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ASIC Interview Questions
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The resistivity of top metal layers are less and hence less IR drop is
seen in power distribution network. If power stripes are routed in
lower metal layers this will use good amount of lower routing
resources and therefore it can create routing congestion.
Answer:
This approach allows routability of the design and better usage of
routing resources.
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* What would you do in order to not use certain cells from the
library?
Answer:
Set dont use attribute on those library cells.
* How delays are characterized using WLM (Wire Load Model)?
Answer:
For a given wireload model the delay are estimated based on the
number of fanout of the cell driving the net.
Fanout vs net length is tabulated in WLMs.
Values of unit resistance R and unit capacitance C are given in
technology file.
Net length varies based on the fanout number.
Once the net length is known delay can be calculated; Sometimes it
is again tabulated.
* What are various techniques to resolve congestion/noise?
Answer:
* How you go about fixing timing violations for latch- latch paths?
* As an engineer, lets say your manager comes to you and asks for
next project die size estimation/projection, giving data on RTL size,
performance requirements. How do you go about the figuring out
and come up with die size considering physical aspects?
* How will you design inserting voltage island scheme between
macro pins crossing core and are at different power wells? What is
the optimal resource solution?
* What are various formal verification issues you faced and how did
you resolve?
* How do you calculate maximum frequency given setup, hold, clock
and clock skew?
* What are effects of metastability?
STmicroelectronics
* What are the challenges you faced in place and route, FV (Formal
Verification), ECO (Engineering Change Order) areas?
* How long the design cycle for your designs?
* What part are your areas of interest in physical design?
* Explain ECO (Engineering Change Order) methodology.
* Explain CTS (Clock Tree Synthesis) flow.
* If there are too many pins of the logic cells in one place within
core, what kind of issues would you face and how will you resolve?
* Define hash/ @array in perl.
* Using TCL (Tool Command Language, Tickle) how do you set
variables?
* What is ICC (IC Compiler) command for setting derate factor/
command to perform physical synthesis?
* What are nanoroute options for search and repair?
* What were your design skew/insertion delay targets?
* How is IR drop analysis done? What are various statistics available
in reports?
* Explain pin density/ cell density issues, hotspots?
* How will you relate routing grid with manufacturing grid and
judge if the routing grid is set correctly?
* What is the command for setting multi cycle path?
* If hold violation exists in design, is it OK to sign off design? If not,
why?
Qualcomm
* In building the timing constraints, do you need to constrain all IO
(Input-Output) ports?
* Can a single port have multi-clocked? How do you set delays for
such ports?
* How is scan DEF (Design Exchange Format) generated?
* What is purpose of lockup latch in scan chain?
* Explain short circuit current.
* What are pros/cons of using low Vt, high Vt cells?
* How do you set inter clock uncertainty?
Answer:
set_clock_uncertainty from clock1 -to clock2
* In DC (Design Compiler), how do you constrain clocks, IO (InputOutput) ports, maxcap, max tran?
* What are differences in clock constraints from pre CTS (Clock Tree
Synthesis) to post CTS (Clock Tree Synthesis)?
Answer:
Difference in clock uncertainty values; Clocks are propagated in post
CTS.
In post CTS clock latency constraint is modified to model clock jitter.
* How is clock gating done?
* What constraints you add in CTS (Clock Tree Synthesis) for clock
gates?
Answer:
Make the clock gating cells as through pins.
* What is trade off between dynamic power (current) and leakage
power (current)?
Answer:
* How do you reduce standby (leakage) power?
* Explain top level pin placement flow? What are parameters to
decide?
* Given block level netlists, timing constraints, libraries, macro LEFs
(Layout Exchange Format/Library Exchange Format), how will you
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Hughes Networks
* What is setup/hold? What are setup and hold time impacts on
timing? How will you fix setup and hold violations?
* Explain function of Muxed FF (Multiplexed Flip Flop) /scan FF (Scal
Flip Flop).
* What are tested in DFT (Design for Testability)?
* In equivalence checking, how do you handle scanen signal?
* In terms of CMOS (Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor),
explain physical parameters that affect the propagation delay?
* What are power dissipation components? How do you reduce
them?
* How delay affected by PVT (Process-Voltage-Temperature)?
* Why is power signal routed in top metal layers?
Hynix Semiconductor
* How do you optimize power at various stages in the physical
design flow?
* What timing optimization strategies you employ in pre-layout
/post-layout stages?
* What are process technology challenges in physical design?
* Design divide by 2, divide by 3, and divide by 1.5 counters. Draw
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timing diagrams.
* What are multi-cycle paths, false paths? How to resolve multicycle and false paths?
* Given a flop to flop path with combo delay in between and output
of the second flop fed back to combo logic. Which path is fastest
path to have hold violation and how will you resolve?
* What are RTL (Register Transfer Level) coding styles to adapt to
yield optimal backend design?
* Draw timing diagrams to represent the propagation delay, set up,
hold, recovery, removal, minimum pulse width.
