JPH0253825B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Application of the Invention] The present invention provides a layout design that improves design processing efficiency by providing a designer with quantitative information for improving the layout. This relates to support equipment.

[Background of the invention]

Until now, as a computer-aided design method for layout planning, there has been technology for chip placement in the LSI field, as described in "CAD for VLSI Computers" by Yamada et al. (Sangyo Tosho, May 1983, pp. 72-86). being discussed. In the LSI field, the focus of layout is simply the amount of wiring;
It is possible to implement an effective processing procedure using the argon rhythm as described in the above-mentioned document.

However, when arranging plant equipment, for example, the equipment to be laid out does not only have visible relationships with each other such as piping and wiring, but also relationships with each other such as high temperatures, vibrations, and radioactivity. Since there are relationships that cannot be visualized, such as the environment and the operation and maintenance aspects of equipment, the relative positional relationship between equipment must be evaluated by reflecting complex and diverse requirements. There is a need to. Therefore,
Depending on the algorithm, it can be said that the interactive processing procedure is more practical than the batch processing procedure.

Layout planning using interactive processing procedures is excellent in that it can flexibly reflect the required specifications for the mutual positional relationships of layout objects. however,
Optimization is performed through trial and error by designers, which not only makes systematic optimal design difficult, but also undeniably results in low processing efficiency.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to improve the efficiency of layout design processing by obtaining and displaying information regarding layout evaluation during the process of layout planning through interactive processing. To provide a layout design support device.

[Summary of the invention]

For this purpose, the present invention introduces cost as a layout evaluation value, and calculates and displays unit processing operations and changes in cost due to the processing operations in the form of combinations when changing the layout. It is. In this case, the cost is calculated based on cost data that quantifies the quality of the positional relationship between the objects in the layout, but since cost data can be defined for a combination of objects, it is possible to calculate the quality of the positional relationship between the objects. It has become possible to reflect complex and diverse requirements regarding

Examples of unit processing operations for changing the layout include swapping the positions of two objects and moving one object in parallel. By displaying the combinations, the layout designer can efficiently design the layout using the displayed information as a guideline.

[Embodiments of the invention]

The present invention will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12.

First, the overall configuration of the layout design support apparatus according to the present invention will be explained. FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration using a computer. According to this, the computer is comprised of an input device 1, a computer main body 2, and an output device 3. In this case, the computer main body 2 includes position data 5 consisting of position coordinate data of objects handled in layout planning, cost data 6 expressed as a cost function that quantifies the quality of the positional relationship between objects of the layout, and cost data 6 of the layout. In addition to the target data 7 consisting of data on the shape and dimensions of the target, the cost, which is the overall evaluation value for the layout, is calculated based on these data 5 to 7, and the processing operation that is the unit of layout change and its processing are calculated. A program 8 for quantitatively displaying a change in cost when an operation is adopted is stored. According to the procedure of the program 8, the central processing unit 4 takes in data from the input device 1, calculates the amount to be displayed, and outputs the calculation result to the output device 3.

FIG. 2 schematically shows the flow of processing by the program. To explain the outline of the process, first, in a process step 11, position data 5, cost data 6, and target data 7 are input from the input device 1 as initial data. Subsequent processing step 1
In 2, one or two of the layout targets
Under the condition that one object is focused on and the other objects are fixed, the cost as a layout evaluation value for the movement of the object of interest is calculated, and the movement of the object and the amount of change in cost are determined as a pair. This process is repeated for all necessary layout objects. In this post-processing step 13, the results of the processing step 12 are outputted and displayed on the output device 3 as a set of local movement of the layout object and variation in the evaluation value of the layout corresponding thereto. Since this output information represents local layout modifications and the expected effects associated with them in layout planning, it can serve as an effective guideline to support layout designers. Now, in processing step 14, the layout designer updates the position data as necessary to make the target position more preferable. After this, in processing step 15, the layout designer determines whether or not to terminate the process. The process returns to step 12.
As a result, the interactive layout planning design cycle is basically formed by processing steps 12-14. In addition, in updating the position data in processing step 14, there are cases where position data is exchanged between two objects (position exchange of objects), and when one position data is exchanged in either the X direction or the Y direction. There is at least a translation of the object when it is simply updated.

