Generalized constraint collection management method

• US 8,719,764 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Arsintescu, George B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rossoshek, Helen
• Application Number:
  US12/323,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20090077505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,988 Days
• Field of Search: 716/100, 716/102, 716/103, 716/104, 716/108, 716/110, 716/111, 716/112, 716/122, 716/123, 716/137, 716/139
• US Class Current: 716/139
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design

Abstract

Techniques are provided to allow users of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools to define constraint template types for efficiently associating constraints with design objects to specify design intent. Processes for creating and validating the constraints are provided by user-defined plug-ins, thereby allowing users to annotate circuit designs with constraints for proprietary layout and fabrication processes without exposing the constraints to tool vendors or competitors. The constraints are re-created from the template types whenever the circuit design is loaded into the EDA tool, so that the constraints are based upon the latest version of the template type. The constraints are also re-created when validation fails. Constraint groups are reusable in different designs, technology nodes, and processes because they automatically expand to provide the specific constraints to achieve a goal. The specific constraints in a template type can be modified as technology changes, and the modification will automatically be applied to the design objects.

Claims

1. A system for providing a constraint manager user interface in an electronic design automation tool, comprising:

a template instance generator to create a template instance of a template type in response to user selection of a template type, wherein the template type specifies a set of constraints and the template instance references the template type;

wherein the template instance comprises association between the set of constraints and one or more different design objects and between the constraints and one or more constraint parameter values for the constraints;

a design object selector to receive selection of a one or more design objects;

a design object mapping component to associate the design object with the template instance;

a template instance display component to display a template instance tree comprising a template instance node that represents the template instance and that comprises association between the constraints of the set of constraints and the selected one or more design objects and between constraints and constraint parameter values for the constraints;

wherein the template instance display includes a parameter user interface for user input of one or more template instance parameter values for the template instance created using the template instance generator.

3. The system of claim 1,

wherein the template instance tree comprises multiple template instance nodes that respectively represent multiple respective template instances.

4. The system of claim 1,

wherein the template instance tree comprises multiple template instance nodes that respectively represent multiple respective template instances;

and

wherein the template instance display component includes a user interface component to selectively expand and compact respective displays of respective template instances.

2. A system for providing a constraint manager user interface in an electronic design automation tool, comprising:

a template instance generator means for creating a template instance of a template type in response to user selection of a template type, wherein the template type specifies a set of constraints and the template instance references the template type;

wherein the template instance comprises association between the set of constraints and one or more different design objects and between the constraints and one or more constraint parameter values for the constraints;

a design object selector means for receiving selection of a one or more design objects;

a design object mapping means for associating the design object with the template instance;

a template instance display means for displaying a template instance tree comprising a template instance node that represents the template instance and that comprises association between the constraints of the set of constraints and the selected one or more design objects and between constraints and constraint parameter values for the constraints;

wherein the template instance display includes a parameter user interface for user input of one or more template instance parameter values for the template instance created using the template instance generator.

5. The system of claim 2,

wherein the template instance tree comprises multiple template instance nodes that respectively represent multiple respective template instances.

6. The system of claim 2,

wherein the template instance tree comprises multiple template instance nodes that respectively represent multiple respective template instances;

and

wherein the template instance display means provides a user interface component to selectively expand and compact respective displays of respective template instances.