Patent US 7,650,583

A single verification tool provides both static timing analysis and timing simulation capabilities targeted at both full-custom and ASIC designs in a unified environment. In various embodiments the verification tool includes the following features: (a) Integrating both static timing analysis and dynamic simulation tools into a single tool, (b) Efficient path search for multi-phase, multi-frequency and multi-cycle circuit in the presence of level sensitive latch, (c) Automatically identifying circuit structure, e.g. complex gate, for timing characterization, (d) Circuit structures at transistor level solved by incorporating function check, (e) Carrying out functional check to filter out false path and identifying gate with simultaneously changing inputs, (f) Finding maximum operating frequency in the presence of level sensitive latches after filtering out false paths, (g) Crosstalk solver by utilizing the admittance matrix and voltage transfer of RLC part in frequency domain coupled with the non-linear driver in time domain implemented in spice-like simulator, (h) Making use of the correlation between inputs of aggressors and victim to determine switching time at victim's output iteratively.