Method and system for data-driven display grids

• US 7,003,732 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2001
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Original Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation (Infineon Technologies AG)
• Inventors: Zhaksilikov, Marat
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/999,609
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 345/771, 715/503, 715/509, 715/771, 715/843, 715/504, 715/901, 715/902, 715/903, 700/95, 700/96, 700/98, 716 1- 21
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/34 for reconfigurable circuits, e.g. field programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]

Abstract

A method and system of automatically generating information in a grid structure on a display screen. In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to displaying and editing microcontroller chip configuration information. The method involves reading a data file describing a configurable sub-system of the microcontroller, identifying the configurable parameters of the sub-system and constructing a two dimensional display for displaying the values of variables associated with those parameters. The two dimensional display (“display grid”) may contain a row for each parameter, a column for the name of the parameter, and a cell in each row for each variable associated with that parameter. The cells associated with variables can be restricted to accept values chosen from a set enumerated in the data file describing the configurable sub-system. The data file contains all information necessary for generating the grid display, including its width, length, data label information, cell data and data values that can be assigned to cells. A grid generator reads the data file and automatically generates the display grid based on the embedded data definitions.

Claims

1. A method for displaying configuration information within a design system for configuring a microcontroller, said method comprising:

responsive to a user selection of a sub-system of a plurality of sub-systems of a microcontroller, accessing a computer file comprising a description of said sub-system of said microcontroller, said sub-system comprising a plurality of parameters;

automatically rendering and displaying said plurality of parameters in a two-dimensional display grid comprising a number of rows and a number of columns that are determined by parameters stored in said computer file;

receiving user input of a value corresponding to at least one parameter of said plurality of parameters; and

storing said value in said computer file, wherein said computer file is accessible by said design system for configuring a microcontroller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer file further comprises:

a first parameter comprising a first variable being restricted to a set of values; and

a default value of said set of values; and

wherein said automatically displaying comprises displaying said default value in a cell corresponding to said variable within said two-dimensional display grid.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said automatically displaying comprises displaying a drop down menu near said cell, said drop down menu comprising a display of said set of values.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said computer file contains a data vector comprising said parameters and wherein said parameters are XML formatted data.

5. A computer system comprising a processor coupled to a bus and a memory coupled to said bus, said memory containing instructions to implement a method for displaying configuration information within a design system for configuring a microcontroller, said method comprising:

responsive to a user selection of a sub-system of a plurality of sub-systems of a microcontroller, accessing a computer file comprising a description of said sub-system of said microcontroller, said sub-system comprising a plurality of parameters;

automatically rendering and displaying said plurality of parameters in a two-dimensional display grid comprising a number of rows and a number of columns that are determined by parameters stored in said computer file;

receiving user input of a value corresponding to at least one parameter of said plurality of parameters; and

storing said value in said computer file, wherein said computer file is accessible by said design system for configuring a microcontroller.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein said computer file further comprises:

a first parameter comprising a first variable being restricted to a set of values; and

a default value of said set of values; and

wherein said automatically displaying comprises displaying said default value in a cell corresponding to said variable within said two-dimensional display grid.

7. The computer system of claim 6 wherein said automatically displaying comprises displaying a drop down menu near said cell, said drop down menu comprising a display of said set of values.

8. The computer system of claim 5 wherein said computer file contains a data vector comprising said parameters and wherein said parameters are XML formatted data.

9. A method of displaying a two dimensional array of information on a computer system, said method comprising:

responsive to a user selection of a sub-system of a plurality of sub-systems of a microcontroller within a microcontroller design system, accessing a computer file comprising data associated with said sub-system and defining a two dimensional array including a predefined number of rows and a predefined number of columns;

automatically rendering and displaying a grid with said predefined number of rows and said predefined number of columns of cells;

receiving user input of a value corresponding to at least one cell of said grid; and

storing said value in said computer file, wherein said computer file is accessible by said microcontroller design system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said data specifies parameters for programming a programmable integrated circuit device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said data further specifies column headings as a first row of said grid.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said data further specifies a plurality of variable names within said grid and default data for each of said variable names.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said data further specifies a set of allowable values for each of said variable names.

