Energy and peak-current per-cycle estimation at RTL

We present novel macromodeling techniques for estimating the energy dissipated and peak-current drawn in a logic circuit for every input vector pair (we call this the energy-per-cycle and peak-current-per-cycle, respectively). The macromodels are based on classifying the input vector pairs on the basis of their Hamming distances and using a different equation-based macromodel for every Hamming distance. The variables of our macromodel are the zero-delay transition counts at three logic levels inside the circuit. We present an automatic characterization process by which such macromodels can be constructed. The energy-per-cycle macromodel provides a transient energy waveform, and can also be used to estimate the moving average energy over any time window, whereas peak-current-per-cycle macromodel provides peak-current which can be used for studying IR drop problems. Some key features of this technique are: 1) the models are compact (linear in the number of inputs); 2) they can be used for any input sequence; and 3) the characterization is automatic and requires no user intervention. These approaches have been implemented and models have been built and tested for many circuits. The average errors observed in estimating the energy-per-cycle and peak-current-per-cycle are under 20%. The energy-per-cycle model can also be used to measure the long-term average power, with an observed error of under 10% on average.     

换能器阵列的传输线矩阵方法分析

介绍将传输线矩阵方法应用于声光换能器阵列的辐射特性分析，给出了与解析方法一致的数值结果。表明传输线矩阵方法可以用于对声学器件的工作过程进行时域数值模拟。     

天线阵辐射特性的传输线矩阵（TLM）方法分析

运用传输线矩阵（ＴＬＭ）方法，对由理想点源天线构成的直线天线阵在不同激励方式下的辐射方向图进行了数值计算。计算结果与解析分析结果吻合得很好，说明ＴＬＭ方法可以方便地模拟各种天线阵的辐射特性。ＴＬＭ方法也可以模拟在微波暗室里对天线阵的测量。     

The Accuracy of TLM Analysis of Finned Rectangular Waveguides

This paper investigates three sources of error affecting the Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) analysis of finned rectangular waveguides. It is shown how truncation and velocity errors can be minimized, and a diagram for maximum coarseness error affecting the TLM analysis is presented. After error correction, cutoff frequencies obtained with the TLM method are in excellent agreement with results obtained with the Transverse Resonance Method.     

线天线及天线阵的时域传输线矩阵法分析

本文针对线天线及天线阵的频域分析方法的缺点，首次将时域传输线矩阵法应用到这一领域，应用时域ＴＬＭ法时，只需经过一次运逄就可以得到天线及天线阵各个区域的场特性，本文计算方法及数值结果表明，运用时域ＴＬＭ法可以对各种大型天线阵进行有效的分析，便于工程应用。     

Dynamic Three-Dimensional TLM Analysis of Microstriplines on Anisotropic Substrate

The frequency-dependent propagation characteristics of a hybrid mode along microstriplines on anisotropic substrates are presented for the case where the constitutive parameter tensors maybe diagonalized. A generalization of the three-dimensional transmission-line-matrix (TLM) numerical procedure is used to obtain results for the phase constant Beta, effective permittivity epsilon/sub eff/, and the characteristic impedance Z, all as functions of frequency and the shape ratio (w/h). Also shown are results for coupled microstrips on a sapphire substrate.     

一维光子晶体光传输特性的TLM方法分析

传输线矩阵（TLM）方法是一种强有力的时间－空间域内电磁场数值仿真算法。本文在简单介绍TLM方法的原理后，首次用此方法对由两种介电常数不同的材料构成的周期性复层一维光子晶体结构进行了分析。数值模拟结果表明，TLM是分析光子晶体传输特性的有效算法；在可见光波段范围内，光子带隙确定存在，且受电介质材料，空气部分大小等各因素的影响。本文还讨论了在一维结构中引入缺陷时的局域态。     

RTL Test Justification and Propagation Analysis for Modular Designs

Modular decomposition and functional abstraction are commonly employed to accommodate the growing size and complexity of modern designs. In the test domain, a divide-and-conquer type of approach is utilized, wherein test is locally generated for each module and consequently translated to global design test. We present an RTL analysis methodology that identifies the test justification and propagation bottlenecks, facilitating a judicious DFT insertion process. We introduce two mechanisms for capturing, without reasoning on the complete functional space, data and control module behavior related to test translation. A traversal algorithm that identifies the test translation bottlenecks in the design is described. The algorithm is capable of handling cyclic behavior, reconvergence and variable bit-widths in an efficient manner. We demonstrate our scheme on representative examples, unveiling its potential of accurately identifying and consequently minimizing the reported controllability and observability bottlenecks of large, modular designs.     