About Contributor
ASIC_diehard has more than 5 years of experience in physical
design, timing, netlist to GDS flows of Integrated Circuit
development. ASIC_diehard's fields of interest are backend design,
place and route, timing closure, process technologies.
a. Constant
b. Decrease
c. Increase
d. None of the above
* 42) What is routing congestion in the design?
a. Ratio of required routing tracks to available routing tracks
b. Ratio of available routing tracks to required routing tracks
c. Depends on the routing layers available
d. None of the above
* 43) What are preroutes in your design?
a. Power routing
b. Signal routing
c. Power and Signal routing
d. None of the above.
* 44) Clock tree doesn't contain following cell ___.
a. Clock buffer
b. Clock Inverter
c. AOI cell
d. None of the above
* Answers:
1)b
2)c
3)b
4)c
5)b
6)d
7)a
8)c
9)d
10)b
11)d
12)d
13)b
14)c
15)b
16)a
17)c
18)a
19)d
20)a
21)b
22)b
23)d
24)d
25)c
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26)b
27)a
28)c
29)d
30)c
31)d
32)c
33)d
34)c
35)d
36)c
37)a
38)c
39)b
40)d
41)c
42)a
43)a
44)c
Backend (Physical Design) Interview Questions and Answers
* Below are the sequence of questions asked for a physical design
engineer.
-Spread macros
-Spread standard cells
-Increase strap width
-Increase number of straps
-Use proper blockage
In a reg to reg path if you have setup problem where will you insert
buffer-near to launching flop or capture flop? Why?
* (buffers are inserted for fixing fanout voilations and hence they
reduce setup voilation; otherwise we try to fix setup voilation with
the sizing of cells; now just assume that you must insert buffer !)
* Near to capture path.
* Because there may be other paths passing through or originating
from the flop nearer to lauch flop. Hence buffer insertion may affect
other paths also. It may improve all those paths or degarde. If all
those paths have voilation then you may insert buffer nearer to
launch flop provided it improves slack.
Why double spacing and multiple vias are used related to clock?
* Why clock?-- because it is the one signal which chages it state
regularly and more compared to any other signal. If any other signal
switches fast then also we can use double space.
* Double spacing=>width is more=>capacitance is less=>less cross
talk
* Multiple vias=>resistance in parellel=>less resistance=>less RC
delay
What are the input files will you give for primetime correlation?
If the routing congestion exists between two macros, then what will
you do?
* Provide soft or hard blockage
If the full chip design is routed by 7 layer metal, why macros are
designed using 5LM instead of using 7LM?
* Because top two metal layers are required for global routing in
chip design. If top metal layers are also used in block level it will
create routing blockage.
How did you do power planning? How to calculate core ring width,
macro ring width and strap or trunk width? How to find number of
power pad and IO power pads? How the width of metal and
number of straps calculated for power and ground?
* Get the total core power consumption; get the metal layer current
density value from the tech file; Divide total power by number sides
of the chip; Divide the obtained value from the current density to
get core power ring width. Then calculate number of straps using
some more equations. Will be explained in detail later.
How to find total chip power?
* Total chip power=standard cell power consumption,Macro power
consumption pad power consumption.
If in your design has reset pin, then itll affect input pin or output
pin or both?
* Output pin.
During power analysis, if you are facing IR drop problem, then how
did you avoid?
* Increase power metal layer width.
* Go for higher metal layer.
* Spread macros or standard cells.
* Provide more straps.
Define antenna problem and how did you resolve these problem?
* Increased net length can accumulate more charges while
manufacturing of the device due to ionisation process. If this net is
connected to gate of the MOSFET it can damage dielectric property
of the gate and gate may conduct causing damage to the MOSFET.
This is antenna problem.
* Decrease the length of the net by providing more vias and layer
jumping.
* Insert antenna diode.
How delays vary with different PVT conditions? Show the graph.
* P increase->dealy increase
* P decrease->delay decrease
* V increase->delay decrease
* V decrease->delay increase
* T increase->delay increase
* T decrease->delay decrease
Explain the flow of physical design and inputs and outputs for each
step in flow.
* Cell delay
* Intrinsic delay
* Intrinsic delay is the delay internal to the gate. Input pin of the
cell to output pin of the cell.
* The difference between the time a signal is first applied to the net
and the time it reaches other devices connected to that net.
What are delay models and what is the difference between them?
* Linear Delay Model (LDM)
* Non Linear Delay Model (NLDM)
Why higher metal layers are preferred for Vdd and Vss?
* Because it has less resistance and hence leads to less IR drop.
* Network latency
* The time clock signal (rise or fall) takes to propagate from the
clock definition point to a register clock pin.
What is congestion?
* If the number of routing tracks available for routing is less than
the required tracks then it is known as congestion.
or
* What are IPs?
* Hard macro, firm macro and soft macro are all known as IP
(Intellectual property). They are optimized for power, area and
performance. They can be purchased and used in your ASIC or
FPGA design implementation flow. Soft macro is flexible for all type
of ASIC implementation. Hard macro can be used in pure ASIC
design flow, not in FPGA flow. Before bying any IP it is very
important to evaluate its advantages and disadvantages over each
other, hardware compatibility such as I/O standards with your
design blocks, reusability for other designs.
