EXECUTION MONITOR FOR ELECTRONIC DESIGN AUTOMATION

• US 20100235795A1
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Inventors: Eustes, Steven Robert, Tyson, John Scott, Potemski, Andrew Stanley
• Granted Patent: US 8,413,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/139
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design

Abstract

Embodiments of a computer system, a method, a graphical user interface and a computer-program product (i.e., software) for use with the computer system are described. A chip designer may use these devices and techniques to configure and monitor the execution of tasks in a user-configurable electronic-design-automation (EDA) flow associated with a circuit or chip design. In particular, using an intuitive and interactive graphical user interface in EDA software, the chip designer can configure and initiate execution of the EDA flow. Then, during execution of EDA tasks in the EDA flow, an execution monitor in the graphical user interface may provide a graphical representation of real-time execution status information for the EDA tasks. Moreover, using the EDA software, the chip designer can debug the circuit or chip design if any errors or problems occur.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring execution of a user-configurable electronic design automation (EDA) flow, comprising:

providing first signals to display a flow-control environment on a display, wherein the flow-control environment includes an execution-monitoring window;

receiving a first user input to initiate the user-configurable EDA flow, which is represented as a sequence of blocks;

monitoring execution of the user-configurable EDA flow; and

providing second signals to display execution status information in the execution-monitoring window of progress during execution of the user-configurable EDA flow and errors, if any, which occur.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second user input to debug an error which occurred.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the error is debugged during execution of the user-configurable EDA flow.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a given block in the sequence of blocks includes a sub-block flow;

and

wherein a given sub-block in the sub-block flow represents a sequence of EDA tasks that are performed on a circuit design.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein execution of the user-configurable EDA flow includes monitoring the execution of the sequence of EDA tasks;

and

wherein the execution status information includes execution status of the sequence of EDA tasks.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least some of the sequence of EDA tasks are predefined.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the execution status information includes color-coded information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least portions of the sequence of blocks are predefined.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing third signals to display a graphical representation in the sequence of blocks in the flow-control environment.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the graphical representation of the sequence of blocks is presented in a what-you-see-is-what-you-get format.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the sequence of blocks is defined by drag-and-drop assembly of blocks.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein arrow icons between flows in the graphical representation indicate sources and destinations of information during the user-configurable EDA flow.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein progress and any errors during execution of the user-configurable EDA flow are indicated in the graphical representation using color-coded information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence of blocks includes blocks that are executed in parallel.

15. A computer-program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer-program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium and a computer-program mechanism embedded therein for configuring the computer system to monitor execution of a user-configurable EDA flow, comprising:

instructions for providing first signals to display a flow-control environment on a display, wherein the flow-control environment includes an execution-monitoring window;

instructions for receiving a first user input to initiate the user-configurable EDA flow, which is represented as a sequence of blocks;

instructions for monitoring execution of the user-configurable EDA flow; and

instructions for providing second signals to display execution status information in the execution-monitoring window of progress during execution of the user-configurable EDA flow and errors, if any, which occur.

16. The computer-program product of claim 15, further comprising instructions for receiving a second user input to debug an error which occurred.

17. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein the error is debugged during execution of the user-configurable EDA flow.

18. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the execution status information includes color-coded information.

19. The computer-program product of claim 15, further comprising providing third signals to display a graphical representation in the sequence of blocks in the flow-control environment.

20. The computer-program product of claim 19, wherein arrow icons between flows in the graphical representation indicate sources and destinations of information during the user-configurable EDA flow.

21. The computer-program product of claim 19, wherein progress and any errors during execution of the user-configurable EDA flow are indicated in the graphical representation using color-coded information.

22. The computer-program product of claim 15, wherein the sequence of blocks includes blocks that are executed in parallel.

23. A computer system, comprising:

a processor;

memory;

a program module, wherein the program module is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to monitor execution of a user-configurable EDA flow, the program module including;

instructions for providing first signals to display a flow-control environment on a display, wherein the flow-control environment includes an execution-monitoring window;

instructions for receiving a first user input to initiate the user-configurable EDA flow, which is represented as a sequence of blocks;

instructions for monitoring execution of the user-configurable EDA flow; and

instructions for providing second signals to display execution status information in the execution-monitoring window of progress during execution of the user-configurable EDA flow and errors, if any, which occur.

24. A graphical user interface in a flow-control environment, which is displayed on a display, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to monitor execution of a user-configurable EDA flow, comprising:

an execution-monitoring window that is configured to display a graphical representation of a sequence of blocks in the user-configurable EDA flow and, based at least in part on monitoring of execution of the user-configurable EDA flow, to display graphical execution status information during execution of the user-configurable EDA flow and errors, if any, which occur.