Timing Analysis of Sequential Circuits in the Presence of Cross Talk

Abstract

As technology gets smaller, physical effects that were Because technology features are shrinking, physical effects overlooked in the past are becoming a real problem in current circuit design. One of these effects is cross talk which represents unwanted capacitive coupling among neighboring lines. In this talk I will discuss timing analysis of sequential circuits in the presence of cross talk. First, I will review a model that can be used during the timing analysis of sequential circuits. This model conditionally captures cross talk effects. Next, I will discuss the conditions that cause coupling in both combinational and sequential circuits. Finally, I will present the results of solving the timing analysis problem in the presence of cross talk for several benchmark circuits. I illustrate analyzing coupling carefully, indeed, leads to smaller clock periods.