User interface for inherited connections in a circuit

• US 8,214,791 B1
• Filed: 09/17/2009
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: O'Riordan, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin, Sun
• Application Number:
  US12/561,999
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 716/100, 716/101, 716/102, 716/104, 716/119, 716/139
• US Class Current: 716/139
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention enable a user to display and edit the effects of inherited connections in a circuit that is characterized as a hierarchical arrangement including cell instances and connectors. The hierarchical arrangement may include a tree structure where the cell instances include devices and the connectors include wires and pins. Property names are associated with connectors for identifying corresponding signal sources, and property-setting expression are associated with cell instances for specifying property-name values and making the corresponding identifications. Displays may include a path along the hierarchical arrangement from a given connector to a corresponding signal source including the effects of property names and property-setting expressions along the path. Displays may enable editing by the user to change property names and property-setting expressions along the path and view corresponding results for the inherited connections.

Claims

1. A method of providing inherited connections in circuits, comprising:

specifying a hierarchical arrangement for a circuit including cell instances and connectors arranged in a tree structure that includes a top-level node at a top end of the hierarchical arrangement, wherein the cell instances include electrical devices, and the connectors include wires and pins;

associating one or more connectivity expressions with the connectors for identifying corresponding signal sources for the connectors, wherein each connectivity expression includes a property name for identifying a signal source and a default value for the signal source;

associating one or more property-setting expressions with the cell instances, wherein each property-setting expression relates a property name to a specified connector and associates a signal source for the property name with a signal source for the specified connector;

using a computer to resolve a first signal source for a first connector associated with a first connectivity expression that includes a first property name and a first default value by following a path in the hierarchical arrangement from the first connector toward the top-level node and using one or more connectivity expressions and property-setting expressions along the path to determine the first signal source; and

displaying values from the path to a user including a sequence of one or more property names and corresponding property-setting expressions along the path between the first connector and the first signal source.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the path is a first path and the method further comprises:

receiving a user input for changing the specified connector of a first property-setting expression along the first path to determine a second path in the hierarchical arrangement from the first connector toward the top-level node;

resolving a second signal source for the first connector by following the second path and using one or more connectivity expressions and property-setting expressions along the second path to determine the second signal source; and

displaying values from the second path to a user including a second sequence of one or more property names and corresponding property-setting expressions along the second path between the first connector and the second signal source.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying a selection of values for connectors or corresponding signal sources to the user for changing the specified connector of the first property-setting expression along the first path to determine the second path.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

resolving signal sources for the connectors associated with connectivity expressions by following paths in the hierarchical arrangement from the connectors toward the top-level node and using the one or more connectivity expressions and connectivity-setting expressions along the paths to determine the signal sources;

displaying to the user values for the connectors, corresponding resolved signal sources and corresponding property-setting expressions; and

receiving a user-input from the displayed values for specifying the first connector.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein following the path includes re-parameterizing the first property name into a second property name, including:

using the first connectivity expression to follow the path from the first connector to a first cell instance that includes a first property-setting expression that relates the first property name to a second connector;

using the first property-setting expression to follow the path from the first cell instance to the second connector, wherein the second connector is associated with a second connectivity expression that includes a second property name and a second default value; and

replacing the first connectivity expression for the first connector with the second connectivity expression.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein following the path includes determining the first signal source by using a property-setting result that takes the path to a connector that corresponds to the first signal source, wherein the first signal source provides a top-level signal for the circuit.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a computer program for causing a computer to provide inherited connections in circuits, wherein the computer program includes instructions for:

specifying a hierarchical arrangement for a circuit including cell instances and connectors arranged in a tree structure that includes a top-level node at a top end of the hierarchical arrangement, wherein the cell instances include electrical devices, and the connectors include wires and pins;

associating one or more connectivity expressions with the connectors for identifying corresponding signal sources for the connectors, wherein each connectivity expression includes a property name for identifying a signal source and a default value for the signal source;

associating one or more property-setting expressions with the cell instances, wherein each property-setting expression relates a property name to a specified connector and associates a signal source for the property name with a signal source for the specified connector;

resolving a first signal source for a first connector associated with a first connectivity expression that includes a first property name and a first default value by following a path in the hierarchical arrangement from the first connector toward the top-level node and using one or more connectivity expressions and property-setting expressions along the path to determine the first signal source; and

displaying values from the path to a user including a sequence of one or more property names and corresponding property-setting expressions along the path between the first connector and the first signal source.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the path is a first path and the computer program further includes instructions for:

