JPH0520379A - Circuit description supporting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily cope with the case when a circuit module having a new generality is devised or the object technology is changed. CONSTITUTION:When the prescribed circuit description is inputted from an input file 11 to a consultant device 12, the consultant device 12 refers to the optimization know-how of the circuit description stored in a data base 13, performing the suggestion on the circuit system to a display part 15. When a user operates an operation part 16 and inputs the selection for the suggestion, the data on the circuit system is supplied to a circuit description edition device 17. An editor 18 performs the edition processing corresponding to the inputted circuit system, and supplies the obtained circuit description to an output file 20. The data base 13 and a library 19 are constructed independently.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a circuit description support device for assisting optimization of a circuit description when designing an electronic circuit, LSI or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Among devices that support optimization of circuit descriptions of electronic circuits, LSIs, etc., the circuit description of a specific functional block is the optimum circuit description for the request for the parameter characteristic of the functional block. There are various expert systems that automatically generate.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an example of such a conventional circuit description support device. In this example, the expert system 2 and the database 3 including the library are integrally configured. The expert system 2 refers to the database 3 for the circuit description input from the input file 1, performs necessary expansion, and outputs the resulting data to the output file 4.

That is, the expert system 2 analyzes the data input from the input file 1 and refers to the database 3 containing the know-how for optimizing the circuit description,
The available circuit scheme candidates are extracted from the circuit description library, and the circuit description module is edited according to the selection of the circuit scheme. The edited result is output to the output file 4.

[0005]

However, in the conventional apparatus, since the database having the know-how for optimizing the circuit description and the circuit description library are integrally configured, a circuit module having a new generality is devised. However, if the target technology is changed, there is a problem that the circuit description library-related correction or change is required. In other words, various expert systems corresponding to different functional blocks were needed.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and makes it possible to easily cope with a change in a circuit module or a target technology.

[0007]

In the circuit description support apparatus of the present invention, a database means for storing information relating to optimization of a circuit description and a library means for storing a plurality of circuit description modules are independently constructed. It is characterized by

[0008]

In the circuit description support apparatus having the above structure, the database means and the library means are independently configured, so that a circuit module having a new generality is devised or the target technology is changed. In this case, only one circuit description library needs to be modified, and the correspondence becomes easy.

[0009]

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a circuit description support apparatus of the present invention. Of the circuit description inputs stored in the input file 11, predetermined data is supplied to the consultant device 12 and the circuit description editing device 17. The consultant device 12 has a database 13. The database 13 stores information on the know-how of optimizing the circuit description applying the AI (expert) system, fuzzy theory and the like. The circuit description editing device 17 includes a library 19 for storing data relating to various circuit description modules.
And an editor 18 for performing an editing process by referring to the data stored in the library 19 as needed.

The interface 14 supplies the output of the consultant device 12 to the display unit 15 to perform a predetermined display, and also supplies the consultant device 12 with data corresponding to the operation input from the operation unit 16. The editor 18 outputs the circuit description obtained as a result of editing to the output file 20.

Next, the operation will be described. A predetermined circuit description is input to the input file 11. In the example, the instructions, size, characteristics and description of repeats are entered. This circuit description is set as many times as necessary. In the embodiment, MPY, which means a multiplier, is input as the instruction, and 8 bits are specified as the size. In addition, as a characteristic, a clock frequency of 20 MHz is specified as a small one that operates at high speed.
Furthermore, 3 times is specified as the number of repetitions. Of these, the information regarding the command and the size is supplied to the consultant device 12 and the circuit description editing device 17. Also,
Information regarding characteristics is supplied to the consultant device 12, and information regarding repeats is supplied to the circuit description editing device 17.

