivalent)
• Verification Views (SPICE/CDL or equivalent)
• Calibre DRC LVS Rules
• Parasitic Extraction Rules / Data

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DFII/Apollo-Based SSHAFT Flow
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Status in 0.13 mm
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Conclusions

• Thank you for your attention!