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Multi-format consistency checking tool

Multi-format consistency checking tool description/claims

As IC design evolves, tools are created to solve new design challenges. These tools produce new and different formats to represent the design. When this occurs, conventional tools lack the ability to check the consistency of a design encoded in several different design representations.

It would be desirable to implement a method, system, and tool that is able to perform syntax and semantic checks for and against a wide variety of design representations.

The teachings described herein can be readily understood by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Like reference numerals are used for like elements in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a data processing system incorporating a consistency checker.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of the consistency checker of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a method of consistency checking.

FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are flow charts showing a method of initializing a consistency checker, wherein a user can change the type of designs to be checked and can further change the terms included in rules of the checker.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a user interface that allows a user to select rules to use during consistency checking.

FIG. 6 shows an example user interface that allows a user to add a new term to a rule set.

FIG. 7(a) shows a portion of an example design representation written in the C programming language.

FIG. 7(b) shows a portion of an example design representation written in the Verilog hardware description language.

FIG. 8(a) is a flowchart showing an example abstraction function used in a translator for design types of the C programming language.

FIG. 8(b) is a flowchart showing an example abstraction function used in the translator for design types of the Verilog hardware description language.

The figures depict embodiments for purposes of illustration only. One can recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles described herein.

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