CAD Framework Initiative-a user perspective

The author presents an overview of the CAD Framework Initiative (CFI) from a user´s perspective. CFI is an industry consortium whose charter is to define interface standards that facilitate integration of design automation tools and design data for the benefit of end users and vendors worldwide. Integration problems faced by CAD users are introduced, followed by a discussion of the concept of a CAD framework. CFI´s role in the evolution toward framework standardization is described. Specifically highlighted are key demonstrations of CFI´s progress that have been conducted at the Design Automation Conference. End user benefits and expectations with respect to CFI are discussed