Equivalence classes of clone circuits for physical-design benchmarking

Abstract

To provide a better understanding of physical design algorithms and the underlying circuit architecture they are targeting, we need to exercise the algorithms and architectures with many benchmark circuits. The lack of existing benchmarks makes us consider the automatic generation of netlists.In this paper, we formally define the equivalence class of circuit "clones" of a given seed circuits, based upon physical properties of the seed circuit's netlist graph. Using these equivalence classes of circuits, a given seed circuit can be used to generate many similar circuits.A more finely grained statistical analysis of algorithm behaviour can then be obtained from using the multiple benchmarks than would be available from using the seed benchmark alone.

Automatic generation of synthetic sequential benchmark circuits

“…The results here are an amalgamation of several preliminary papers. The sequential generation algorithm originally appeared in [9], the formalization of sequential signatures and the equivalence classes of clone circuits in [10], and the application to partitioning in [11].…”

“…Kapur et al [13], Ghosh et al [14], and Harlow and Brglez [15] addressed various methods for "mutating" seed circuit through local perturbations in order to effect a circuit with similar overall structure but differing local connectivity. A special session at the 1999 ISCAS conference was also dedicated to benchmark generation [10], [11], [16], [17]. Stroobandtet al [18] extended the Rent-based approach significantly and applied the results to partitioning problems.…”