What evidence is required before beginning floorplanning?
From PDVerse PnR Interview Handbook, part of the pdVerse Mentor Guide
Short Answer
Being "ready" here isn't a feeling — it's a specific checklist: matched provenance (netlist/SDC revisions agree with the handoff record), resolved linking (no unexpected unresolved references), classified structural findings (undriven/unloaded/multi-driver nets reviewed and understood, not just silenced), applied and reviewed SDC, complete clock/I-O intent, confirmed active scenario coverage, and any waivers explicitly owned by someone. "
Technical Explanation
- "
- The bar for evidence is reproducibility: another engineer working from the same handoff package should be able to verify the same items and reach the same "ready" conclusion.
Visual Verification
Advancing to floorplanning requires verified netlist integrity, clean library linking, zero unconstrained clocks, valid UPF power intent, and documented waivers for minor structural warnings.
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.
- Stop before floorplanning when required logic or timing coverage is missing or unexplained.
Common Mistake
The Trap: Do not assume the check passed just because ICC2 continued. 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.
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