OEA International Boosts Performance of P-GRID

Power Distribution Analysis Tool

Morgan Hill, California - June 2, 2005. OEA International, Inc. (OEA) today announced a major update to P-GRID[TM], an advanced tool for the analysis of complex IC core power distribution networks for excessive voltage drop (IR Drop) and electromigration violations.  A newly developed solver algorithm ("Cheetah-X") uses a lightning fast and intelligent 3D analysis and solution of the grid structure yielding an accurate parasitic model and maintaining a detailed current simulation model of the full power grid structure.   On the average the new release is at least 50X improvement in CPU time.  This means that power grid layouts which used to take 2 days to simulate, can now be analyzed, modified, and re-analyzed many times within one work day. 

In today's large SOC devices and advanced ASICs there are major concerns about the low voltage margins caused by small voltage differentials, the effects of switched power for large sections of the chip, and real worries about excessive power leakage in nanometer technologies.  P-GRID helps eliminate those concerns by giving an accurate analysis of the current distribution through the core of the chip.   "This advancement in the P-GRID 3D solver removes the limits on the size of the power network practical to analyze," said Jerry Tallinger, vice president of sales and marketing at OEA International. "Power grids which were previously too large for any tool on the market, such as large SoC processor designs, can now be verified with P-GRID within a day."

The P-GRID features are:

• Unparalleled speed and accuracy allowing accurate IR drop and electromigration analysis of larger chips.

• Compact and efficient data model for handling large power grids faster while maintaining accuracy. 

• Color-coded report outputs detailing block currents, outputs detailing average current in by area in the contact layer, and details on voltage drop in the via layers.

In today's high performance VLSI designs, accurate extraction and modeling of the power and ground distribution network is essential.  P-GRID employs a fully seamless 3D Laplace/Poisson field solution using the fast proprietary "Cheetah-X" solver to extract distributed current flow model for even the most complex networks and calculates the current flow from voltage sources to current sources.  Color-coded outputs make it easy to spot errors in power distribution such as high IR drop or poor distribution to the voltage inputs.  Other 2D and square count based net extraction methods do not accurately account for the 3D current distribution and current crowding effects.  Also, because the results of other tools extraction may just be a SPICE deck, it can be difficult or impossible to use because of too many I/Os or a SPICE deck just too large to be simulated.  Thus, results derived from these 2D tools can be inaccurate or impossible to use. 

Availability and Pricing

P-GRID software runs on major operating systems, including Sun Solaris, HP-UX, and Linux.  OEA's P-GRID Power Network Planning tool is available immediately starting at $36,000 for a one-year license.

About OEA International

OEA International, Inc., is the industry leader in 3D extraction of interconnects. OEA’s tools are currently used in the most demanding extraction and design environments. Some of the world's most advanced design facilities use OEA tools for detailed analysis and design of high-speed clocks, buses, I/O rings, and power grids. For additional information call (408) 778-6747, or visit OEA online at www.oea.com

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