What is data arrival time?
From PDVerse STA Mentor Guide · pdVerse Mentor Guide
Short Answer
Data arrival time is when a signal actually reaches a given node, computed by adding up all the delays along the path leading to it.
Example
If a flip-flop's clock-to-output delay is 95 ps and the data then takes 820 ps to travel through combinational logic to the next flop, the data arrival time at that endpoint is 0 + 95 + 820 = 915 ps. LAUNCH FF combinational logic CAPTURE FF CLK CLK
Why It Matters
Arrival time is one half of every timing check — it's compared against the required time to compute slack, so you cannot determine whether a path passes or fails without first knowing when the data actually gets there.
Equation
data arrival = launch clock + CK->Q + data delay = 0 + 95 + 820 =Mentor Note — Common Mistake
Forgetting to include the launching flip-flop's own clock-to-output delay (CK->Q) when calculating arrival time, and only counting the combinational logic delay.
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