SpyGlass® Physical Known Problems and

Solutions

Welcome to the SpyGlass® Physical Version L-2016.06.

This document describes the SpyGlass Physical Known Problems and Their
Solutions.

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Synopsys, Inc.
SpyGlass® Physical Known Problems and Solutions

SpyGlass Physical Known Problems and Their Solutions

SpyGlass Physical Known Problems and Their

Solutions
This section describes the known problems in SpyGlass Physical and their
suggested solutions, if any.
1. The phy_preserve_vt parameter is not honored if the
phy_optimization_effort parameter is set to high
Description: The phy_preserve_vt parameter is not honored if the
phy_optimization_effort parameter is set to high.
Solution: This problem will be fixed in a future release.
2. Unable to define a new severity
Description: In SpyGlass, you can define a new severity with Severity
Label and Severity Class. For example, you can define a new severity in
the goal, as shown in the following example:
-define_severity <policy-name>+<severity-label>+<severity-
class>
You can use this severity while overloading a rule, as shown in the
following example:
-overloadrules <rule-name>+severity=<severity-label>
However, in SpyGlass Physical Debug GUI, there is no notion of Severity
Class and has support only for the predefined set of Severity Labels. You
cannot define a new severity with new Severity Label and Severity
Class.
Solution: This problem will be fixed in a future release.
3. Hanging flip-flops removed during sequential optimization are
not reported in all cases by the PHY_FlopCount rule
Description: When hierarchical boundary optimization, or HBO, is
enabled, the PHY_FlopCount rule does not report the hanging flip-flops
removed during sequential optimization in the spreadsheet. If HBO is
disabled, the PHY_FlopCount rule correctly reports the hanging flip-
flops.
Solution: This problem will be fixed in a future release.

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 SpyGlass® Physical Known Problems and Solutions

SpyGlass Physical Known Problems and Their Solutions

4. The PHY_FlopCount rule sometimes reports internal flip-flops that

are temporarily created during synthesis
Description: Sometimes, the spreadsheet of the PHY_FlopCount rule
contains internal flip-flops that are temporarily created during synthesis
and then removed afterward. These flip-flops should not be reported as
they are not a part of the RTL.
Solution: This problem will be fixed in a future release.
5. When the phy_enable_hbo parameter is true, disabling sequential
optimization through the phy_enable_sequential_opt parameter
does not disable the constant flip-flop removal
Description: When the phy_enable_hbo parameter is set to true,
disabling sequential optimization through the
phy_enable_sequential_opt parameter does not disable the constant
flip-flop removal. However, other optimizations would get disabled in
this case.
Solution: This problem will be fixed in a future release.
6. HDL back reference may not work properly for some of the
modules
Description: When ungroup is enabled by using the
phy_enable_ungroup parameter, the HDL back reference may not work
properly for some of the modules.
Solution: This problem will be fixed in a future release.
7. Issues with the FOLD path reporting in the
PHY_LogicDepth_Core_ClkDelay rule
Description: For some designs, the PHY_LogicDepth_Core_ClkDelay
rule may report the FOLD paths terminating on a primary output, or PO.
Solution: This issue will be fixed in a future release.
8. Spyglass Physical Base flow does not support the instance-
specific black box Tcl commands
Description: Black box modeling in the SpyGlass Physical base flow
does not support instance-specific black box Tcl commands. Only the
module-level black box Tcl commands are supported.
Solution: This problem will be fixed in a future release.
9. Bad interpretation of black box area in some scenarios

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SpyGlass® Physical Known Problems and Solutions

SpyGlass Physical Known Problems and Their Solutions

Description: When specified with the -area or -gate_count arguments

of the set_black_box_physical command, the black box area is inferred
incorrectly by the floorplan engine. The bad area numbers are
eventually shown in the report generated by the report
physical.black_boxes command as well.
Solution: Use the -width and -height arguments with the
set_black_box_physical command to provide the black box area.
10. Issues with the generated clock period
Description: In some scenarios, a master clock is not identified
correctly for an internally generated clock.
Solution: This problem will be fixed in a future release.
11. Issues in closing the RTL/schematic/layout windows in the GUI
Description: Sometimes there might be a problem in closing the RTL,
schematic, or layout windows in the GUI.
Solution: Move the window out of the workspace or tile them if there
are multiple windows, and then close them.
12. Issues in the unset_cluster_io_logic command
Description: The unset_cluster_io_logic command unmarks the IO
logic property of the cluster and changed it into a simple cluster. If the
glue logic cluster is changed to IO logic, and the unset_cluster_io_logic
command is used on this cluster, the cluster will loose its glue logic
property.
Solution: This problem will be fixed in a future release.
13. Usability issues with the black box form in the GUI
Description: There are known usability issues with the black box form
in the GUI.
Solution: Define black boxes and their attributes directly using Tcl
commands instead of using GUI.
14. Behavior of the -thru argument of the do_report_timing command
in the block mode is inconsistent with the behavior of the
-thru_pu argument
Description: The -thru argument in block reporting reports all paths
that originate from, pass through, or terminate at the block specified
with this argument. For the -thru_pu argument, the tool reports paths

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Synopsys, Inc.
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SpyGlass Physical Known Problems and Their Solutions

that enter and exit the PU specified with this argument.

