Voltus IC Power Integrity Solution is a power integrity and analysis signoff solution integrated with the full suite of Cadence design implementation and signoff tools to deliver the industry’s fastest design closure flow. This blog series aims to broadcast the voices of different experts on how design engineers can effectively use the diverse Voltus technologies to achieve high-performance, accuracy, and capacity for next-gen chip designs.

In our previous blog posts from the series “Breaking Ground with Voltus InsightAI,” we delved into the transformative capabilities of Voltus InsightAI—the cutting-edge solution that not only predicts IR drop issues early in the design process but also automatically refines the design for optimal power integrity. Now that we have grasped the powerful capabilities of Voltus InsightAI, let us transition our learning from the concepts of Voltus InsightAI to the implementation of its flow.
In this blog, we will discuss about the Voltus InsightAI RAK designed to help leverage the powerful features of Voltus InsightAI.

Why Use the Voltus InsightAI RAK?

The RAK has the following benefits:

What's Inside the RAK?

From setting up the initial conditions for getting started to performing the checks after the run is completed, the RAK covers all the steps required to run the Voltus InsightAI flow:

1. Database reading: The first step includes the pre-processing scripts that prepare the design data for analysis. This script reads the design files, extracts the netlist, and sets up the initial conditions for a successful analysis.
   The RAK further provides an extensive description of the following two scripts:
   • voltus_globals.tcl–a variable script that is used to specify all the required variables for the Voltus InsightAI flow. 
   • voltus_power_rail.tcl–a script that helps with the dynamic vectorless power and rail analysis settings.
2. Pre-route fixing: Specifies the commands needed for pre-route reinforce_pg to execute pre-route power grid enhancement and IR-aware placement (IRAP) to perform aggressor-based placement.
3. Routing: Includes the commands for both timing- and signal-integrity-driven global and detailed routing, adhering to the design specifications. Following the routing process, it performs comprehensive timing optimization to ensure that every aspect of the design meets the specified stringent timing requirements.
4. Post-route fixing: Comprises the script for reinforcing the power grid stripes by adding new ones along the violation's voltage distribution across the power delivery network.
5. Validation: Encompasses the commands to perform checks by running the rail and power analysis. The get_ir_insight command can be used to load the generated state directories to analyze and report IR distribution changes from the Voltus InsightAI flow.

With these ready-to-use scripts provided at each step, the RAK gives you an accelerated start on the Voltus InsightAI flow. Let's set the wheels in motion and leverage breakthrough machine learning methods to tackle the power integrity challenges efficiently.

Click the following link to access the RAK: Voltus InsightAI: Rapid Adoption Kit (RAK)

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About Voltus Voice

"Voltus Voice" showcases our product capabilities and features and how they empower engineers to meet time-to-market goals for the complex, advanced-node SoCs that are designed for next-gen smart devices. In this monthly blog series, we also share important news, developments, and updates from the Voltus space.

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