Download Tetris Online - imec IC-link

Tetris Online
User Documentation
What’s New
11’2015
Library Clouds: Support LIN and LOG scale
10’2015
Library Clouds: Core Cells Filter
Library Clouds: Custom Charts (plots anything vs anything), more metrics (pin
capacitance, number of pins, V,T)
Library Clouds: X and Y value shown during hovering
9’2015
New Tool: Admin Mode
Library Clouds: Pin based filter
TimingStar: implement Energy and Leakage Lookup
Improvements in robustness for non-TSMC technologies and library vendors
7’2015
Setup Test Server on NextSelect: use port 18443 for test instead of 8443 for
production
TraceOnline: Added more pre-loaded example designs
Implement Arc Details on Timing Analysis
Upload Capabilities for User timing reports
5’2015
3’2015
12’2014
11’2014
CloudPlot Ready
Trace Analysis Ready
TimingStar Ready
10’2014
Migration from imec servers to Nextselect Server
8’2014
First experiments with the new technology
Contents
What’s New ................................................................................................................................................... 1
Getting Help .................................................................................................................................................. 2
Ways of getting help ................................................................................................................................. 2
Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................................................ 2
General Concepts .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Security Aspects ........................................................................................................................................ 3
Getting Started.......................................................................................................................................... 3
Logging in and Status Bar .......................................................................................................................... 4
Library Selection........................................................................................................................................ 5
Automatic cell loading .............................................................................................................................. 6
Cell Based Analysis ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Library Cloud Plots ........................................................................................................................................ 8
Trace Online ................................................................................................................................................ 10
Admin Mode ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Road Ahead ................................................................................................................................................. 14
Getting Help
Ways of getting help
Help is available in numerous ways:
1) Mail [email protected] or call +32 16288431
2) This documentation
3) Many elements are decorated with a ?, which is clickable showing context specific help.
Troubleshooting
Symptom
Page not loading correctly
Reason
Tool update incompatible
with what’s left in
browser cache
Solution
-Clear browser cache.
-Try “hard” reload (Shift-F5 or CtrlF5,depending on browser). Note: this may
not be enough as hard reload only reloads
the frame, not the framed content. In this
case, open the frame content,
https://iclink.imec.be:8443/analytics.html,
And try a hard reload there, before
returning to the framed version.
Unsupported browser
Server error loading
libraries
Library XY not in the system
Can’t login / forgot
password
All slews are identical
Known problem on
libraries used for the first
time in the system
Syncing to EUROPRACTICE
data delayed
Exceptions/changes in
TSMC library naming rules
Particular combination of
features not offered.
Firefox and Opera are working best, some
IE versions don’t work at all, some are
nearly unusable, some work fine.
Tablet browsers (Safari, Android, Sailfish)
usually work well.
Should be fixed for most cases. Re-load
the page and try again if persists.
Ask for synch via [email protected]
Ask for help at [email protected]
Maybe a re-characterization is possible in
this case. Ask for help at [email protected]
Ask for help at [email protected]
The timing mode is
“match load capacitance
such that output slew is
input slew”. Thus all slews
are the same.
In a future version there might be more
timing modes available.
General Concepts
Security Aspects
! Sensitive Information ! Don’t share accounts wildly.
All activity is logged.
We acquired trusted SSL certificates and use strong encryption. Our page is embedded in a frame of the
imec pages which in turn are not encrypted. Because the browser shows the address of the shell and not
the frame content it may appear as unencrypted connection. This is not true. All data transfer is secure.
Passwords are never stored on the web server, only password hashes using strong encryption.
Note: it is planned that access right managements will be implemented, according to NDA status with
the foundry or library supplier. Right now, all accounts have access to all libraries, and therefore, care
must be taken with whom the information can be shared.
The system also has a log-out timer of about 10 minutes of in-activity, destroying all session information
on server and client.
Getting Started
Go to https://iclink.imec.be:8443
The heavy calculation runs with original libraries on our servers. Only the display is done via any* web
browser.
*Opera or Firefox preferred!
Avoid or at least test IE before demoing to 3rd party!
You’ll be redirected to http://www2.imec.be/be_en/services-and-solutions/imec-iclink/dataanalytics.html, which displays the tools framed in the imec webpages.
For the test environment (newly built but not yet released features, instable, experimental, developing
phase ...) visit https://iclink.imec.be:18443 instead. This version is not framed.
Click the run button of any Application, and you’ll get the start screen of the application together with a
status area, and a popup alert that you must login.
Logging in and Status Bar
Do the login process, and upon success, the application area becomes actively usable. If you don’t have
an account or forgot the password, contact:
[email protected] or call +32 1628 8431.
Remember to logout to be sure the session becomes inactive. The system also has a log-out timer of
about 10 minutes of in-activity.
Library Selection
Library selection is similar in all applications. Select a (new) library by typing in features of interest. The
available choices matching these features are suggested and decrease instantaneously as more filters
are typed.
Valid features include







the foundry (TSMC,...)
node (type 180, 130, 90, 65, 55, 45, 40, 28)
the flavor (g, lp, lpef, hp, hpm, hpl, hpc, hpcplus)
the gate length if applicable (30, 35, 40, 35-, 35+),
the vt flavor (svt, lvt, ulvt, hvt, uhvt),
the track height (7t, 9t, 12t, sometimes the word “default” or “hd”),
corners:
o speaking corner names up to the NODE 40 are for example wc, wcl, wcz, tc, tl, bc, ml, lt
and usually imply the voltage used and the temperature. Sometimes, if the
characterization voltage differs from the nominal voltage, the voltage can appear after
the corner name, separated by a space, like “wc 0.72”
o PVT otherwise:
 Process (ss, ssg, tt, ff, ffg)
 Voltage (e.g. 0.72V)
 Temperature (e.g. 125C )

