Using feedback to improve VLSI designs

A new design optimization technique, called Constrained-Redo, uses feedback from solutions analysis to improve both the power and coverage of an existing VLSI design automation system, the DAA system. Constrained-Redo uses information from critiques of an existing solution to guide the design system to generate a new, different, and hopefully better solution. This technique is part of the feedback-directed optimization framework. The extended system has been tested on several standard microprocessor designs and has improved many of the solutions that DAA has generated.