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Hardware interview practice

Find fmax for a half-cycle timing path

MediumStatic Timing AnalysisSystemVerilog

A falling-edge launch to rising-edge capture path has -50 ps setup slack at a 900 ps period. Assume every non-period term stays fixed. Find the shortest passing period and maximum frequency.

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Starting point

Question code

T_old = 900 ps
available half-cycle = T_old / 2
setup slack = -50 ps
Reviewed example

Work through one case

Input
T=900 ps and slack=-50 ps
Expected output
Tmin=1000 ps, fmax=1 GHz

The current 450 ps half-cycle needs 50 ps more, so the required half-cycle is 500 ps and the full period is 1000 ps.

What to cover

Requirements

  1. Use the T/2 falling-to-rising setup budget.
  2. Add the 50 ps deficit to the existing half-cycle budget.
  3. Solve for the full period that gives zero slack.
  4. Report period in ps and frequency in GHz.
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