Crossfire-general-information

about crossfire

Standard cell library, IO and Hard IP validation tool

Crossfire checks consistency and validates all data formats used in designs and subsequently improves the Quality of Standard Cell Libraries, IO libraries and general-purpose IP blocks (Digital, Mixed Signal, Analog and Memories). It reports mismatches or modeling errors for Libraries and IP that can seriously delay an IC design project.

Library and IP integrity checking has become a mandatory step for a “state of the art” deep submicron design due to the following challenges:

  • The sheer number of different views
  • The complexity of the views (ECSM, CCST/N/P)
  • The loss of valuable design time
  • Time to market
Crossfire helps CAD teams and IC designers achieve high quality design data in a short time. Crossfire assures that the information represented across the various views is consistent and does not contain anomalies.

Crossfire usability features

Graphical and batch setup creation, run environment, and batch run support powerful hierarchical configuration language supporting macro functions.
  • Automatic setup generation
  • API’s
  • Viewing and Debugging
  • Waiving mechanism
  • Reporting
  • Transport (QA deck)

Crossfire automatic setup generation

Takes a directory with IP collaterals as main input and detects valid formats (design views). Configures applicable checks based on the available formats.

Crossfire API

Fractal API for creating database independent checks, available in: Perl, Tcl and Python. Existing customer validation scripts and formats can be integrated. Database API to data-mine information from report database and create custom reports.

Crossfire viewing and debugging

Visualization of supported design views (abstract/concrete layout, symbol/schematic, text files, and more). Built-in debugging to view differences in formats (text vs. text). Layout vs. layout differences highlighted. Plots of trends and waveforms. Bottleneck analysis reveals root-cause of an entire category of errors allowing users to quickly make sense of large amount of error messages.

Crossfire waiving mechanism

Waive messages that represent false errors or corner cases that won’t impact design quality. Waivers can be saved to file subsequent QA runs.

Crossfire reporting

Detailed summary report of all checks available in HTML or CSV with customizable template.

Crossfire Transport (QA DECK)

Transport serves as an input format (YAML-based, aka CFS) to Crossfire, describing what checks the tool needs to execute for specific IP, as specified by the IP integrator.
Fractal Crossfire and Transport
Read the Fractal White Paper for more detailed information