The flow of processing by the program is as described above, but here, processing step 12 is further explained as shown in FIGS. 3a, b, and c.
This will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 3d as follows. However, in the following explanation, only the positional exchange of objects, that is, the replacement of objects, is taken into consideration.

First, in processing step 12, as shown in FIG. There are now more than one to choose from. This post-processing step 12-3 is executed, but processing step 1
The details of 2-3 are shown in FIG. 3b. First, in processing step 12-3-1, a very large (cost) evaluation value C' is arbitrarily set, and then in processing step 12-3-2, one other object J(I) is selected. It's summery. This post-processing step 1
In 2-3-3, the (cost) evaluation value C _IJ is calculated when the positions of objects I and J are swapped, and the details of processing step 12-3-3 are shown in Figure 3c. . According to FIG. 3c, processing step 12
-3-3-1, 0 is set as the initial value C'',
In processing step 12-3-3-2, one of the sets of objects for which cost functions are defined is selected. This post-processing step 12
-3-3-3, the (cost) evaluation value is calculated from the cost function corresponding to the selected pair, and the initial value
C''. By sequentially selecting a set of objects for which a cost function is defined and repeating the above process, the overall result when the positions of objects I and J are swapped. (Cost) The evaluation value C _IJ is determined as the value of C'' finally obtained.

To explain the process shown in FIG. 3c in more detail, suppose there are five objects and their numbers are ~, and cost functions F ₃₅ , F ₁₅ , F ₁₅ , F ₂₄ are defined, for example, the cost functions F ₃₅ , F ₁₃ , F ₁₅ ,
It is designed to calculate the sum of the values of _F24 . generally by replacing F ₃₅ ,
The value of F ₂₄ does not change, but the values of F ₁₃ and F ₁₅ change,
In processing step 12-3-3-5, the evaluation value C ₃₅ is
It is obtained as F ₃₅ +F ₁₃ +F ₁₅ +F ₂₄ (=C'').

Now, returning to FIG. 3b and continuing the explanation, in processing step 12-3-4, the magnitude relationship between C _IJ and C' is determined, and if C _IJ <C', the value of C' is C _IJ
It is now replaced with the value of . Each time target J is updated by processing step 12-3-5
After calculating C _IJ , if we calculate the minimum value from these C _IJ , we can
The most economical layout can be achieved by replacing the . That is, it is possible to know which of object I and other objects should be replaced. C _IJ as the minimum value obtained in processing step 12-3-4 is then processed in processing step 1.
2-3-6, deviation from C ₀ ΔC = (C = C' - C ₀ )
is calculated, and the deviation ΔC is obtained in processing step 12-
4, it is saved and stored together with the processing operation and replacement target identification number. After this, the object I is updated in processing step 12-5 and the above operation is repeated. Note that the deviation ΔC can generally take a positive or negative value, but in this example, the larger the value in the negative direction, the more preferable it is.

Next, processing step 13 will be explained. As shown in FIG. 3d, processing steps 13-1 to 13-1
-4, the deviation ΔC, processing operation, and replacement object identification number saved and stored in the processing step 12-4 described above are sequentially selected as a set, and the arrow connecting objects I and J and the ΔC The value of is displayed.

Having explained Program 8 in detail above,
Next, the present invention will be explained using a specific layout as an example. The example taken here is a two-dimensional layout planning problem using the layout state shown in FIG. 4 as an initial condition. When proceeding with layout planning through interactive processing, the following two local methods can be used to increase the evaluation value of the layout plan.
A processing operation can be considered as a unit of layout change. The first is to swap the positions of two layout objects as a unit, and the second
is a parallel movement with one layout object as a unit. Here, the application by the first method will be explained first, and then the application by the second method will be explained.

