[SI-LIST] Re: Flight time measurements and post-route analysis

Hi Todd,

Well, I will make these comments with my Specctraquest hat on.
In the interest of processing efficiency, perhaps the other tools
work the same.   Specctraquest specifies a drivers delay driving 
into a test load at Vmeas.  Inputs can be measured at the thresholds.
The basic idea of this is to remove the clock to out component of 
the test load so that you aren't double adding delays and being 
incredibly conservative.

The problem with using the driver vmeas point and the receiver 
threshold point is that your flight time numbers become conservative
to the tune of the driver time from vmeas to each threshold.  From my
understanding,
the vmeas number is used so that a table of values does not need to 
be preserved, as in theory receivers hooked to the driver could have 
a range of threshold values.  In any event, subtracting a constant
from the time crossing threshold at the receiver simplifies the operation.

One school of thought goes that this should be good enough, if you
violate this extra pad that you are pushing the design too hard.  The
other school says that tweaking a chip to meet this artificial extra
pad is a waste of time and effort.  What it all comes down to is what 
one's general philosophy is.  Should you design beyond worst case because
it gets you additional design margin.  When you pass your worst case 
corner, you are done.  I have worked for some companies that did one 
and others, the other.   I am a personal fan of when you make worst case
you are done.  However, you need to make sure that you have considered 
all the things that you need to in order to define your worst case 
corner.

One thing that I did want to point out is that if a signal shelves but 
does not turn the other way it could still pass a tools monotonic check
but offer you a delay that you didn't expect.

To answer your question.  I like to measure at the thresholds that the 
receiver recognizes as valid highs and lows.  Doing it the other way you
may be right most of the time but I believe you open a window where you
could get surprised and violate setup or hold if things are tight.

Just my 0.02 

MG


-----Original Message-----
From: Todd Westerhoff [mailto:twester@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 4:23 PM
To: Si-List@Freelists. Org
Subject: [SI-LIST] Flight time measurements and post-route analysis



Question for the group:

Most commercial SI tools seem to measure flight times to the receiver's
input thresholds.  Thus, for a given transition, they report a "min" and
"max" flight time based on the threshold settings.

However, there is a school of thought in SI that says measuring flight times
to Vil/Vih is too conservative.  It's based on the observation that
setup/hold specs for a part are measured the same way Tco is - with
reference to a specific threshold.  Therefore, the reasoning goes, you can
measure flight times to the point where the receiver crosses the reference
threshold, and, as long as the signal is within certain quality (i.e.
non-monotonic) and slew-rate limits, the flight time measurement is valid.
The required slew-rate is (or should be) part of the receiving device's
input spec.  If the input signal does NOT meet the quality/slew rate
requirements, well, then you have to use Vil/Vih method, or in some cases, a
derating formula.

My question is: what techniques are people predominantly using: the Vil/Vih
method, the reference voltage, or something in-between?

For those who use the reference voltage method, I'm curious to know how
post-route analysis is performed.  You can adapt any post-route SI tool to
measure at a single voltage by changing the models (if necessary), but - do
any of the tools report slew rate at the receiver inputs during post route
analysis?

Your comments, both on and off the list, are greatly appreciated.

Todd.

Todd Westerhoff
SI Engineer - Hammerhead Networks
5 Federal Street - Billerica, MA - 01821
email:twester@xxxxxxxxxxx - ph: 978-671-5084
============================================

"Oh, but ain't that America, for you and me
 Ain't that America, we're something to see
 Ain't that America, Home of the Free
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