The consultant device 12 refers to the database 13 for a circuit method based on the inputted information on the command, size and characteristics, and refers to the database 13 for a portion having a choice, and selects the optimum circuit from among several available candidates. The configuration candidates are narrowed down, one or a plurality of them are selected, and the selected one is displayed on the display unit 15 via the interface 14. In the case of this embodiment, for example, two methods of a booth method (Boot method) and an array method (Array method) are presented as a method of a multiplier. The user sees this display on the display unit 15 and selects a predetermined method. This selection is performed by operating the operation unit 16 through the interface 14 to consultant device 1
2 command. The consultant device 12 adds the code of the selected circuit system (for example, Booth system) to the circuit description and supplies it to the circuit description editing device 17.

The library 19 of the circuit description editing device 17 stores the following circuit description modules, for example. 1 multiplication module [nbit]; 2 ... MPY ... 3 ... mpy ... 4 [if Booth method] 5 {..BBB ... 6 ..bbb ...} 7 [if Array method ] 8 {..AAA ... 9 ..aaa ...} 10 end module.

Now, in the editor 18, a size of 8 bits and a booth type circuit system are specified as a multiplier. Moreover, 3 times is input as the number of repetitions. As a result, the editor 18 retrieves the 8-bit multiplication module from the library 19 and selects the Booth method in that module. Then repeat the module three times. As a result, the following circuit description is output to the output file 20. 1 multiplication module [8bit]; 2 ... MPY ... 3 ... mpy ... 4 ... BBB ... 5 ... bbb ... 6 ... MPY ... 7. .mpy ... 8 ... BBB ... 9 ... bbb ... 10 ... MPY ... 11 ... mpy ... 12 ... BBB ... 13 ... bbb ... 14 end module.

The above process is shown in a time chart in FIG. That is, the instruction set 1, the instruction set 2, etc. are sequentially set in the input file 11. The consultant device 12 issues a request to the input file 11 when the consultant work is completed. The input file 11 supplies an unprocessed instruction set to the consultant device 12 when a request is supplied from the consultant device 12. When the instruction set is input, the consultant device 12 executes the consulting service for the instruction set. The information obtained as a result of this consulting work is supplied to and displayed on the display unit 15 via the interface 14.

On the other hand, the circuit description editing device 17 generates a request signal to the consultant device 12 when the editing process is completed. The consultant device 12 is
When a request signal is supplied from the circuit description editing device 17, the circuit description editing device 17 is supplied with data relating to the circuit system corresponding to the operation from the operation unit 16. The circuit description editing device 17 executes editing work regarding the circuit system supplied from the consultant device 12. The circuit description obtained as a result of the editing work is supplied to the output file 20.

When the respective processes are completed, the consultant device 12 and the circuit description editing device 17 generate a request to the input file 11 or the consultant device 12 each time, and receive a new input supply. In this way, each instruction set is processed sequentially.

The database 13 in the consultant device 12 and the library 19 in the circuit description editing device 17 are configured independently. Therefore, when a circuit module having a new generality is devised or the target technology is changed, it suffices to make a necessary change in the library 19 and it becomes easy to deal with the change.

Although the above embodiment is premised on the processing by dedicated hardware, it can be carried out by programming on a general-purpose computer.

[0020]

As described above, according to the circuit description support apparatus of the present invention, the database means and the library means are independently configured, so that a circuit module having a new generality can be devised or used as a target. When the technology to be changed is changed, it is only necessary to add or change one circuit description library, and it is easy to deal with various changes. Further, for example, in the case of supporting optimization of arithmetic circuit description such as digital filter and matrix operation, it becomes possible to have a basic circuit description library such as a consistent multiplier and adder.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a circuit description support device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart explaining the operation of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an example of a conventional circuit description support device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 input file 2 expert system 3 database 4 output file 11 input file 12 consultant device 13 database 15 display unit 16 operation unit 17 circuit description editing device 18 editor 19 library 20 output file

Claims (1)

Claim: What is claimed is: 1. A database means in which information about optimization of a circuit description is stored, and one or a plurality of circuit candidates for the circuit description input using the information of the database means. A library means for storing a plurality of circuit description modules independent of the database means, and at least one circuit description module corresponding to the circuit description of the circuit presented by the consultant means. A circuit description support device comprising: an edit unit that reads out and edits the file from the library unit.