HLMS Circuit Visualization via Color and Size Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
High Level Modeling Systems (HLMS) for integrated circuit design lack intuitive graphical interfaces for presenting hardware cost information, making it difficult for designers to optimize circuit designs efficiently, as they operate at a high level of abstraction hiding necessary details.
Innovation Solution
Implementing graphic visualization techniques within HLMS to visually represent circuit designs, where block sizes and colors are varied based on hardware cost information, indicating resource usage and potential optimizations, allowing designers to interpret and optimize circuit designs more intuitively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If resource estimation tools provide detailed hardware cost information, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases and ease of operation deteriorates due to text-based interfaces requiring higher learning curves
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color-coded visual indicators to represent different hardware cost metrics. Circuit blocks are colored according to their resource utilization levels, with color intensity or hue indicating cost magnitude. This allows designers to quickly identify high-cost components without interpreting text data, resolving the contradiction by maintaining precise cost information while dramatically improving ease of operation through intuitive visual perception.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms one-dimensional text-based cost data into two-dimensional graphical representations. Hardware cost information is mapped to visual dimensions such as block size, color intensity, and positional encoding in the circuit diagram. This dimensional transformation preserves the precision of cost metrics while making the data immediately accessible and interpretable, eliminating the need for text-based interfaces and reducing the learning curve.
2Ease of operation
If HLMS operates at high level of abstraction, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates because detailed circuit design information is unavailable for optimization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary visualization layer between the high-level abstract circuit model and the detailed hardware cost data. This intermediary graphical interface automatically maps abstract circuit blocks to their underlying hardware resource consumption without requiring the designer to lower the level of abstraction. The visualization system acts as a mediator that translates detailed cost information into high-level visual cues, allowing designers to maintain abstract modeling while accessing precise optimization data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local visual properties to specific circuit blocks based on their individual hardware cost characteristics. Each block's visual representation (color, size, shading) is locally adapted to reflect its specific resource utilization. This allows designers to quickly identify which particular blocks require optimization attention while maintaining the overall high-level abstract view of the complete circuit design.
3Device complexity
If text-based resource estimation is used, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates making it difficult to quickly interpret hardware cost data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color intensity and hue variations to encode precise hardware cost measurements. Different color schemes represent different resource types (LUTs, flip-flops, DSP blocks), while color intensity within each scheme indicates the magnitude of resource consumption. This visual encoding maintains interface simplicity by replacing text with colors, while dramatically improving measurement precision and interpretation speed through human visual system's ability to rapidly process color information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent encodes hardware cost data in additional visual dimensions beyond simple text labels. Block size, color intensity, and graphical overlays create multiple concurrent visual channels for presenting cost information. This dimensional enrichment allows precise quantification of hardware costs while maintaining a simple graphical interface, as the human visual system can simultaneously process multiple visual attributes without increasing perceived complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Within a high level modeling system (HLMS), a method of visualizing a circuit design can include identifying the circuit design and reading hardware cost information for the circuit design. The method also can include presenting a graphical representation of the circuit design having at least one visual characteristic which can be varied according to the hardware cost information.