Datasheet browsing and creation with data-driven datasheet tabs within a microcontroller design tool

• US 6,715,132 B1
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Zhaksilikov, Marat, Bartz, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek, Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US09/989,816
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 716/1-18, 345/326, 345/333, 345/339, 345/348-350, 345/352, 345/353, 345/357, 345/761, 345/762, 345/763, 345/764, 345/781
• US Class Current: 716/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design

Abstract

A method and system of rendering a workspace for helping a user design a microcontroller. A workspace having multiple windows is rendered. A first window of the workspace comprises at least one selectable user module wherein a user module is a pre-configured function operating with the microcontroller. Input indicating a selection of a user module is received. Responsive to the selection, a datasheet is automatically rendered in a second window of the workspace, wherein the datasheet provides technical details corresponding to the selected user module. In one embodiment, the workspace further comprises selectable tabs, wherein the tabs are rendered according to data of the datasheet. The tabs are operable for easy navigation of the datasheet.

Claims

1. A method of rendering a workspace of a design tool for programming a microcontroller, said method comprising:

rendering said workspace, said workspace comprising multiple windows, wherein a first window of said workspace comprises at least one selectable user module, wherein said user module is a pre-configured electronic design to be implemented on said microcontroller;

receiving an input indicating a selection of a user module; and

responsive to said selection, automatically rendering a datasheet in a second window of said workspace, wherein said datasheet provides technical details corresponding to said user module selected.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said microcontroller comprises programmable analog and programmable digital elements.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said first window comprises a catalog of a plurality of selectable user modules.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said first window comprises a listing of selected user modules.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said workspace further comprises a third window for rendering a histogram, said histogram displaying available hardware resources of said microcontroller not allocated to user modules.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said workspace further comprises a fourth window for rendering a schematic diagram corresponding to said user module of said selection.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said workspace further comprises at least one selectable tab, wherein said tab is rendered according to data of said datasheet, and wherein said tab is operable to navigate to a corresponding section of said datasheet.

8. A computer system comprising:

a bus;

a display device coupled to said bus;

a memory unit coupled to said bus, and

a processor coupled to said bus, said processor for executing a method of rendering a workspace of a design tool for programming a microcontroller, said method comprising;

rendering said workspace, said workspace comprising multiple windows, wherein a first window of said workspace comprises at least one selectable user module, wherein said user module is a pre-configured electronic design to be implemented on said microcontroller;

receiving an input indicating a selection of a user module; and

responsive to said selection, automatically rendering a datasheet in a second window of said workspace, wherein said datasheet provides technical details corresponding to said user module selected.

9. The computer system of claim 8 wherein said microcontroller comprises programmable analog and programmable digital elements.

10. The computer system of claim 8 wherein said first window comprises a catalog of a plurality of selectable user modules.

11. The computer system of claim 8 wherein said first window comprises a listing of selected user modules.

12. The computer system of claim 8 wherein said workspace further comprises a third window for rendering a histogram, said histogram displaying available hardware resources of said microcontroller not allocated to user modules.

13. The computer system of claim 8 wherein said workspace further comprises a fourth window for rendering a schematic diagram corresponding to said user module of said selection.

14. The computer system of claim 8 wherein said workspace further comprises at least one selectable tab, wherein said tab is rendered according to data of said datasheet, and wherein said tab is operable to navigate to a corresponding section of said datasheet.

15. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method of rendering a workspace of a design tool for programming a microcontroller, said method comprising:

rendering said workspace, said workspace comprising multiple windows, wherein a first window of said workspace comprises at least one selectable user module, wherein said user module is a pre-configured electronic design to be implemented on said microcontroller;

receiving an input indicating a selection of a user module; and

responsive to said selection, automatically rendering a datasheet in a second window of said workspace, wherein said datasheet provides technical details corresponding to said user module selected.

16. The computer-usable medium of claim 15 wherein said microcontroller comprises programmable analog and programmable digital elements.

17. The computer-usable medium of claim 15 wherein said first window comprises a catalog of a plurality of selectable user modules.

18. The computer-usable medium of claim 15 wherein said first window comprises a listing of selected user modules.

19. The computer-usable medium of claim 15 wherein said workspace further comprises a third window for rendering a histogram, said histogram displaying available hardware resources of said microcontroller not allocated to user modules.

20. The computer-usable medium of claim 15 wherein said workspace further comprises a fourth window for rendering a schematic diagram corresponding to said user module of said selection.

21. The computer-usable medium of claim 15 wherein said workspace further comprises at least one selectable tab, wherein said tab is rendered according to data of said datasheet, and wherein said tab is operable to navigate to a corresponding section of said datasheet.

22. A graphical user interface comprising:

a first display region for displaying a plurality of icons, each icon associated with a respective user module, said first display region for presenting icons for user selection thereof and wherein each user module represents an electronic circuit design for implementation on hardware resources of a programmable electronic device; and

a second display region for displaying a datasheet of a selected user module of said first display region, wherein said datasheet comprises technical information regarding said selected icon.

23. A graphical user interface as described in claim 22 further comprising a third display region for displaying a histogram of allocated hardware resources of said programmable electronic device.

24. A graphical user interface as described in claim 22 wherein said programmable electronic device is a programmable microcontroller device.

25. A graphical user interface as described in claim 22 wherein said datasheet is generated based on an electronic document comprising a plurality of sections and wherein each section comprises an associated anchor.

26. A graphical user interface as described in claim 25 wherein said datasheet comprises:

a first display region comprising a plurality of graphical tabs for user selection thereof, one tab for each anchor, wherein each tab comprises a descriptive label obtained from its respective anchor; and

a second display region for displaying a portion of a section of said electronic document associated with a selected tab.