The Micon system for computer design

A description is given of the microprocessor configurer system, or Micon, which was designed to provide support for computer hardware designers. The objective of Micon is to reduce the time required to construct a hardware system. The approach to achieving this objective rests on two points: capturing and disseminating design expertise in a format that actively assists designers, and providing a tool environment that supports all aspects of computer design. Artificial intelligence provides design synthesis and the acquisition of design expertise. Databases provide consistent views of data to all tools. Networking allows the system to efficiently share common resources, such as the database, across many users of the system. Micon is compared to related design systems, its architecture is described, examples of its use are given, and a set of experiments to test its viability is described.<>