Correct and complete timing constraints are key to a smooth chip-implementation flow. Missing constraints cause wasted timing closure iterations. Incorrect constraints result in silicon failure. Poorly written constraints increase runtime of implementation tools. Either way, getting your constraints right is key to efficient and safe chip implementation. Leading semiconductor firms have recognized that the automation of constraint generation, verification and management tasks is a must in today's implementation flow.

FishTail is the leading provider of design automation tools targeted at timing constraint generation, verification and management tasks. FishTail's focus is on providing a comprehensive and best-in-class solution to any and all constraint related tasks performed as part of chip implementation.

FishTail's products allow RTL designers to generate clock constraints, i/o delays, clock groups and clock senses to ensure that design clocking is accurately reflected in the design constraints. RTL designers can also generate timing critical false and multi-cycle paths. From a verification standpoint FishTail products allow RTL designers to establish that they have correctly specified the clocks and case analysis on a design and formally prove that their false and multi-cycle paths are correct.

For back-end chip-implementation teams FishTail provides a solution for the automatic merging of multi-mode design constraints so that P&R runtimes are halved. FishTail promotes IP constraints to the full-chip to facilitate design reuse in SoCs. FishTail retargets constraints to each new design representation generated as part of the implementation flow. Finally, FishTail allows implementation teams to perform an equivalence check of their post-layout constraints with their pre-layout constraints to ensure that constraint integrity is maintained during the implementation flow.

FishTail has three major products: Focus (for the generation of design constraints), Confirm (for the verification of design constraints) and Refocus (for the management of design constraints). With FishTail's suite of products for constraint generation, verification and management, design teams are empowered to implement better quality chips with greater confidence in much less time!