An object oriented approach to CAD tool control [VLSI]

Author

Daniell, James ; Director, Stephen W.

Author_Institution

Software AG, Reston, VA, USA

Volume

10

Issue

6

fYear

1991

fDate

6/1/1991 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

698

Lastpage

713

Abstract

A distributed control mechanism for a large number of VLSI CAD tools is presented. This design framework testbed, named Cadweld, simplifies designer interaction with individual CAD tools and allows arbitrary CAD tools to be easily added or deleted from the design framework. This approach is fundamentally different than many other design framework initiatives that are more concerned with providing a distributed and general data model and tools to support that model. An object-oriented tool integration methodology that treats the tools as objects is presented. This approach simplifies CAD tool control within a design framework, making the framework more general, easier to use, and more capable of supporting a large population of CAD tools. As Cadweld directly extends the unique work of the ULYSSES design framework, the ULYSSES system´s strengths and weaknesses are summarized

Keywords

VLSI; circuit CAD; object-oriented programming; Cadweld; ULYSSES design framework; VLSI CAD tools; design framework testbed; distributed control mechanism; object-oriented tool integration methodology; Design automation; Distributed control; Graphical user interfaces; Graphics; Object oriented modeling; Process design; Research and development; Robustness; User interfaces; Very large scale integration;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0278-0070

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/43.137499

Filename

137499