Robust Optimization of Multiple Timing Constraints

Abstract

Modern field-programmable gate array (FPGA) circuit designs often contain multiple clocks and complex timing constraints, and achieving these constraints requires timing optimization at all stages of the computer-aided design (CAD) flow. To our knowledge, no prior published work has either described or quantitatively evaluated how to compute connection timing criticalities for circuits with multiple timing constraints in order to best guide CAD optimization algorithms. While single-clock techniques have a simple extension to multi-clock circuits, this formulation is not robust for circuits with multiple constraints of different magnitudes, or impossible constraints. We describe a robust method of timing optimization for circuits with multiple timing constraints, implemented in the open-source versatile place and route FPGA CAD tool. Our formulation can optimize multiple constraints well, even in the case where some constraints are impossible, and achieves over 20% greater clock speed with aggressive constraints than a straight-forward extension of single-clock work.