GENERALIZED CONSTRAINT COLLECTION MANAGEMENT METHOD

• US 20090077505A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: ARSINTESCU, George B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design

Abstract

Techniques are provided to allow users of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools to define constraint template types for efficiently associating constraints with design objects to specify design intent. Processes for creating and validating the constraints are provided by user-defined plug-ins, thereby allowing users to annotate circuit designs with constraints for proprietary layout and fabrication processes without exposing the constraints to tool vendors or competitors. The constraints are re-created from the template types whenever the circuit design is loaded into the EDA tool, so that the constraints are based upon the latest version of the template type. The constraints are also re-created when validation fails. Constraint groups are reusable in different designs, technology nodes, and processes because they automatically expand to provide the specific constraints to achieve a goal. The specific constraints in a template type can be modified as technology changes, and the modification will automatically be applied to the design objects.

Claims

1. A system for providing a constraint manager user interface in an electronic design automation tool, comprising:

a template instance generator to create a template instance in response to selection of a template type button, wherein the template instance is an instance of a template type associated with the button;

a design object selector to receive selection of a design object;

a design object mapping component to associate the design object with the template instance; and

a template instance display component to display a template instance tree comprising a template instance node, wherein template instance node represents the template instance.

2. A system for providing a constraint manager user interface in an electronic design automation tool, comprising:

a template instance generator means for creating a template instance in response to selection of a template type button, wherein the template instance is an instance of a template type associated with the button;

a design object selector means for receiving selection of a design object;

a design object mapping means for associating the design object with the template instance; and

a template instance display means for displaying a template instance tree comprising a template instance node, wherein template instance node represents the template instance.