A methodology aimed at better integration of functional verification and RTL design

The advent of new 65 nm/90 nm VLSI technology and SoC design methodologies has brought an explosive growth in the complexity of modern electronic circuits. As a result, functional verification has become the major bottleneck in any digital design flow. Thus, new methods for easier, faster and more reusable verification are required. This paper proposes a verification methodology (VeriSC2) that guides the implementation of working testbenches during hierarchical decomposition and refinement of the design, even before the RTL implementation starts. This approach uses the SystemC Verification Library (SCV), in a tool capable of automatically generating testbench templates. A case study from a MPEG-4 decoder design is used to show the effectiveness of this approach.     

有耗传输线的TLM模型法

本文从传输线理论出发，介绍了一种解决传输线问题的新方法－－TLM法。     

Original improvements of TLM method

The use of the three-dimensional-TLM method is limited, first, by an excessive computation time and, secondly, by the variability of the results when the position of the point of observation varies. An original approach is described which improves the first point and avoids the second one. The resonant frequencies of the studied cavity are computed by applying Prony's method to time variations of the electric energy located inside the cavity. Numerical results are given in the case of the ridged waveguide cavity.     

传输线矩阵(TLM)方法在分析天线阵辐射特性中的应用

本文运用传输线矩阵(Transmission-line Matrix.TLM)方法分析由理想点源构成的直线天线阵的中间区和远区的场特性,并对天线阵的辐射方向图进行了数值计算:本文计算结果与解析分析结果吻合得很好,表明TLM方法是分析天线阵的近区、中间区和远区场的分布特性以及辐射特性的一种较好的方法.     

Validity of TLM modelling of diffusion

Investigates the use of an error parameter within the TLM method for diffusion. It concludes that although unconditionally stable, accuracy requirements set the maximum timestep to that of finite difference in most cases.<>     

RCS of arbitrarily-shaped targets with the TLM method

The radar cross section (RCS) of several bodies proposed by the Electromagnetic Code Consortium (EMCC) is calculated using the transmission-line matrix (TLM) method with the symmetrical condensed node. The results are in good agreement with experimental and moments-method solutions when the TLM is used together with an appropriate boundary condition and a near- to far-zone transformation approach     

Reduction of edge reflections in the TLM model

The author points out that in the transmission-line-matrix (TLM) method, spurious reflection is encountered at the edge of the mesh. By transforming the infinite region exterior to a finite region and discretizing it by a second mesh, the magnitude of reflection is much reduced. Numerical results are presented together with an application     

FIFA: A fault-injection–fault-analysis-based tool for reliability assessment at RTL level

This paper presents an efficient platform for fault robustness estimation of digital circuits. The proposed platform, named FIFA, was designed as a hardware IP to accelerate the Fault Injection and Fault masking Analysis approach. It supports several fault models as well as single and multiple faults. Synthesis results have shown that the proposed platform can exceed those existent in the literature in terms of area efficiency and performance. In addition, the FIFA platform allows the designer to control complexity and completeness of the analysis process.     

Wire-junction matrix model for the TLM method

The additional capacitance and inductance introduced by a conducting wire can be modelled in the transmission line modelling (TLM) method by a special node. A symmetrical transmission-line structure is proposed for the modelling of wire junctions in a coarse mesh. The model is tested by calculating the response of a wire-cross scatterer and the RCS of a perfectly conducting plate simulated by means of a square wire mesh. Although, initially, TLM was not developed for solving wire structures, the results are in good agreement with the theoretical and moment-method solutions traditionally used for this type of structure