Galaxy Constraint Analyzer

Overview
Galaxy™ Constraint Analyzer improves designer productivity through look-ahead timing constraint analysis and debug technology tuned for the Synopsys Galaxy Implementation Platform. Early feedback on constraint quality leads to more efficient runtimes and better quality of results in Synopsys’ Design Compiler® synthesis and IC Compiler physical implementation tools.

Galaxy Constraint Analyzer Datasheet
Boosting Designer Productivity White Paper

Galaxy Constraint Analyzer provides an intuitive interactive environment for designers to quickly assess the correctness and consistency of timing constraints, helping eliminate trial-and-error iterations during implementation and thereby resulting in more predictable schedules and reduced design cost.

Whether it is run pre- or post-layout, Galaxy Constraint Analyzer uses PrimeTime® constraint interpretation and propagation technology to improve constraint quality input to the implementation and signoff process.

Galaxy Constraint Analyzer Solution
The rapid increase in design size and complexity, as well as the widespread reuse of IP design blocks, has led to a major increase in the size and complexity of timing constraint specification files. Ensuring high-quality timing constraints is paramount to efficient design implementation, especially during handoffs between teams. Incomplete, inconsistent or conflicting constraints can cause optimization and implementation tools to run ineffectively or to never converge. To address this challenge, Galaxy Constraint Analyzer provides a comprehensive set of rule checks designed to maximize the efficiency of Design Compiler synthesis and IC Compiler physical implementation.

Look-ahead Constraint Analysis Technology
Galaxy Constraint Analyzer uses technology based on Synopsys’ golden PrimeTime timing engine to ensure correct interpretation and propagation of constraints. This gives designers a signoff-correlated view of the constraints ahead of each step of the design implementation process. By delivering comprehensive constraint analysis on 10-million-gate designs in a matter of minutes, combined with a unique set of interactive analysis and debug capabilities, Galaxy Constraint Analyzer helps designers quickly identify and fix constraint issues in hours versus days.

Figure 1: Galaxy Constraint Analyzer

Key Features

Powerful rule checking Galaxy Constraint Analyzer includes comprehensive timing rule checks which cover pre- and post-layout timing conditions. Users have the ability to create rule classes which allow them to customize the rulesets for a given phase in the design process.

Best-in-class debug solution
Unique to Galaxy Constraint Analyzer is its extensive support for debugging of constraint violations. The tool is designed to allow users to debug reported violations in real time using the interactive graphical user interface.

All violations are displayed in the violation browser, including custom rules generated by the end user.

When the source of a violation is identified, the user can simply rerun that rule check to verify that the proposed constraint fix will work as expected and fix the violation.

Figure 2: Galaxy Constraint Analyzer Debug Environment

Easy to deploy
Galaxy Constraint Analyzer shares a common core user interface with the Galaxy Implementation Platform tool suite. Scripts from Design Compiler, IC Compiler and PrimeTime can be run without modifications.

Since constraint interpretation is shared with PrimeTime, new users have no difficulties providing conclusive feedback to Design Compiler and IC Compiler users on violating constraints.

Specifications

File format support Galaxy Constraint Analyzer supports the following industry-standard formats.

Platform support Supported Platforms:

Tool Demo Clock Constraint Analysis with Galaxy Constraint Analyzer
Webinars Faster Clock Analysis and Debug Fast Timing Constraint Cleanup with Galaxy Constraint Analyzer