This is It: RC Tree

•  RC Tree general form

•  A tree of resistors (no loops); capacitors “hanging off” all intermediate tree nodes
•  Root of tree is where signal is input; Leaves of tree are the driven outputs

c e RC Tree:
drawn as a c e
RC Tree: R
graph R
drawn as a a b C C
f R
circuit
C C R f
a b d d R
C C

Slide 69 © 2013, R.A. Rutenbar

RC Trees: Delay Estimation
•  Missing circuits detail: need to model driver, driven gates
•  Voltage source + resistor as input at root (this models driving gate)
•  Capacitor as load at each leaf (each models a driven gate)

c e
V1
R +
a b R V1
R C C
V=1 + R
-
C C f
- d
R + V2
t =0
C C V2

Driving input -
Driven load
Slide 70 © 2013, R.A. Rutenbar
Summary: Gates + Wires à RC Tree

Next: Use tree to

compute a delay
number for each
output of tree
c e V1
R
a b R
R C C
V=1 We get a unique
+ C R
- C d f
R V2 delay number for
t =0
each output
C C

Slide 71 © 2013, R.A. Rutenbar

RC Trees: The Elmore Delay
•  Famous formula:
“Elmore” delay
•  Derived in 40s for circuits applications
•  Resurrected in 80s by Penfield,
Rubenstein, Horowitz for RC trees

•  Very simple, very useful

•  Easy computational recipe

Slide 72 © 2013, R.A. Rutenbar