JP3399555B2 - LSI design data management device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an LSI design data management device, and more particularly to an LSI design data management device for managing library data for each CAD tool used in ASIC design.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an LSI design process is carried out by sequentially passing through a functional design stage, a logic design stage, a circuit design stage, and a layout design stage. And 1
In one design stage, design processing is performed using the design data created in the previous design stage. Usually, separate CAD tools are prepared to support the design at each stage, and the design is performed by these CAD tools. Therefore, the LSI design data is managed separately for each CAD tool.

In recent years, the use of LSI tends to be more and more widespread, and so-called ASIC (integrated circuit for specific application) is used.
The demand for is increasing year by year. In ASIC, it is necessary to design a relatively large-scale circuit in a short time according to the requirements of individual users. Therefore, a semiconductor manufacturer provides a user with a large number of LSI design data for each CAD tool as a library, and the user combines desired design data in the provided library to design a desired LSI. Is taken. In other words, the semiconductor maker prepares a large number of LSI design data in advance, so to speak, as individual parts, and the user performs the work of assembling a desired LSI using the parts necessary for himself.

[0004]

The LSI manufacturing process has been technically advanced year by year, and the performance and size of integrated circuits have been improved. Each time such high performance and miniaturization are achieved, it is necessary to update individual components for assembling the ASIC, that is, LSI design data. In addition, a new CAD tool has been created with improvement, and it is necessary to update the LSI design data in order to support this new CAD tool.

However, as described above, the LSI design data is provided at each design stage and at each CAD tool.
Since it is necessary to prepare each of them and a plurality of design data are related to each other, this data updating work is very complicated. In addition, the design data of the new version is created by updating the design data of the old version, but the user does not always use the design data of the new version. In addition, the amount of information in each design data is enormous, and the work of extracting the design data is extremely complicated and difficult.

Therefore, the present invention is an LSI which can easily perform data management such as data extraction work and update work.
An object is to provide a design data management device.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems] (1) The first invention of the present application is as an individual component for assembling a desired LSI.
A database is constructed by storing multiple functional LSI design data in multiple storage locations, and
In the device for managing the LSI design data, a plurality of storage locations capable of storing a plurality of design data of different versions are prepared, and for each storage location,
One or more object IDs functioning as a label for identifying the storage location are set, and design data stored in different versions and the storage location are set for each storage location. sets the version ID that shows the object ID that is, the correspondence relationship, the
The first design data in the storage location specified by the first object ID and the case specified by the second object ID.
A second design data in paid places, for, one design
When you update the data, the other design data
To show design relationships that may need updating
And the first object ID or the first design
Data and the second object ID or the second
And design data, a set directly associates connect ID, when updating the design data in a predetermined storage location, before updating the design data of the new version after update
The data is stored in the predetermined storage location together with the design data related to the old version, and necessary update processing is performed on the object ID, version ID, and connect ID.

(2) The second invention of the present application is such that, in the apparatus according to the above-mentioned first invention, the second design data can be obtained by performing a specific process process using the first design data. In some cases, a process ID for indicating the relationship between the first design data and the second design data is further set.

[0009]

[Operation] According to the LSI design data management device of the present invention, a plurality of design data having different versions can be stored in one storage location. Moreover, an object ID for identifying this design data is set, and the correspondence between this object ID and the design data of each version is indicated by the version ID. Further, by setting the connect ID, the relationship between the object IDs can be recognized. By setting such an ID, systematic management of design data becomes possible. Also,
Since each of these IDs can be handled separately from the actual design data, when the design data is updated,
The update process can be performed by a simple operation of rewriting necessary for each ID.

[0010]

The present invention will be described below based on illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an embodiment showing a storage mode of design data in an LSI design data management device according to the present invention. The four boxes drawn in the upper part of FIG. 1 indicate storage locations 1 to 4, respectively. In an actual device, each of these storage locations corresponds to a data storage area secured in a storage device (for example, a magnetic disk) of a computer. The LSI design data for ASIC is stored in each storage location.

As described above, the LSI design process is generally performed by sequentially passing through the functional design stage, the logic design stage, the circuit design stage, and the layout design stage. Normally, the design of each stage is performed. Separate CAD tools are provided to assist. The semiconductor manufacturer will prepare the LSI design data suitable for each CAD tool used by the user in the LSI design data management device. Therefore, the design data stored in each storage location is a very wide variety of data. For example, design data used in a CAD tool for logic design includes an AND gate,
It is data about logic elements such as NAND gates and OR gates. More specifically, it is data defining the logical function, operating voltage, operating speed, etc. of the logic element. Even with the same AND gate, if the number of inputs, the operating voltage, the operating speed, etc. differ, they will be treated as different parts in the work of the logic design stage. In addition, the design data for circuit design is CMO.
It is data that treats transistors such as S and NMOS as parts, and is data that defines the operating voltage, voltage-current characteristics, operating speed, etc. of the transistor. Further, the design data for performing the layout design is data in which graphic patterns such as a drain region, a source region, and a gate region are treated as parts. As described above, various design data are prepared depending on the target CAD tool, but all of them are data having a common property in that they are data relating to one part, and each design data is stored in one storage location. Will be stored. As described above, the LSI design data can be said to be various parts data, and an enormous number of parts are actually prepared. However, here, for convenience of description, four parts are stored. A simple example in which four storage locations 1 to 4 are prepared will be described below.

