What evidence is required before beginning floorplanning?
From PDVerse PnR Interview Handbook · pdVerse Mentor Guide
Short Answer
Readiness requires matched provenance, resolved linking, classified structural findings, applied and reviewed SDC, complete clock/I/O intent, active scenario coverage, and owned waivers.
Technical Explanation
Treat this as a readiness check. It should produce named objects and a result that another engineer can repeat from the same handoff.
What To Check
• Warning sign: The team cites clean slack while paths remain absent from analysis. • Inspect: Start with one named object in the report and trace it to the netlist, library, or SDC statement that created it. • Correct: Stop, assemble the missing reports or return defects to the owning synthesis/STA team, and proceed only from a reproducible reviewed checkpoint.
Command Checks & Actions
• check_design -checks {netlist unbound dp_pre_floorplan}: runs the selected design-readiness checks
• check_netlist: reports structural connectivity problems
• check_timing: finds missing or inconsistent timing setup
• report_clocks: shows clock definitions and relationships
• report_scenarios: shows the MCMM scenario matrix and analysis status
Run the commands in order. Each line answers a separate part of the check.Healthy, Suspicious & Hard-stop Results
• Expected: Readiness requires matched provenance, resolved linking, classified structural findings, applied and reviewed SDC, complete clock/I/O intent, active scenario coverage, and owned waivers. • Investigate: The team cites clean slack while paths remain absent from analysis. • Stop before floorplanning when required logic or timing coverage is missing or unexplained. Stop, assemble the missing reports or return defects to the owning synthesis/STA team, and proceed only from a reproducible reviewed checkpoint.
Common Mistake
Do not assume the check passed just because ICC2 continued: The team cites clean slack while paths remain absent from analysis. Fix or narrowly justify the named objects, then rerun the same command.
What The Interviewer Is Testing
Be ready to explain why this matters before floorplanning: The team cites clean slack while paths remain absent from analysis.
Practical Example
Symptom: The team cites clean slack while paths remain absent from analysis. Corrective path: Stop, assemble the missing reports or return defects to the owning synthesis/STA team, and proceed only from a reproducible reviewed checkpoint.
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