System and method for browsing graphically an electronic design based on a hardware description language specification

• US 6,366,874 B1
• Filed: 05/24/1999
• Issued: 04/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Synopsys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Novas Software Inc. (Synopsys Incorporated), SpringSoft, Inc. (Synopsys Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lee, Chia Huei, Tsai, Jensen, Huang, Yen-Son, Chen, Meng-Hui, Ho, Banghwa, Teng, Changson
• Primary Examiner(s): FREJD, RUSSELL WARREN
• Application Number:
  US09/317,691
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 703/14, 706/919, 706/920, 706/921, 345/964, 716/1, 716/2, 716/3, 716/11, 716/18
• US Class Current: 703/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design

Abstract

Hardware description language (HDL)-centered design system and methodology uses HDL specification effectively as master depository for design intent or knowledge. Through network browser, designers conveniently navigate or explore design graphically. Designers selectively review or save design in entirety or portions. Design capture, analysis, and manipulation are based on HDL specification, either directly through text file editing, or indirectly through use of graphical tools.

Claims

1. For an integrated circuit (IC) design system providing tools enabling a user to create and modify a hardware description language (HDL) specification describing an IC as a multiple-level hierarchy of interconnected IC components, wherein some IC components residing at some levels of the hierarchy are formed by IC components residing at lower levels of the hierarchy, a computer-implemented method for providing the user with a graphical view of the IC described by the HDL specification, the method comprising the steps of:

a. processing the HDL specification to generate a graphical database describing the IC as a hierarchical network of interconnected graphical objects, wherein each graphical object represents a separate one of the IC components;

b. processing the graphical database to generate and display a user-selected block diagram view of a user-selected portion of the IC including graphical objects representing IC components linked by representations of signal paths between those IC components; and

c. automatically reprocessing the HDL specification to update the graphical database when the user uses one of the tools to modify the HDL specification to make the graphical database description of the IC consistent with the modified HDL specification.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of:

d. automatically reprocessing the graphical database to update the display of the user-selected block diagram view when the graphical database is updated at step c to make the display consistent with the updated graphical database.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the user-selected block diagram view of the IC includes graphical objects depicting IC components residing at more than one level of the hierarchy.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein step b comprises the substeps of:

b1. processing the graphical database to produce a display of a first block diagram view of the IC comprising first graphic objects representing first IC components residing at a first level of the hierarchy,

b2. receiving input from the user indicating a subset of the first graphic objects that are to be included in a second block diagram view of the IC, and

b3. displaying the second block diagram view of the IC including the user-selected subset of the first graphic objects and excluding all others of the first graphic objects.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4 wherein step b further comprises the substeps of:

b4. receiving input from the user selecting at least one of the first graphic objects included in the second block diagram view; and

b5. processing the graphical database to generate the display of the user-selected view of the IC including the subset of first graphic objects included in the second view and including second graphic objects representing second IC components residing at a second level of the hierarchy forming the at least one of the first graphic objects included in the second block diagram view.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

d. responding to first input from the user by saving a description of the user-selected view in the graphical database,

e. responding to second input from the user by terminating the display of the user-selected view, and

f. responding to third input from the user by retrieving and processing the saved description of the user-selected view to regenerate the display of the user-selected view.

7. The method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

e. responding to first input from the user by saving a description of the user-selected view in the graphical database,

f. responding to second input from the user by terminating the display of the user-selected view, and

g. responding to third input from the user by retrieving and processing the saved description of the user-selected view to regenerate the display of the user-selected view.

8. The method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising the steps of:

d. responding to first input from the user by saving a description of the user-selected view in the graphical database,

e. responding to second input from the user by terminating the display of the user-selected view, and

f. responding to third input from the user by regenerating the display of the user-selected view in accordance with the description of the user-selected view saved in the graphical database.