Hardware Description Interface for High-Level Modeling Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-level modeling systems (HLMS) face scalability issues when designing large, complex circuits, as graphical user interfaces become cumbersome and unmanageable due to the need for manual drag-and-drop placement of numerous blocks, and parameterized designs are difficult to explore effectively within these environments.
Innovation Solution
A hardware description interface (HDI) is implemented to allow scripted inputs for dynamic creation of circuit designs within HLMS, enabling automatic instantiation and positioning of high-level modeling blocks and signal objects, as well as automatic propagation of parameters and layout determination, facilitating the use of complex and parameterizable modeling blocks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If graphical user interface is used for circuit design, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases when designing large systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the circuit design process into two distinct interfaces: a graphical user interface for interactive design and a hardware description interface for scripted specification. This segmentation allows each interface to optimize for its specific purpose, preventing the graphical interface from becoming overwhelmed by complexity in large-scale designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a translation mechanism as an intermediary that converts between the graphical interface domain and the hardware description interface domain. This intermediary handles the complexity of large-scale designs by processing scripted specifications, thereby protecting the graphical interface from direct exposure to system complexity.
2Ease of operation
If manual drag-and-drop method is used for block placement, then ease of operation is improved, but productivity deteriorates when designing very large systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables preliminary action by allowing designers to specify entire subsystems and parameterized designs through scripted inputs before graphical placement. This preliminary specification automates the creation of numerous blocks and their interconnections, significantly improving productivity for large-scale designs while maintaining graphical interaction for final positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements copying by generating multiple instances of modeling blocks automatically from parameterized templates specified in the hardware description interface. Instead of manually dragging and dropping each block individually, the system creates copies based on scripted specifications, thereby dramatically increasing productivity for designs requiring many identical or similar blocks.
3Ease of operation
If graphical design environment is used, then ease of operation is improved, but adaptability deteriorates for parameterized designs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamics by enabling parameterized designs where block instances and connections can be dynamically adjusted through scripted specifications. The hardware description interface allows flexible modification of design parameters, enabling the system to adapt to different design requirements without being constrained by the static nature of traditional graphical environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by allowing designers to specify and modify design parameters through the hardware description interface. This enables easy exploration of different design possibilities by changing parameters in scripted specifications, thereby improving adaptability for parameterized designs while maintaining the user-friendly graphical interface for visualization and final adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method of specifying a circuit design within a high-level modeling system (HLMS) can include, responsive to a scripted user input, instantiating a first and a second block objects within a hardware description interface (HDI) that is communicatively linked with the HLMS and, responsive to instantiating the first and second block objects, creating and displaying, within the HLMS, first and second modeling blocks representing the first and second xBlock objects respectively. Responsive to instantiating, within the HDI, a signal object bound to an output port of the first block object and an input port of the second block object, a modeling line can be created and displayed within the HLMS visually linking an output of the first modeling block with an input of the second modeling block. The first modeling block, second modeling block, and modeling line can be stored as a description of the circuit design.