BEAR FP A Robust Framework for Floorplanning

This paper presents a hierarchical oorplanning approach for macrocell layouts which is based on the bottom up clustering shape function computation and top down oor plan optimization with integrated global routing and pin assignment This approach provides means for specifying and techniques for satisfying a wide range of constraints physical topological timing and is therefore able to generate oorplans for a number of di erent layout styles A systematic and e cient optimization procedure during the selection of suitable oorplan patterns that integrates oorplanning global routing and pin assignment a new pin assignment technique based on linear assignment and driven by the global routing solution and oorplan topology and an e ective timing driven oorplanning scheme are among the other novel features of the oorplanner These techniques have been incorporated in BEAR FP a macro cell layout system developed at the University of California Berkeley Results on various placement and oorplanning benchmarks are quite good This research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation under Grant No MIP and by the Semiconductor Research Corporation under Grant No DC Massoud Pedram is with the Department of Electrical Engineering Systems University of Southern California Los Angeles CA Ernest S Kuh is with the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences University of California Berkeley CA