A reconfigurable and distributed framework for managing design processes

Presents a novel framework for the management of VLSI design processes. The framework allows the realisation of design process systems with capabilities that can match the problems to be solved. A framework called Colossus has been developed. It enables the VLSI design process space to be mapped onto distributed design domains, and it supports the necessary mechanisms for integrating the distributed capabilities of these domains to form design process systems. The systems realised are found to be flexible, in that their capabilities can be configured through design domain reorganisation and instantiation. Results obtained from a simplified layout generation system are presented to demonstrate the reconfiguration of system capabilities. In addition, the status of the framework and the systems implemented based on it are reported. It is believed that the framework can be used for the realisation of design process systems implemented across multiple hardware platforms and for the integration of multiple design process knowledge bases