In Figure 4, objects 23 to 27 are each
The position is predetermined on the XY plane consisting of coordinate axes 21 and 22. Now, in the first processing step 11 described above, position (layout) data 5, cost data 6, and target data 7 are input as initial data, and FIG. 5 shows an example of the position data. . The data in this figure corresponds to the layout state shown in FIG. 4. Position data basically has the property of being updated as the layout plan progresses. FIG. 6 shows the required specifications for the positional relationship between two objects of the layout.
In this example, targets 23, 24, 23, 26, 24, 2
6, 24, 27, 25, 26 and so on.
This shows that there is a good/bad relationship with respect to the positional relationship for the two combinations. For example, target 23,2
4 indicates that it is better to arrange them close together. The relationship is as shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the distance between the centers of objects 23 and 24 is a variable corresponding to the horizontal axis 31, and the cost function of Toro, which is an evaluation value for the positional relationship between the two, is a variable corresponding to the vertical axis 32. The relationship for the pair of objects 23 and 24 is shown by a curve 33,
Regarding the positional relationship between the two, the evaluation value increases as the distance between the centers increases. By the way, if the distance between the two is less than 4, the evaluation value is set to be quite large. This is because if the distance is less than 4, overlap will occur, which is not desirable as a layout, and therefore a high evaluation value is set. It is something that will be done. Since the evaluation value increases with the distance when the distance is 4 or more, it is known from the cost function that it is better to arrange the objects 23 and 24 as close as possible as long as they do not overlap. Note that the arrow 34 indicates that the evaluation value for the distance 14 is 4.

In FIG. 8, the relationship between objects 24 and 27 is similar to that in FIG. 7. In this case, when the distance is less than 4, it is the same as the case in FIG. 7, but when the distance is between 4 and 18, the evaluation value decreases with the distance, and when the distance is 18 or more, the evaluation value is independent of the distance. Therefore, it is known from the cost function that it is better to arrange the objects 24 and 27 as far apart as possible as long as they do not overlap.

FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the positional relationship and the evaluation value, which is commonly applied between the object 26 and each of the objects 23, 24, and 25. It can be seen that it is better to arrange the object 26 as close as possible to all the other objects 23, 24, and 25.

Note that although FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 each show an example of the cost data 6 input in the first processing step 11, the cost data is not normally updated as the layout plan progresses. do not have.

FIG. 10 shows an example of target data. The target data is unrelated to changes in the position of the target, and indicates properties specific to the target. The shape and dimensions of the layout object shown in the figure are the simplest example. Target data is usually not updated as the layout plan progresses.

As already mentioned, in the second processing step 12, the amount to be displayed in the third processing step 13 is calculated based on the above data.

In this second processing step 12, as a method of locally changing the layout, a unit operation is performed by swapping the positions of the objects, and the amount of change in the evaluation value due to the swap is calculated for the pair of objects to be swapped. There is. For example, it is known that if objects 23 and 24 are exchanged with each other, the evaluation value will decrease by 10, and therefore the cost will be improved by 10. This is executed for all combinations of objects that can be replaced, and in this example, there are 10 such combinations. However, cost functions are not necessarily prepared for corresponding combinations of objects, and combinations of objects for which cost functions are not prepared are, for example, ignored in processing.

Now, in the third processing step 13, the amount of change in the evaluation value is displayed for the permutation combination determined in the processing step 12, and FIG. 11 shows an example of this display. Combinations that can be swapped are shown by connecting objects with line segments, and the amount of change in evaluation value for each swap is shown numerically near the line segment. For designers who proceed with layout planning through interactive processing, the information displayed in processing step 13 serves as a guideline for optimizing the layout plan; When a processing operation that is a unit of layout change is performed on a layout, that is, the next layout state is suggested as an evaluation value. Therefore, the designer can combine these pieces of local information to efficiently plan the layout. Thereafter, in a fourth step 14, position data related to correction is taken in from the input device 1 in order to update the position data.

