HDL Project Reconstruction Using Constraint-Based Library Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of integrated circuit designs often results in incomplete hardware description language (HDL) files, leading to inconsistencies and uncertainties when importing projects into new Integrated Development Environments (IDEs, particularly in FPGA and ASIC designs, due to diverse project definitions across different teams, which can hinder simulation, synthesis, and manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
A method for reconstructing and reconfiguring incomplete HDL files by identifying symbols and determining constraints to map them to a namespace, solving a satisfiability problem, ensuring all elements are well-defined, promoting design reusability and consistency across teams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If diverse project definitions are used by different designers and teams, then individual team flexibility and customization are improved, but consistency and integration across the project deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal project definition structure that can accommodate multiple team-specific definitions through standardized interfaces. The IDE implements a framework that recognizes and processes various project definition formats while maintaining a common structure, allowing different teams to use their preferred definitions while ensuring overall project consistency and integrability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If incomplete HDL files are used in the project, then design flexibility and iterative development are improved, but design accuracy and manufacturing reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The IDE performs preliminary validation and completeness checking of HDL files during the design and simulation phases. By detecting incomplete HDL files before manufacturing, the system allows designers to maintain flexibility during development while ensuring that only complete and accurate designs proceed to manufacturing, thus resolving the contradiction between design flexibility and manufacturing precision.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple project definition standards are supported, then compatibility with existing projects is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer in the IDE that acts as a translator between various project definition standards and the internal representation format. This intermediary component handles the complexity of supporting multiple standards without burdening the core IDE architecture, enabling compatibility with existing projects while maintaining system manageability.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides, amongst other aspects, a computer-implemented method of reconfiguring an incomplete project for implementation of a circuit into a complete project for implementation of the circuit, the at least part of a project comprising incomplete hardware description language, HDL, files, the complete project comprising complete HDL files, the method comprising: obtaining the incomplete HDL files comprising a respective HDL code, identifying symbols, preferably identifiers, in the respective HDL code, determining constraints based on the identified symbols, preferably identifiers, and reconfiguring the incomplete HDL files based on the constraints to obtain the complete HDL files, wherein the reconfiguring of the incomplete HDL files comprises determining a mapping of the incomplete HDL files to a respective library, wherein the mapping relates to solving a satisfiability problem to satisfy the constraints.