Automatic schematic diagram generation using topology information
First Claim
1. A method for enabling a user to generate a schematic diagram on a computer system, the computer system comprising a display and an input device, the method comprising:
- processing a netlist of a schematic diagram indicating connectivity of a plurality of components through connection lines to provide a normal display mode in which at least a portion of the components are presented on the display, and connection lines corresponding to the displayed components are presented on the display;
providing a topology display mode in which the at least a portion of the components are presented on the display without the corresponding connection lines;
providing a component selection function that enables a user to utilize the input device to select a particular component;
providing a topology editing function that enables the user to utilize the input device to edit the schematic diagram by modifying the relative positioning, sizing and connectivity of a selected component, wherein the topology editing function is combinable with the topology display mode to enable the user to modify the relative positioning or sizing of the selected component without viewing the corresponding connection lines; and
providing automatic pin assignment and routing of the connection lines within the schematic diagram displayed in the normal mode according to the netlist;
wherein the user is capable of switching between the topology display mode and the normal display mode while editing the schematic diagram.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A netlist of a schematic diagram is generated. The netlist indicates the connectivity of components through connection lines. A normal display mode is provided in which at least a portion of the components are presented on the display, and connection lines corresponding to the components are also displayed. A topology display mode is provided in which the components are presented on the display without the connection lines. The user can switch between the topology display mode and the normal display mode while editing the schematic diagram. Automatic pin assignment and routing of the connection lines is performed according to the netlist, and is based upon grouping similarly classified connection lines. An abstract display mode is provided that presents abstract lines for a selected component, with a single abstract line running between two connected components. The abstract display mode is combinable with the topology display mode. Finally, the automatic positioning of components according to predefined topology templates is provided.
-
Citations
35 Claims
-
1. A method for enabling a user to generate a schematic diagram on a computer system, the computer system comprising a display and an input device, the method comprising:
-
processing a netlist of a schematic diagram indicating connectivity of a plurality of components through connection lines to provide a normal display mode in which at least a portion of the components are presented on the display, and connection lines corresponding to the displayed components are presented on the display; providing a topology display mode in which the at least a portion of the components are presented on the display without the corresponding connection lines; providing a component selection function that enables a user to utilize the input device to select a particular component; providing a topology editing function that enables the user to utilize the input device to edit the schematic diagram by modifying the relative positioning, sizing and connectivity of a selected component, wherein the topology editing function is combinable with the topology display mode to enable the user to modify the relative positioning or sizing of the selected component without viewing the corresponding connection lines; and providing automatic pin assignment and routing of the connection lines within the schematic diagram displayed in the normal mode according to the netlist; wherein the user is capable of switching between the topology display mode and the normal display mode while editing the schematic diagram. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method enabling a user to edit a netlist describing a schematic diagram of a circuit formed by a set of components having pins, wherein the netlist describes a shape and a position within the schematic diagram representations of the components and indicates which component pins are interconnected by connection lines within the schematic diagram, the method comprising the steps of:
-
generating a display of a topology display mode schematic diagram showing representations of the components of shape and relative position within the schematic diagram described by the netlist but without showing any of the indicated connection lines; altering the topology display mode schematic diagram in response to user input by one of adding a component representation to the schematic diagram, removing a component representation from the schematic diagram, altering a shape of a component representation in the schematic diagram, and altering a position of a component representation with the schematic diagram; automatically altering the netlist so that its description of the schematic diagram is consistent with the altered topology display mode schematic diagram to produce an altered netlist; generating a display of a normal display mode schematic diagram showing representations of the components of shape and relative position within the schematic diagram in accordance with the altered netlist and showing said connection lines; altering the normal display mode schematic diagram in response to user input by one of adding a representation of a connection line to the schematic diagram and removing a representation of a connection line from the schematic diagram; and automatically altering the netlist so that its description of the schematic diagram is consistent with the altered normal display mode schematic diagram wherein the user is capable of switching between the topology display mode and the normal display mode. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. Computer-readable media containing software which, when read and executed by a computer causes the computer to carry out a method enabling a user to edit a netlist describing a schematic diagram of a circuit formed by a set of components having pins, wherein the netlist describes a shape and a position within the schematic diagram representations of the components and indicates which component pins are interconnected by connection lines within the schematic diagram, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
-
generating a display of a topology display mode schematic diagram showing representations of the components of shape and relative position within the schematic diagram as described by the netlist but without showing any of the indicated connection lines; altering the topology display mode schematic diagram in response to user input by one of adding a component representation to the schematic diagram, removing a component representation from the schematic diagram, altering a shape of a component representation in the schematic diagram, and altering a position of a component representation with the schematic diagram; automatically altering the netlist so that its description of the schematic diagram is consistent with the altered topology display mode schematic diagram to produce an altered netlist; generating a display of a normal display mode schematic diagram showing representations of the components of shape and relative position within the schematic diagram in accordance with the altered netlist and showing said connection lines; altering the normal display mode schematic diagram in response to user input by one of adding a representation of a connection line to the schematic diagram and removing a representation of a connection line from the schematic diagram; and automatically altering the netlist so that its description of the schematic diagram is consistent with the altered normal display mode schematic diagram wherein the user is capable of switching between the topology display mode and the normal display mode. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
Specification