ECE 624

Homework #6 (Placement/Floorplanning)

1. Describe a simulated annealing solution for the problem discussed below. Make sure
to discuss all the important concepts associated with annealing e.g. the move set, cost
function, cooling schedule, and initial temperature. Dont just state parameter values.
Show how you select them. For example, explain how you determined the number of
moves carried out at each temperature. How did you select the value of Ti-Ti+1?

Problem:
Assume we have a set of objects X. Object x i X has area Ai. Container C has
area A. We want to put a maximum number of objects into C so that they fit, i.e. find X
X so that A i A , |X| is maximum, and the sum is taken over all i such that x X.
i
i

Now add one more constraint. Assume B is a 0,1 matrix of size n X n, and b ij = 1
implies that if xi X then xj must be in X. bij = 1 implies nothing. B is a symmetric
matrix.

2. Consider the GA partitioning problem discussed in class. Determine one or more new
crossover techniques 1) that produce legal partitions, 2) that you think are clever, 3)
that are technically good in that they would be useful in leading to a good solution,
and 4) are consistent with all the general concepts of GA. Limit your time on this
question to 30 minutes.

3. Consider the floorplan shown below:

a) Show the slicing structure of the floorplan if one exists.

b) Draw the polar graphs for this floorplan if they exist.
c) Draw the adjacency graphs, for this floorplan if they exist.
d) Draw the channel position graphs for this floorplan if they exist.
4. Consider the floorplan shown below. There are 6 blocks of logic, A, B, , F and some empty spaces.

A C

B D E
F

a. Corresponding to a slicing floorplan one can construct at least one slicing tree.
Traversing the tree produces a Polish expression. A vertical cut, such as the one shown,
places modules A, B and D to its left, and the rest to its right. Continuing with the two
rectangles formed by this cut, we can slice these to again put modules to the left or right,
or top and bottom.

b. (5 pts.) Write out a normalized Polish expression for this floorplan if one exists. (Recall that ABH
means that A is to the right of B; ABV means that A is below B; a Polish expression is normal if
there exists no occurrences of HH or VV.

5.(The popcorn popper Floorplanner!)

Assume we have a set of modules Mi, i = 1,n, where each Mi has a height hi and width
wi. Given a sequence of modules S = M i1, Mi2,, Min. Assume there is a greedy
sequential procedure P(S) that places the modules in a V shaped enclosure to minimize
the area they require. As an example consider the modules shown below.

Let S = (7, 3, 4, 1, 5, 6, 2, 8)

The P(S) would produce the following:

The floorplanning procedure works as follows. (Think of popcorn being cooked in a
kettle.) The modules are shot up in the air. Those on top can go the highest; as the
temperature reduces they are shot up with less force. As they fall they are ordered in a
sequence S. That is the 1st to fall is the 1st in the sequence, the last to fall is the last in the
sequence. Then P(S) is used to place the modules in the floorplan in a good way. Then
they are popped again. Formulate this concept as a simulated annealing type
floorplanner. One question to be addressed is how does the sequence S vary from pop to
pop.
5.