Above, we have explained the case where swapping the positions of two objects is used as a unit operation as a layout planning method.Next, we will explain the case where we focus on one object and use its parallel movement as a unit operation.
In this case, the first processing step and the fourth processing step are the same as in the previous case. However, in the second processing step, one object is focused on, and the evaluation value is calculated when the object is moved by a unit distance in at least one of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction without rotating. The amount of change in the evaluation value can now be determined in combination with the method of movement. In this case, each of the five objects can be moved in two ways, the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, so there are a maximum of 10 possible directions of movement. Note that the method of calculating the cost, which is the evaluation value of the layout, is the same as in the previous case.

Now, in the third processing step, the direction of movement of the object determined in the second processing step and the amount of change in the evaluation value are displayed as a pair. This is a display example. Regarding the direction of movement, arrows indicate directions in which cost improvement is possible, and the degree of cost improvement is relatively indicated by the length of the arrow.

The present invention has been specifically explained above, but instead of expressing the cost, which is the evaluation value of the layout, by numerical values or the length of arrows,
It is also conceivable to display it by the number of figures (for display), colors, etc. In addition, the cost function that evaluates the quality of the positional relationship between two objects uses the distance between centers as an independent variable to simplify the explanation, but there are also other variables such as X-axis coordinates, Y-axis coordinates, direction, etc. It is also possible to apply a cost function that evaluates the quality of the positional relationship. Furthermore, cost data etc. are stored separately from the program in the storage device,
It is also possible to incorporate cost data directly into the program that is the processing procedure. Furthermore, although two-dimensional layout planning has been described, the present invention is directed to layout planning in general, and is therefore applicable to three-dimensional layout planning as well.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the case of the present invention, in layout planning through interactive processing, layout design guideline information is generated in the form of a combination of a processing operation that is a layout change unit and a change in the evaluation value of the layout expected as a result of the processing operation. This not only makes it possible to systematically optimize the design, but also improves the processing efficiency of layout design.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an example of a layout design support device according to the present invention using a computer, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a flow of processing in an example using a control program according to the present invention, and FIG. Figure a~
d is a diagram showing partial processing in the program in more detail; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a layout state in an example for explaining the present invention; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing position data corresponding to objects; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the required specification for the positional relationship between two objects, FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 are diagrams showing examples of cost functions as cost data, and FIG.
The figure shows an example of target data regarding shape and dimensions, Figure 11 shows an example of how the evaluation value change is displayed when objects are replaced, and Figure 12 is an example of evaluation values when objects are moved in parallel. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the amount of change. 1...Input device, 2...Computer main body, 3
...Output device, 4...Central processing unit, 5...Position data, 6...Cost data, 7...Target data, 8...Program.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An input means for inputting control data and various data related to a layout object for calculating an evaluation value regarding the quality of the layout, and various data from the means and a control processing procedure program. The current layout state is determined based on the storage means to be stored, the position data corresponding to a plurality of layout objects in which the various data mentioned above are included under the control of the control data and the control processing procedure program, and the cost data related to the combination of two layout objects. In addition, when the above position data is virtually changed by a processing operation as a layout change unit, the evaluation value of the layout state related to the change is calculated, and the difference between it and the above reference evaluation value is calculated. A layout design characterized by a configuration consisting of arithmetic processing means for calculating a deviation, and an output display means for displaying the deviation from the means in combination with a processing operation related to the deviation in the vicinity of the target of the currently displayed layout state. Support equipment. 2. The layout design support device according to claim 1, wherein in the arithmetic processing means, the evaluation value of the layout state is obtained by adding evaluation values based on combinations of two objects for all combinations. 3. The layout design support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing operation as a unit of layout change is swapping of the positions of two objects. 4 Processing operations as a layout change unit are 1
Claim 1, which is defined as parallel movement of two objects.
Layout design support device according to item 1 or 2.