The storage location 1 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with four storage locations. This is because the design data stored in the storage location 1 are made to coexist with the data of the old version and the data of the new version when the version is upgraded. For example, in the storage location 1 shown in FIG. 1, it is assumed that the design data D1 is currently stored in the position and the positions 1 to 3 are empty areas. Here, as will be described later, when the design data D2 is created by updating the design data D1 in the future, if this design data D2 is stored in a position, the data of the old version and the data of the new version coexist. Can be made.

In this embodiment, four kinds of IDs are set for each storage location. The lower part of FIG. 1 shows each ID set for the storage location 1. Object I
D is an ID for identifying the design data stored in this storage location 1 and is, so to speak, a label for identifying this box. In the example of FIG. 1, the object ID “A” is set for the storage location 1, and the object IDs “X”, “Y”, and “Z” are set for the storage locations 2 to 4, respectively. There is. The next version ID shows the correspondence between each design data stored in a different version and the object ID set for this storage location. In the example of FIG. 1, the object ID “A” is shown.
Is shown to correspond to the design data stored in the storage location. As will be described later, a plurality of object IDs can be set in one storage location. This version ID is thus used for multiple objects I
When D is set, it plays a role of indicating which object ID corresponds to which design data. Subsequently, the connect ID is for indicating another related object ID for each object ID. In the example of FIG. 1, the object ID “A” and another object I
It is shown to be associated with D "X". This is the design data D specified by the object ID "A".
1 and the design data (not shown in FIG. 1) specified by the object ID “X” have some relation. In this embodiment, the connect ID merely indicates that there is a relationship, but information indicating what kind of relationship it may have may be added to the connect ID.

The above is the basic ID in the present invention, but in this embodiment, the process ID is further set. This process ID is still another object ID
Is a type of the above-mentioned connect ID, and is particularly used to indicate a relationship in which another design data is obtained as a result of performing a specific process process using certain design data. It is an ID. In the example of FIG. 1, the object ID “A” is obtained by performing the process y on the design data specified by the object ID “Y”.
The design data D1 specified by the object ID is created, and the design data D1 specified by the object ID “A” is processed z to create the design data specified by the object ID “Z”. This is indicated by the process ID. In LSI design data, one design data is often created by performing a specific process on another design data. For example, as a component in layout design, 1
When one layout design data is created, characteristics such as the operating speed of the transistor are determined based on this layout design data. Therefore, the circuit design data as a component in the circuit design can be created based on the layout design data. Similarly, when one circuit design data is created as a component in the circuit design, characteristics such as the operation speed of the logic element are determined based on the circuit design data. Therefore, the logic design data as a component in the logic design can be created based on the circuit design data. In this embodiment, as described above, this relationship is recorded as the process ID when another design data is created by performing the specific process processing using one design data.

As described above, in this embodiment, 1
Four IDs of an object ID, a version ID, a connect ID, and a process ID are set for each storage location. Each ID can be stored in a storage area different from each storage location and can be managed completely separately from the design data stored in each storage location. That is, by reading each ID for the storage location 1, the design data stored in the storage location 1 is related to which design data stored in another storage location, and which design data is stored. It is possible to recognize whether or not the data is created by performing such process processing. In order to perform such recognition, it is not necessary to read the actual design data from each storage location. Therefore, it is possible to easily perform an operation such as searching and extracting necessary design data.

Also, with this LSI design data management device, the design data update process can be performed very easily. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, consider a case where the content of the design data D1 stored in the storage location 1 is updated and new design data D2 is created. In this case, the new version of the design data D2 is stored in the storage location of the storage location 1. The design data D1 of the old version is stored as it is in the original storage location. In this way, the design data of both the old and new versions coexist, and the user can use the design data of either version. The update process when such a new version of the design data D2 is added only needs to be performed for each ID. That is, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 2, the version ID is the object ID.
Updated to indicate that "A" corresponds to the storage location and the design data stored in.