14. A design system for configuring a microcontroller wherein said microcontroller has a plurality of parameters, said design system comprising:

a computer file specifying a sub-system of a plurality of sub-systems of said microcontroller, said computer file accessible in response to a user selection of said sub-system of said plurality of sub-systems and comprising a plurality of parameters;

a first computer program for automatically rendering and displaying a two dimensional grid comprising a number of rows as determined by a vector data structure stored in said computer file;

a second computer program for receiving user input of a value corresponding to at least one cell of said grid; and

a third computer program for storing said value in said computer file, wherein said computer file is accessible by said design system for configuring a microcontroller.

15. A design system as described in claim 14 wherein said two dimensional grid comprises a number of columns as determined by said vector data structure stored in said computer file.

16. A design system as described in claim 15 wherein said vector data structure comprises XML formatted data.

17. The design system as described in claim 15, wherein said vector data structure further comprises:

a first parameter;

a first value for said first parameter;

a first range set comprising a collection of allowable values for said first value;

wherein said computer file enumerates said first range set; and

wherein said grid comprises a row corresponding to said first parameter with an editable cell within said row corresponding to said first value; and

wherein said cell contents being restricted to said first range set.

18. The design system as described in claim 15, wherein said vector data structure further comprises:

a first parameter;

a first variable for said first parameter;

a first initial value for said first variable;

wherein said computer file specifying said first initial value; and

wherein said grid comprises a row corresponding to said first parameter with an editable cell within said row corresponding to said first attribute; and

wherein said cell contents being initially set to said first initial value.

19. The design system as described in claim 18, wherein said vector data structure further comprises:

a first initial value for said first value;

wherein said computer file specifying said first initial value; and

wherein said editable cell initially being set to said first initial value.

20. The design system as described in claim 15, wherein said vector data structure further comprises:

a first parameter comprising a first variable specified in said computer file and a second variable specified in said computer file;

wherein said grid comprises a row corresponding to said first parameter with a first cell within said row corresponding to said first variable; and

a second cell within said row corresponding to said second variable.

21. A data driven display object for display on a display screen of a computer system, said data driven display object comprising:

a vector defining a two dimensional grid comprising a predefined number of rows and a predefined number of columns, wherein said vector is accessible in response to a user selection of a sub-system of a plurality of sub-systems of a microcontroller within a design system for configuring a microcontroller; and

a first editable cell in a row and column wherein said first editable cell is set with an initial value corresponding to a parameter of said sub-system of said microcontroller, wherein a user-defined value corresponding to said editable cell is stored in a computer program accessible by said design system for configuring a microcontroller.

22. A data driven display object of claim 21, further comprising a second editable cell in said row with said second editable cell being set with an initial value corresponding to a second variable of said parameter of said sub-system of said microcontroller.

23. The data driven display object of claim 21 wherein said first editable cell is a spinner control.

24. The data driven display object of claim 21 wherein said vector comprises XML formatted data.

25. A data driven display object for display on a display screen of a computer system, said data driven display object comprising:

a data vector defining a two dimensional display grid comprising a row, wherein said data vector is accessible in response to a user selection of a sub-system of a plurality of sub-systems of a microcontroller within a design system for configuring a microcontroller; and

a first editable cell in said row wherein said first editable cell is restricted to a range set for a variable corresponding to a parameter of said sub-system of said microcontroller, wherein a user-defined value corresponding to said editable cell is stored in a computer program accessible by said design system for configuring a microcontroller.

26. The display object of claim 25, further comprising:

a second editable cell in said row wherein said second editable cell in said row is restricted to a range set for a second variable corresponding to said parameter of said sub-system of said microcontroller.

27. The display object of claim 26 where said second editable cell displays said range set with a drop-down list.