Debug PrimeTime Violations in Verdi/Debussy

Verdi 3.0 and Debussy 5.3 include support for debugging the results of Synopsys' PrimeTime® timing analysis product.  PrimeTime reports can be imported into Verdi/Debussy and timing paths can be displayed in different ways to help the debug of timing-related problems.

Note that the following discussion closely follows the example in the <Novas_install>/demo/verilog/gate directory.

Before importing a PrimeTime report into Verdi/Debussy, the report has to be pre-processed first using the included Perl program, pt2Xml.pl.  For example:

pt2Xml.pl -o violate_path.xml violate_path.rpt

In the above example, the PrimeTime report, violate_path.rpt is converted into XML format and stored in violate_path.xml.  The XML can be imported into Verdi/Debussy.

Next, invoke Verdi/Debussy and load the design.  For example,

debussy -f run.f

Verdi -f run.f

In Verdi/Debussy, import the XML format file by executing File > Import Path Data File.  Select the XML file, violate_path.xml and click on OK.  The Debussy_Prime Time Timing Report window will pop up.

In the report window, click on "Enable Sort" and set "Sort Slack Time By" to Increase - this will display the worst case path first.  The red colored paths are the violated paths (paths that didn't meet constraints). Select the first (worst) path and the Information panel at the bottom shows timing details of the path.

Viewing Path Details in ASCII File Viewer

With the first path still selected on the Debussy_Prime Time Timing Report, click on the Show button to show ASCII details about the path on a File Viewer window.

Viewing Path Details in a Schematic

Select nSchema on the Debussy_Prime Time Timing Report and click on the Show button to show a schematic of the path with timing information annotated.

At this point, as with any partial schematic in Verdi/Debussy, more of the design can be brought into view by double-clicking on inputs, outputs, or nets or by selecting Trace > Driver, Load, orConnectivity.  Drag and drop (D&D) from the File and Schematic views to and from other Verdi/Debussy views and all other features of Verdi/Debussy can now be used to debug the timing problem.

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