As described above, a large number of LSI design data are mutually related and intertwined with each other. Therefore, when one design data is updated, other design data related to it is simultaneously updated. Need to do. For example, when the layout design data as a component in the layout design is updated, the characteristics such as the operating speed of the transistor will change based on the layout design data. Therefore, it is necessary to update the circuit design data as a component in the circuit design. Similarly, when the circuit design data as a component in the circuit design is updated, the characteristics such as the operating speed of the logic element change based on the circuit design data. Therefore, it is necessary to update the logical design data as a component in the logical design. According to the management apparatus of the present embodiment, such a relationship can be recognized by the connect ID and the process ID. For example, when the design data with the object ID “Y” stored in the storage location 3 is updated, it is necessary to update the design data D1 with the object ID “A” created by performing the process y on the design data. Furthermore, this design data D1
Object ID created by processing z
It can be easily recognized from the process ID that the design data "Z" needs to be updated. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily perform the necessary update processing for the design data that are intricately intertwined with each other.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3, design data D
2 is updated and a newer version of design data D3
Consider the case when was created. In this case, the latest version of the design data D3 is stored in the storage location of the storage location 1. The design data D1 and D2 of the old version are stored as they are in the original storage location. here,
If this update is a relatively large-scale version upgrade, another object ID can be set for the latest version of the design data D3. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, a new object ID “B” is set for the storage location 1, and three new storage locations 5 to 7 are provided, each of which has an object ID “U” or “U”. "V" and "W" are set. When such an updating process is performed, the following updating process is performed on each ID of the storage location 1. That is, as shown in the lower part of FIG. 3, “B” is added to “A” as the object ID, and the version ID is added to the design data in which the object ID “A” is stored. Corresponding, Object I
Updated to indicate that D "B" corresponds to the design data stored in the storage location. Further, the connection ID is added with the relation between the new object IDs “B” and “U”, and the process ID is added with the information about the process processing relating to the new object ID “B”. In this way, if a plurality of object IDs can be set in one storage location, it is possible to set IDs with a higher degree of freedom.

The present invention has been described above based on the illustrated embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment and can be implemented in various modes other than this.

For example, in the model shown in FIG. 3, two object IDs "A" and "B" are set in the storage location 1, and the data of position and object ID are
Corresponding to "A", the position data is the object ID
Although it corresponds to “B”, one data can be associated with a plurality of object IDs. Specifically, the storage location 1 has three object IDs “A”,
If "B" and "C" are set, and version IDs such as version IDs: A → A → B → B → C → C → are set, the position data becomes a plurality of object IDs "A" and "B". Position data corresponds to a plurality of object IDs “A” and “C”. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the connect ID and the process ID have a format that indicates a relationship with the object ID. However, it is also possible to define the connect ID and the process ID in a format that limits the specific design data by further adding the version ID. Specifically, as the connect ID, in addition to the format that defines the relationship of the object IDs, such as A → X, A
A format such as → X that directly defines the relationship between specific design data or a format that defines the relationship between an object ID and specific design data such as A → X can be used. Similarly, process IDs such as Y → process y → A and Y → process y → A are also possible.

[0021]

As described above, according to the LSI design data management apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of design data of different versions are stored in one storage location, and this design data is systematically stored by each ID. Since the data is managed in the above manner, it becomes possible to easily perform data management such as data extraction work and update work.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of an embodiment showing a storage mode of design data in an LSI design data management device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows design data D1 in the management device shown in FIG.
Is a conceptual diagram of a state in which is updated to create design data D2.

FIG. 3 shows design data D2 in the management device shown in FIG.
Is a conceptual diagram of a state in which is updated to create design data D3.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-7 ... Storage location ~ ... Storage location A, B, U, V, W, X, Y, Z ... Object ID

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Yuji Machiya 1-1-1, Ichigaya-Kagacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Within Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP-A-60-140733 (JP, A) JP-A-3 -119475 (JP, A) JP-A-5-174077 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 21/82 G06F 17/50 H01L 21/02 H01L 27/04 H01L 21/822

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A device for constructing a database by storing a plurality of LSI design data functioning as individual components for assembling a desired LSI in a plurality of storage locations, and managing the LSI design data as individual components. However, there are multiple storage locations that can store multiple design data of different versions, and a label for specifying the storage location for each storage location.
One or a plurality of object IDs that function as a file are set, and a version indicating a correspondence relationship between each design data of different stored versions and the object ID set for this storage location for each storage location. ID
And the first in the storage location specified by the first object ID .
Specified by the design data and the second object ID
The first object ID is indicated in order to show a design mutual relation such that when one design data is updated with respect to the second design data in the storage location, the other design data needs to be updated. Or the first design
Data and the second object ID or the second
When setting a connect ID that directly associates the design data with the design data and updating the design data in the predetermined storage location ,
The design data for the new version after the update is updated to the old version before the update.
An LSI characterized in that it is stored in the predetermined storage location together with the design data related to the version, and that necessary update processing can be executed for the object ID, the version ID, and the connect ID.
Design data management device. 2. The LSI design data management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second design data is obtained by performing a specific process process using the first design data. An LSI design data management device characterized by further setting a process ID for indicating the relationship between the design data and the second design data.