Relocation Blocks for Netlist Hierarchy Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing netlisting approaches often require a direct mirroring of the high-level modeling system (HLMS) design hierarchy in hardware description language (HDL), which can be inflexible and impractical for certain electronic system designs, particularly when the organization of HDL needs to differ from the block structure or when specific blocks require delayed translation or combination for hardware realization.
Innovation Solution
The method involves identifying relocation blocks in a system design hierarchy, determining corresponding target blocks, and modifying the hierarchy to relocate these blocks while maintaining connectivity, allowing for the generation of a netlist that adapts the HDL structure to meet downstream processing needs and hardware constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the netlister produces HDL whose organization directly mirrors the HLMS block hierarchy, then the translation is straightforward and simple, but the flexibility to adapt to different hardware requirements or downstream processing needs is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The netlisting process is made dynamic by introducing relocation blocks that can move between different positions in the HDL hierarchy. The system transitions from a static, fixed mirroring approach to a dynamic approach where blocks can be relocated to optimize for different hardware requirements or downstream processing needs while maintaining the same HLMS block structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention segments the netlisting process into two independent parts: (1) the HLMS block hierarchy translation, which remains straightforward and simple, and (2) the relocation operation, which provides flexibility. By separating these concerns, the system maintains ease of manufacture while gaining adaptability through the relocation mechanism.
2Adaptability or versatility
If blocks are relocated in the HDL hierarchy, then adaptability to different hardware requirements is improved, but the complexity of the netlisting process increases
Solution Approach 1:
Relocation blocks serve as intermediaries between the HLMS block hierarchy and the final HDL structure. These intermediary blocks handle the complexity of relocation operations, allowing the main netlisting process to remain simple while still achieving adaptability. The relocation blocks absorb the complexity of hierarchy manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary translation of HLMS blocks to HDL entities first, creating a straightforward initial netlist. Then, relocation operations are applied as a separate preliminary step before final HDL generation. This separation allows the basic netlisting to remain simple while adding adaptability through controlled relocation.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the netlist structure is modified to differ from the block hierarchy, then compatibility with target hardware environment is improved, but the straightforwardness of the translation process is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The translation process becomes dynamic by allowing blocks to be relocated after initial translation. The system first performs straightforward translation mirroring the block hierarchy, then applies relocation operations to achieve hardware compatibility. This two-stage approach maintains straightforwardness while improving compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the relocation functionality from the basic translation process. By separating translation (which remains straightforward) from relocation (which provides compatibility), the system maintains ease of manufacture for the core translation task while achieving hardware compatibility through the extracted relocation mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
The generation of a netlist for an electronic system includes identifying one or more relocation blocks in a first system design hierarchy for the electronic system and determining a corresponding target block in the first system design hierarchy for each relocation block. The generation of the netlist further includes producing a second system design hierarchy from the first system design hierarchy by relocating each relocation block to the corresponding target block while maintaining connectivity for the one or more ports for each relocation block. The netlist is generated from the second system design hierarchy.