Overview
In this workshop you will learn to perform Static Timing Analysis (STA) using PrimeTime by executing the appropriate high-level summary reports to initiate your analysis, customizing and interpreting detailed timing reports for debugging, and exploring and analyzing the clocks that dictate STA results.

You will also learn to maximize your productivity by validating inherited scripts for your design, by creating scripts using a recommended methodology, by identifying opportunities to improve run time, and by customizing your environment for ease of running and debugging.

The workshop includes comprehensive hands-on labs, which provide an opportunity to apply key concepts covered during the lectures.

• Interpret the essential details in a timing report for setup and hold, recovery and removal, and clock-gating setup and hold
• Generate timing reports for specific paths and with specific details
• Generate summary reports of the design violations organized by clock, slack, or by timing check
• Validate, confirm, debug, enhance, and execute a PrimeTime run script
• Create a PrimeTime run script based on seed scripts from the RMgen utility
• Identify opportunities to improve run time
• Create a saved session and subsequently restore the saved session
• Identify the clocks, where they are defined, and which ones interact, on an unfamiliar design
• Reduce pessimism using path-based analysis

Audience Profile
Design or Verification Engineers who need to perform STA using PrimeTime.

Prerequisites
To benefit the most from the material presented in this workshop, students should have:

• A basic understanding of digital IC design
• Familiarity with UNIX workstations running X-windows
• Familiarity with vi, emacs, or other UNIX text editors

• Does your Design Meet Timing?
• Objects, Attributes, Collections
• Constraints in a Timing Report
• Timing Arcs in a Timing Report
• Control which Paths are Reported

• Summary Reports
• Validate & Enhance PrimeTime Session
• Analysis Types and Back Annotation
• Getting to Know Your Clocks

• Additional Checks and Constraints
• Path-Based Analysis
• Conclusion and Intersecting Technology

• PrimeTime 2011.12-SP2