用智能算法减少芯片时序验证的仿真次数,提速近60%。
SetupKit: Efficient Multi-Corner Setup/Hold Time Characterization Using Bias-Enhanced Interpolation and Active Learning
- 结合电路分析与主动学习,动态选择最有信息量的仿真点。
- 在16个PVT条件下,仿真时间从720天降至290天,快2.4倍。
- 适合需要高效时序建模的集成电路设计团队使用。
精准的建立/保持时间表征对现代芯片时序收敛至关重要,但其依赖于跨多种工艺-电压-温度(PVT)条件的数百万次SPICE仿真,构成重大瓶颈,耗时可达数周甚至数月。现有方法在多角点场景下存在搜索收敛慢、探索效率低的问题。本文提出SetupKit框架,融合统计智能、电路分析与主动学习(AL)。其核心创新包括:基于统计误差建模的偏置增强插值搜索(BEIRA),克服收敛停滞;通过电路分析估计初始搜索区间;利用高斯过程实现主动学习策略,智能捕捉PVT-时序相关性,引导昂贵仿真至最具信息量的角点,减少冗余。在16个工业级22nm标准单元库的PVT角点上评估,相比传统方法,整体CPU时间减少2.4倍(单核从720天降至290天),显著缩短表征周期。SetupKit为单元库表征提供了基于学习的系统化解决方案,应对了EDA领域关键挑战,推动更智能的仿真管理发展。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
Accurate setup/hold time characterization is crucial for modern chip timing closure, but its reliance on potentially millions of SPICE simulations across diverse process-voltagetemperature (PVT) corners creates a major bottleneck, often lasting weeks or months. Existing methods suffer from slow search convergence and inefficient exploration, especially in the multi-corner setting. We introduce SetupKit, a novel framework designed to break this bottleneck using statistical intelligence, circuit analysis and active learning (AL). SetupKit integrates three key innovations: BEIRA, a bias-enhanced interpolation search derived from statistical error modeling to accelerate convergence by overcoming stagnation issues, initial search interval estimation by circuit analysis and AL strategy using Gaussian Process. This AL component intelligently learns PVT-timing correlations, actively guiding the expensive simulations to the most informative corners, thus minimizing redundancy in multicorner characterization. Evaluated on industrial 22nm standard cells across 16 PVT corners, SetupKit demonstrates a significant 2.4x overall CPU time reduction (from 720 to 290 days on a single core) compared to standard practices, drastically cutting characterization time. SetupKit offers a principled, learningbased approach to library characterization, addressing a critical EDA challenge and paving the way for more intelligent simulation management.
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