CPAM: A common power analysis methodology for high-performance VLSI design

Abstract

A common power analysis methodology has been developed to estimate on-chip thermal power, identify potential electromigration problems, and minimize power supply noise. Called CPAM, the method provide results that can be used to improve system performance and reliability of high-end processor design. By using CPAM, optimization procedures such as power bus sizing and decoupling capacitor placement can be performed to preserve signal integrity and achieve performance targets for high-end microprocessor design.