A new approach for clustering network modules for delay minimization

In recent years there has been an extensive interest in clustering the modules of a network so that the maximum delay from any primary input to any primary output is minimized. Clusters have a maximum capacity, pin limitations and modules have different implementations. Furthermore, different implementations may have different areas. All existing CAD frameworks initially select an implementation of each module, and at a later stage they cluster the modules. We present an approach that clusters the nodes, while considering their alternative implementations, so that we further minimize the maximum delay after the clustering. Our approach is based on optimal algorithms for restricted versions of this complex problem in circuit design, and outperforms the conventional approach, which first obtains an implementation for each circuit module without considering clustering and then, in a later step, performs clustering.