receiving a user input for changing the specified connector of a first property-setting expression along the first path to determine a second path in the hierarchical arrangement from the first connector toward the top-level node;

resolving a second signal source for the first connector by following the second path and using one or more connectivity expressions and property-setting expressions along the second path to determine the second signal source; and

displaying values from the second path to a user including a second sequence of one or more property names and corresponding property-setting expressions along the second path between the first connector and the second signal source.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the computer program further includes instructions for:

displaying a selection of values for connectors or corresponding signal sources to the user for changing the specified connector of the first property-setting expression along the first path to determine the second path.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the computer program further includes instructions for:

resolving signal sources for the connectors associated with connectivity expressions by following paths in the hierarchical arrangement from the connectors toward the top-level node and using the one or more connectivity expressions and connectivity-setting expressions along the paths to determine the signal sources;

displaying to the user values for the connectors, corresponding resolved signal sources and corresponding property-setting expressions; and

receiving a user-input from the displayed values for specifying the first connector.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein following the path includes re-parameterizing the first property name into a second property name, including:

using the first connectivity expression to follow the path from the first connector to a first cell instance that includes a first property-setting expression that relates the first property name to a second connector;

using the first property-setting expression to follow the path from the first cell instance to the second connector, wherein the second connector is associated with a second connectivity expression that includes a second property name and a second default value; and

replacing the first connectivity expression for the first connector with the second connectivity expression.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein following the path includes determining the first signal source by using a property-setting result that takes the path to a connector that corresponds to the first signal source, wherein the first signal source provides a top-level signal for the circuit.

13. An apparatus for providing inherited connections in circuits, the apparatus comprising a computer for executing computer instructions, wherein the computer includes computer instructions for:

specifying a hierarchical arrangement for a circuit including cell instances and connectors arranged in a tree structure that includes a top-level node at a top end of the hierarchical arrangement, wherein the cell instances include electrical devices, and the connectors include wires and pins;

associating one or more connectivity expressions with the connectors for identifying corresponding signal sources for the connectors, wherein each connectivity expression includes a property name for identifying a signal source and a default value for the signal source;

associating one or more property-setting expressions with the cell instances, wherein each property-setting expression relates a property name to a specified connector and associates a signal source for the property name with a signal source for the specified connector;

resolving a first signal source for a first connector associated with a first connectivity expression that includes a first property name and a first default value by following a path in the hierarchical arrangement from the first connector toward the top-level node and using one or more connectivity expressions and property-setting expressions along the path to determine the first signal source; and

displaying values from the path to a user including a sequence of one or more property names and corresponding property-setting expressions along the path between the first connector and the first signal source.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the path is a first path and the computer further includes computer instructions for:

receiving a user input for changing the specified connector of a first property-setting expression along the first path to determine a second path in the hierarchical arrangement from the first connector toward the top-level node;

resolving a second signal source for the first connector by following the second path and using one or more connectivity expressions and property-setting expressions along the second path to determine the second signal source; and

displaying values from the second path to a user including a second sequence of one or more property names and corresponding property-setting expressions along the second path between the first connector and the second signal source.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the computer further includes computer instructions for:

displaying a selection of values for connectors or corresponding signal sources to the user for changing the specified connector of the first property-setting expression along the first path to determine the second path.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer further includes computer instructions for:

resolving signal sources for the connectors associated with connectivity expressions by following paths in the hierarchical arrangement from the connectors toward the top-level node and using the one or more connectivity expressions and connectivity-setting expressions along the paths to determine the signal sources;

displaying to the user values for the connectors, corresponding resolved signal sources and corresponding property-setting expressions; and

receiving a user-input from the displayed values for specifying the first connector.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein following the path includes re-parameterizing the first property name into a second property name, including:

using the first connectivity expression to follow the path from the first connector to a first cell instance that includes a first property-setting expression that relates the first property name to a second connector;

using the first property-setting expression to follow the path from the first cell instance to the second connector, wherein the second connector is associated with a second connectivity expression that includes a second property name and a second default value; and

replacing the first connectivity expression for the first connector with the second connectivity expression.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein following the path includes determining the first signal source by using a property-setting result that takes the path to a connector that corresponds to the first signal source, wherein the first signal source provides a top-level signal for the circuit.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer includes a processor with memory for executing at least some of the computer instructions.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer includes circuitry for executing at least some of the computer instructions.