Why use PrimeTime when DC can do timing analysis..?

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giggs11

Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 57

14 Jan 2005 19:43 Why use PrimeTime when DC can do timing analysis..?

Hi guys,

I'm in a bit of a confusion here. I'm able to perform timing analysis on Synopsys DC but there is PrimeTime which also does STA. How would PrimeTime be more advantageous than DC's timing analysis..?

Can someone point out the advantages and uses of Primetime...?

Thanks guys.

sarath51

Joined: 11 Dec 2002
Posts: 143
Helped: 7

14 Jan 2005 20:04 Re: Why use PrimeTime when DC can do timing analysis..?

Primet Time has some specialzed inbuillt algorithms for Meeting Timing Puposes. The timing which canot be met by DC can be met by the timingspecific engines associated with Prime time and more over PT as become Timing Sign Off by most Fabs.

eternal_nan

Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 158
Helped: 15
Location: eternity

15 Jan 2005 1:45 Re: Why use PrimeTime when DC can do timing analysis..?

1. Primetime's STA engine is a lot faster
2. More accurate delay calculator since the tool is aimed at sign-off rather than timing driven optimization
3. Support for signal integrity problem analysis (if buy the primetime SI license)
2. Although pt_shell and dc_shell apear to support the same commands at
a first glance primetime actually has many features and commands for timing
analysis that DC does not. For example, on chip variation analysis, interface-logic-models, several other types of timing models, advanced reporting capabilities.

There are probably many more reasons...

spauls

Joined: 17 Dec 2002
Posts: 547
Helped: 19

15 Jan 2005 11:56 Re: Why use PrimeTime when DC can do timing analysis..?

PT algo are faster than DC,
also DC cant do STA well.

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sxqzj

Joined: 18 Feb 2004
Posts: 90

17 Jan 2005 7:30 Why use PrimeTime when DC can do timing analysis..?

I think its more accurate and faster to use PT than DC's timing analyis tool

visualart

Joined: 21 Dec 2001
Posts: 588
Helped: 26

17 Jan 2005 8:21 Why use PrimeTime when DC can do timing analysis..?

Becasuse the Simulator can't simulate alll the path, and simulate need too many clock cycle
.

giggs11

Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Posts: 57

18 Jan 2005 19:37 Re: Why use PrimeTime when DC can do timing analysis..?

hi guys,

Sarath, you said:

"Prime Time has some specialzed inbuillt algorithms for Meeting Timing Puposes. The timing which canot be met by DC can be met by the timingspecific engines associated with Prime time and more over PT as become Timing Sign Off by most Fabs."

Can PrimeTime be used to do further synthesis to meet timing constraints. Or do you mean that PT can simulate more paths of the design and for different timing analysises compared to DC...?

Thanks.

Thomson

Joined: 15 Oct 2004
Posts: 181
Helped: 3

19 Jan 2005 11:16 Re: Why use PrimeTime when DC can do timing analysis..?

It can caculate the timing using the information obtained from the P&R stage, which contains the capacitance and resistance so that the timing dealing process is conducted by the same timing engine. How can you assure yourself that the timing results from different engines are compatible and which one is more accurate? The PT has a sign-off accuracy.

xworld2008

Joined: 13 Dec 2002
Posts: 265
Helped: 3

20 Jan 2005 16:32 Why use PrimeTime when DC can do timing analysis..?

The timing arc coverage , i think is different. In buildgate i have see a command "report_analyse_coverage" , which will report the timing arc coverage at synthesis.I don't know if DC have the same command. If DC have the command, you can try compare DC and PT timing analyse coverage may different.