Reciprocal quantum logic (RQL) circuit simulation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9767238-B2
Application number	US-201514799172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2015
Priority date	Jul 14, 2015
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

One example includes an RQL circuit simulation system. The system includes a circuit design tool that facilitates user inputs to design an RQL circuit design comprising at least one predetermined RQL circuit design component. The system also includes a memory system that stores the RQL circuit design and an RQL component library comprising predetermined RQL circuit design components from which the at least one predetermined RQL circuit design component is selected. Each of the predetermined RQL circuit design components includes predetermined RQL component metrics associated with performance of the respective one of the predetermined RQL circuit design components. The system also includes a circuit simulator configured to compile performance metrics associated with the RQL circuit design based on the predetermined RQL component metrics associated with the respective at least one of the predetermined RQL circuit design components and to simulate the RQL circuit design based on the performance metrics.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A Reciprocal Quantum Logic (RQL) circuit simulation system comprising:
a circuit design tool configured to facilitate user inputs to design an RQL circuit design comprising at least one predetermined RQL circuit design component, and to facilitate the user inputs to design a respective one of the predetermined RQL circuit design components;
a memory system configured to store the RQL circuit design and an RQL component library comprising a plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components from which the at least one predetermined RQL circuit design component is selected, each of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components comprising predetermined RQL component metrics associated with performance of the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components; and
a circuit simulator comprising a circuit metric calculator configured to calculate the predetermined RQL component metrics associated with the respective one of the predetermined RQL circuit design components and to store the respective one of the predetermined RQL circuit design components and the associated predetermined RQL component metrics in the RQL component library, the circuit simulator configured to compile performance metrics associated with the RQL circuit design based on the predetermined RQL component metrics associated with the respective at least one of plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components and to simulate the RQL circuit design based on the performance metrics to determine an RQL circuit to be fabricated from the RQL circuit design based on the simulation.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components comprises at least one of a plurality of Josephson transmission line (JTL) circuit components and a plurality of RQL gate circuit components.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined RQL component metrics associated with each of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components comprises timing data associated with at least one Josephson junction associated with the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the predetermined RQL component metrics associated with each of the plurality of RQL gate circuit components comprises at least one of junction phase timing associated with the at least one Josephson junction, junction overshoot associated with the at least one Josephson junction, delay symmetry of single flux quantum (SFQ) pulses associated with the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components, total delay associated with the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components, and a pulse arrival delay associated with the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined RQL component metrics associated with each of the plurality of RQL gate circuit components comprises at least one of separate timing metrics associated with a rise time and a fall time of a single flux quantum (SFQ) pulse and separate timing metrics associated with positive and negative SFQ pulses.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined RQL component metrics associated with each of the plurality of RQL gate circuit components comprises corner metrics associated with an amplitude range of at least one of a bias current and a clock signal associated with the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the circuit simulator comprises:
a performance metric compiler configured to evaluate the RQL circuit design and to access the RQL component library to compile aggregate performance metrics associated with the associated with the RQL circuit design based on the predetermined RQL component metrics associated with each individual one of the respective at least one of plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components; and
a processor configured to simulate the RQL circuit design based on the aggregate performance metrics.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is configured to communicate simulation results associated with the simulated RQL circuit design to the circuit design tool to facilitate the user inputs to optimize the RQL circuit design in a feedback manner.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store instructions that, when executed, are configured to perform a method for simulating a Reciprocal Quantum Logic (RQL) circuit design, the method comprising:
facilitating user inputs via a circuit design tool to design a plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components;
calculating predetermined RQL component metrics associated with each of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components, the calculating comprising calculating at least one of separate timing metrics associated with a rise time and a fall time of a single flux quantum (SFQ) pulse and separate timing metrics associated with positive and negative SFQ pulses;
storing the predetermined RQL circuit design components and the associated predetermined RQL component metrics in an RQL component library;
facilitating user inputs via the circuit design tool to design the RQL circuit design comprising at least one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components;
compiling aggregate performance metrics associated with the RQL circuit design based on the predetermined RQL component metrics associated with the respective at least one of plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components;
simulating the RQL circuit design via a circuit simulator based on the aggregate performance metrics to determine an RQL circuit to be fabricated from the RQL circuit design based on the simulation.

10. The medium of claim 9 , wherein facilitating the user inputs via the circuit design tool to design a plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components comprises facilitating the user inputs via the circuit design tool to design at least one of a plurality of Josephson transmission line (JTL) circuit components and a plurality of RQL gate circuit components.

11. The medium of claim 9 , wherein calculating the predetermined RQL component metrics further comprises calculating timing data associated with at least one Josephson junction associated with the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components.

12. The medium of claim 11 , wherein calculating the predetermined RQL component metrics further comprises calculating at least one of junction phase timing associated with the at least one Josephson junction, junction overshoot associated with the at least one Josephson junction, delay symmetry of single flux quantum (SFQ) pulses associated with the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components, total delay associated with the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components, and a pulse arrival delay associated with the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components.

13. The medium of claim 9 , wherein calculating the predetermined RQL component metrics further comprises calculating corner metrics associated with an amplitude range of at least one of a bias current and a clock signal associated with the respective one of the plurality of predetermined RQL circuit design components.

14. The medium of claim 9 , further comprising:
communicating simulation results associated with the simulated RQL circuit design

Assignees

• Oberg Oliver T
• Shauck Steven B
• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Oberg Oliver T
• Shauck Steven B

Classifications

• G06F30/33

  Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking · CPC title

• G06F30/30 Primary

  Circuit design · CPC title

• G06F30/3312 Primary

  Timing analysis · CPC title

• G06F17/5022

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/5045

  Physics · mapped topic