Soft macros
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Firm macros
* Firm macros are in netlist format.
* Firm macros are optimized for performance/area/power using a
specific fabrication technology.
* Firm macros are more flexible and portable than hard macros.
* Firm macros are predictive of performance and area than soft
macros.
Hard macro
* Hard macros are generally in the form of hardware IPs (or we
termed it as hardwre IPs !).
* Hard macos are targeted for specific IC manufacturing technology.
* Hard macros are block level designs which are silicon tested and
proved.
* Hard macros have been optimized for power or area or timing.
* In physical design you can only access pins of hard macros unlike
soft macros which allows us to manipulate in different way.
* You have freedom to move, rotate, flip but you can't touch
anything inside hard macros.
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Clock net is one of the High Fanout Net(HFN)s. The clock buffers
are designed with some special property like high drive strength and
less delay. Clock buffers have equal rise and fall time. This prevents
duty cycle of clock signal from changing when it passes through a
chain of clock buffers.
Normal buffers are designed with W/L ratio such that sum of rise
time and fall time is minimum. They too are designed for higher
drive strength.
What is difference between HFN synthesis and CTS?
Answer:
*
How will you place the macros?
*
How will you decide the die size?
*
If lengthy metal layer is connected to diffusion and poly, then which
one will affect by antenna problem?
*
If the full chip design is routed by 7 layer metal, why macros are
designed using 5LM instead of using 7LM?
*
In your project what is die size, number of metal layers, technology,
foundry, number of clocks?
*
How many macros in your design?
*
What is each macro size and no. of standard cell count?
*
How did u handle the Clock in your design?
*
What are the Input needs for your design?
*
What is SDC constraint file contains?
*
How did you do power planning?
*
How to find total chip power?
*
How to calculate core ring width, macro ring width and strap or
trunk width?
*
How to find number of power pad and IO power pads?
*
What are the problems faced related to timing?
*
How did u resolve the setup and hold problem?
*
If in your design 10000 and more numbers of problems come, then
what you will do?
*
In which layer do you prefer for clock routing and why?
*
If in your design has reset pin, then itll affect input pin or output
pin or both?
*
During power analysis, if you are facing IR drop problem, then how
did u avoid?
*
Define antenna problem and how did u resolve these problem?
*
How delays vary with different PVT conditions? Show the graph.
*
Explain the flow of physical design and inputs and outputs for each
step in flow.
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*
What is cell delay and net delay?
*
What are delay models and what is the difference between them?
*
What is wire load model?
*
What does SDC constraints has?
*
Why higher metal layers are preferred for Vdd and Vss?
*
What is logic optimization and give some methods of logic
optimization.
*
What is the significance of negative slack?
*
What is signal integrity? How it affects Timing?
*
What is IR drop? How to avoid .how it affects timing?
*
What is EM and it effects?
*
What is floor plan and power plan?
*
What are types of routing?
*
What is a grid .why we need and different types of grids?
*
What is core and how u will decide w/h ratio for core?
*
What is effective utilization and chip utilization?
*
What is latency? Give the types?
*
How the width of metal and number of straps calculated for power
and ground?
*
What is negative slack ? How it affects timing?
*
What is track assignment?
*
What is grided and gridless routing?
*
What is a macro and standard cell?
*
What is congestion?
*
Whether congestion is related to placement or routing?
*
What are clock trees?
*
What are clock tree types?
*
Which layer is used for clock routing and why?
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*
What is cloning and buffering?
*
What are placement blockages?
*
How slow and fast transition at inputs effect timing for gates?
*
What is antenna effect?
*
What are DFM issues?
*
What is .lib, LEF, DEF, .tf?
*
What is the difference between synthesis and simulation?
*
What is metal density, metal slotting rule?
*
What is OPC, PSM?
*
Why clock is not synthesized in DC?
*
What are high-Vt and low-Vt cells?
*
What corner cells contains?
*
What is the difference between core filler cells and metal fillers?
*
How to decide number of pads in chip level design?
*
What is tie-high and tie-low cells and where it is used
*
What is LEF?
*
What is DEF?
*
What are the steps involved in designing an optimal pad ring?
* What are the steps that you have done in the design flow?
* What are the issues in floor plan?
* How can you estimate area of block?
* How much aspect ratio should be kept (or have you kept) and
what is the utilization?
* How to calculate core ring and stripe widths?
* What if hot spot found in some area of block? How you tackle
this?
* After adding stripes also if you have hot spot what to do?
* What is threshold voltage? How it affect timing?
* What is content of lib, lef, sdc?
* What is meant my 9 track, 12 track standard cells?
* What is scan chain? What if scan chain not detached and
reordered? Is it compulsory?
* What is setup and hold? Why there are ? What if setup and hold
violates?
* In a circuit, for reg to reg path ...Tclktoq is 50 ps, Tcombo 50ps,
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1 COMMENT:
Anonymous said...
Hi
I read this post 2 times. It is very useful.
Pls try to keep posting.
Let me show other source that may be good for community.
Source: Project analyst interview questions
Best regards
Jonathan.
December 10, 2011 at 11:07 PM
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