A click on the ? provides hints.
The screen shot shows a library selection in process in the Trace Online Application. Notice that not all
features must be specified. The system will suggest libraries choices matching the criteria specified.
After selecting a (new) library, the library is loaded into memory on the server, and depending
application several operations are performed, and results transmitted to the client. You can add more
libraries and compare the results in any application.
Automatic cell load capacitance
With the exception of Path Based Analysis, all tools automatically load cells with a load capacitance that
causes the cell’s output slew to match its input slew. This is to generate comparable results across
libraries, and reduce the user complexity as no explicit loading/stimulation parameters have to be
specified.
The input slew used is measured at the output of the last inverter in a chain of seven of library’s
INVERTER drive one gates, each stage being loaded with in total four other such INVERTERs.
Cell Based Analysis
After selecting a library (see above), this tool allows you to select any library cell by typing the cell name
into the appropriate text box. Suggestions for the full cell name are provided as you type. Once you
select a cell name, the server finds the cell in the selected library and returns several characteristics such
as timing arcs, leakage, and energy.
This information is displayed in the table.
Click New to add a table row for comparison. You do not need to select the library again if you want to
choose a different cell from the same library.
In the “Arc Details View”, you can select which arcs contribute to the condensed single delay value in
the overview. You can restrict to certain input and output pins, transition and stimulation directions,
MAX/MIN/AVG or exclude arcs individually.
“Worst Slew” lets the tool select a different arc for the worst slew than the timing, otherwise the slew is
paired with the timing arc.
This function is currently without much effect as the only timing mode is “match load capacitance such
that output slew is input slew”. Thus all slews are the same. However, in a future version, more timing
modes may become available.
Library Cloud Plots
This tools allows you to overlay scatter plots for different libraries. Each dot represents a library cell.
Each dot type (color/shape) represents a different library. You can select between several X and Y
metrics, LOG/LIN scale and library cell filters.
Note that after selecting a library, it takes a bit longer compared to the other tools, because the server is
loading and transmitting ALL cells from the library. You can watch the status (spinning circle when server
is busy vs “OK” when done)
You get the number of cells and the library slew (see General Concepts) but that’s about it you can do on
this page. Click on “Custom Chart: the display the library cells.
In this view, you can select X-Axis and Y-Axis metrics, and the axes scales (LOG/LIN). Each dot represents
a library cell, and you can investigate the cell name and coordinates by hovering over it with the mouse.
Often it is sufficient (and much faster) to display only certain cells. We pre-selected six core cells (INV,
ND2, FA, MX, XOR, DFD, (*)) that are good for representing the “DNA” of a library as they contain the
main circuit types (complementary logic vs pass-gates, simple vs complex, combinational vs sequential).
Advanced users can also edit their own regular expression (JavaScript syntax), e.g. for finding only
inverters in TSMC, type “.*INV.*” in “Edit regexp”, and click “Filter” to update the plot.
(*) a seventh cell is planned to be defined.
You can go back to the Input tab and add more libraries.
Bear in mind that the plotting is done in relatively slow JavaScript, so you should not overlay more than
five clouds or so, unless you filter them, e.g. using the “Seven core cells” filter only.
Trace Online
This application allows you to re-link the cells of entire paths, and re-time them using our path based
timing analysis. You can choose to upload your own timing reports or select pre-defined timing reports
for example designs, as described below.
Choose the Upload Reports button.
There are too many options in the commercial digital design tools on how to format timing reports for
us to support them all. Before trying your own timing report you may want to contact us at
[email protected] for a few reference timing report examples that our tools understands.
Alternatively, you can also start with pre-defined timing reports in the “Design” tab, and inspect their
original text file by going back to the “Timing Report” tab.
Imec-users can find the original reports at \\nt4\tetris\TraceOnline DEMO Material
Click the link to upload TR.
Find your timing report folder and select timing report:
Make sure to select a .timing.rpt file, e.g. Viterbi
Wikipedia: The Viterbi algorithm is named after Andrew Viterbi, who proposed it in 1967 as a decoding
algorithm for convolutional codes over noisy digital communication links. Andrew James Viterbi (born
Andrea Giacomo Viterbi; March 9, 1935) is an American electrical engineer and businessman who cofounded Qualcomm Inc. and invented the Viterbi algorithm.
Click ‘Open’ in Windows FireFox.
Upon upload, the file is immediately downloaded to the large text area for verification and/or
modification. Click Next or OK and Upload Reference Report on the Tab Panel.
Repeat the same step for Cell Usage Report.
Make sure to select a .reference.rpt file, e.g. Viterbi
You will be taken to the Design tab.
Alternatively, you can select a pre-loaded example design and not upload your own report from the
home screen:
You are then taken to the Design Tab.
The design tab allows to select another design and review the critical path of the selected or uploaded
design graphically, as well as the power consumption of the design.
In case you uploaded your timing report, you must tell which reference library was used (in the two
upload examples provided it is 45 g wc, the default if you don’t specify anything)
In case you select predefined design, no action needed.
If you are done, go to the Library tab.
Select a new library by typing in features of interest. See details in the previous section (General
Concepts).
After selecting a new library you can add more and compare the numbers appearing in the fmax and
Power columns, and see the results graphically in the Chart tab.
Admin Mode
Tetris Admins can create, delete accounts, re-set passwords and study tool usage statistics.
Road Ahead
For Improvements of this online digital analysis version:
Send your feedback to [email protected]