Solution: This problem will be fixed in a future release.
15. PU layout or block layout does not resize itself after PU or block
movement
Description: The PU layout or block layout is unable to resize itself if a
PU or a block moves outside the boundary.
Solution: Maintain the initial bounding box of the PU layout.
16. Unpredictable behavior, including crash, in the timing report
when using the “PU Name” column preference
Description: If the “PU Name” column has been included in the timing
report configuration, and there are no PUs in the design, the timing
report GUI may show bad contents or may crash. Columns appearing
after the “PU Name” column in configuration settings are not generated
in the text report as well.
Solution: If you want to include the “PU Name” column in the timing
report, always keep it as the last column for path details. To do this, use
Edit->Preferences->Timing->Configure Report option.
17. Issue in PU browser while moving physical blocks
Description: In PU browser, while moving a block, the view may show a
corrupted or an incorrect view and it does not allow you to select some
of the blocks.
Solution: Display the correct view by checking the connectivity again
with any of the blocks.
18. Schematic icon does not appear when a spreadsheet reports
only a single entry
Description: When a spreadsheet reports only a single entry, the
schematic icon does not appear.
Solution: Use the Open Incremental Schematic menu on the
corresponding message of the Msg Tree window.
19. Schematic window goes out of the focus when you double-click a
bus of a large MUX
Description: When you double-click a bus of a large MUX in the
incremental schematic, the schematic window goes out of the focus.
Solution: Dock-in the incremental schematic by clicking the lock icon.

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SpyGlass Physical Known Problems and Their Solutions

20. Input cone might not appear if the schematic window is docked
in
Description: If you press the shortcut key I to show the input cone in
an Incremental Schematic, the input cone might not appear if the
schematic window is docked in.
Solution: Press the shortcut key I again, or right-click a pin and then
select Show Input Cone.
21. Redundant rule violations may appears when list of critical
objects is displayed using the "Group By Critical Objects" menu
in SpyGlass Physical UI
Description: When the list of critical objects is displayed in SpyGlass
Physical UI using the Group By Critical Objects the menu, some
redundant rule violations may appear corresponding to the FILD/FOLD/
FICN/FOCN metrics. This is only a display issue and the actual critical
object scores is not affected. This could happen only in few cases where
multiple violations of same contributing rule are reported for different
input/output pins of same critical object. This will be fixed in a future
release.
Solution: The rule message with higher rule metric is correct and the
remaining ones should be ignored. The problem will be fixed in a future
release.
22. Same score values are being used for core as well as peripheral
paths
Description: Same score values are being used for core as well as
peripheral paths contributing to the FILD and FOLD metrics of the
PHY_CriticalObjects rule. Typically, the contribution of peripheral paths
should be half of those of core paths.
Solution: Currently there is no workaround for this. The problem will be
fixed in a future release.
23. No sanity testing is done by software automatically while
restoring the design db.
Description: When the phy_enable_restore_mode parameter is set to
true, the design database of previous run is restored. Any change in
input data, including design, constraints, or library in the current run is
not flagged by the software and might cause unpredictable results

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 SpyGlass® Physical Known Problems and Solutions

SpyGlass Physical Known Problems and Their Solutions

during the design analysis.

Solution: Use this flow only if there is no change in input data,
including design, constraints or library. The automatic sanity testing will
be added in a future release.
24. Issue related to read_def command, if PR boundary is
rectilinear.
Description: If the read_def command is used with the -rectilinear
switch, the boundary is converted into a rectangular one while keeping
the bounding box unchanged. The notches are filled with minimum
number of rectangular placement blockages and routing blockages on
all layers. Now, if write_def is specified, then these blockages are
dumped along with the user-specified blockages. Since, these are
engine generated implicit blockages (for internal use), they are not
supposed to be dumped in the DEF.
Solution: This is a know issue and will be fixed in a future release.
25. Issue while executing some reporting commands with "-
dump_csv" switch
Description: There can be Python exception for some reporting
commands when used with "-dump_csv" switch. The reporting
commands would work fine without "-dump_csv" switch.
Solution: The issue would be fixed in a future release.
26. Error message on the screen output in the RHEL7.1 and Suse12
platform
Description: SpyGlass Physical does not support the following
platforms:
ˆ RHEL7.1
ˆ Suse12
Solution: Use any other supported platform. This issue will be fixed in a
future release.
End of the Document

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Synopsys, Inc.
SpyGlass® Physical Known Problems and Solutions

SpyGlass Physical Known Problems and Their Solutions

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Synopsys, Inc.