JPH052623A - Method and device for storage-controlling function diagram data - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To efficiently store design information in a storage space and to realize the extraction of selective information with a simple logical operation means in the automatic design system of a digital logical device. CONSTITUTION:Design information described in a function diagram system are stored in the data structure being the aggregate of three kinds of storage elements of data sets being the type, the peculiar name and the relation name of the data structure, a slot name, a value in a data base 11. The attribute value of a design object is stored in the value, and an identification name designating the type of the value is stored in the slot name. The identification name whose value designates the meaning relation of the design object is stored in the relation name. The value is accessed with the relation name and the slot name as keys, and function diagram data is storage-controlled. The type name of the data structure and the type name storing an individual part are provided for design information. Correspondence between a common part and the individual part is stored in one data set. The type names and the data set storing correspondence accessed and function diagram data is storage- controlled.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention describes and stores a description of a functional specification having a higher abstraction level than a logic gate level in the form of a functional diagram, and stores the functional specification described in the stored functional diagram. The present invention relates to a storage control method and a control device of functional diagram data for performing an editing operation of the functional diagram and extracting logical information from the functional diagram in an automatic setting system of a digital logic device as an input.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an automatic design system for a digital logic device, various methods have been proposed regarding what kind of data structure stores design information including graphic information. The first representative method is well known as a method surveyed by "Three trees under the tree: Information processing series 5, CAD of logic devices; Ohmsha (1981)". This method relates to a database that handles wiring route graphics as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14 (b),
It is composed of an index record that manages the graphic elements corresponding to each pattern and a data record that stores the coordinates and attributes of the graphic. The index record has a pointer to a data recorder that stores the coordinates and attributes of the corresponding graphic element for each graphic element, and the data recorder has a pointer to the index record of the related graphic element.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional method,
In managing the storage of design information (graphic information of the wiring route in this case), each record is only related by a pointer that represents a storage position, and there is no semantic relationship between the records. It is not possible to selectively retrieve specific information based on specific information.

[0006] On the other hand, a second method of managing records by storing them in a data structure by relating them with a specific meaning.
A well-known method is a method surveyed by "P. Harmon, D. King: Expert Systems; Science Co. (1986)". This method is shown in FIG.
It is called a semantic network as shown in Fig. 5. As shown in FIG. 15B, the data structure, which is the basic unit of memory, is a general structure related to an object identified by a name such as "Wilson's coat" and an object such as "elbow state". It is composed of an attribute that indicates a characteristic or a property and an attribute value that represents the concrete content of the attribute such as "wearing out and shining". A data structure in which one object has a plurality of attributes and attribute values is general. FIG. 15A shows an example in which data structures are related to each other by one of the attributes representing a hierarchical relationship between objects.

[0005]

In the first method described above, in managing the storage of the design information, in this case, the graphic information of the wiring route, each record is simply related by the pointer indicating the storage position. Since there is no semantic relationship, there is a problem in that it is not possible to selectively retrieve specific information based on the content of the setting information.

Further, in the above-mentioned second method, since an attribute value of an arbitrary type such as an integer type, a character string type or a pointer type to another object is stored for one attribute,
As a logical operation means for accessing this attribute value, it is necessary to have a function capable of accessing all possible types, and there is a problem that the function becomes redundant.

The present invention has been made in view of the above,
The purpose is to store design information efficiently in a storage space in an automatic design system of a digital logic device that stores a description of a functional specification having a higher abstraction level than a logic gate level as a function diagram and stores it as an input. Another object of the present invention is to provide a storage control method and a control device for functional diagram data, which realizes selective information extraction such as specific information extraction based on the contents of design information by a simple logic operation means.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a storage control method of functional diagram data according to the present invention is a graphic symbol representing a logical constituent element, a text representing an attribute of the logical constituent element, and a space between logical constituent elements. The functional specifications of the digital logic device are described by a functional diagram using a linear graphic symbol that represents the logical relationship of the logical components as connections between the logical components, and stored in the storage means, and the digital described by the stored functional diagram is described. In a design automation system that receives a functional specification of a logic device as input, a first storage means that stores a type designator that stores a component of the functional specification and that specifies a type of the data structure. And second storage means for storing a unique name for distinguishing the data structure from other data structures, a value defining each of the constituent elements of the functional specification, and a data type of this value. A data structure having an identifier and a third storage means for storing an identifier designating a semantic relationship that said value has for each of the components of the functional specification, by accessing this data structure The logical operation means for taking out, searching, setting and changing the three types of logical configuration information is provided, and the logical information and the graphic information described in the functional diagram in one or more data structures are stored by the logical operation means. However, the gist is to obtain the logical information and the graphic information used for the functional diagram editing operation by the logical operation means.

The functional diagram data storage controller of the present invention is a main storage device, a central processing unit for executing modules stored in the main storage device, an input means for inputting functional specifications of a digital logic device, and the above-mentioned means. In an automatic design system having a file for storing data created by a central processing unit, a storage management module for dividing and storing functional specifications in the data structure as a functional diagram data processing program module stored in the main storage device. And a means for managing the data structure by dividing it into a common part and an individual part under the control of the storage management module.

[0010]

The function diagram data storage control method and control device according to the present invention stores design information described in the function diagram format in a data structure named a design object, and this data structure is stored in the data structure. It is a collection of three types of storage elements: type name and proper name, relationship name, slot name, and value data set. The value stores the attribute value of the design object, and the slot name stores the identification name that specifies the value type. The relationship name stores an identification name that specifies a semantic relationship that a value has with respect to the corresponding design object. The value is accessed by using the relation name and slot name as keys, and the storage of functional diagram data is controlled. When the design information has a common part and an individual part, a type name of a data structure that stores the common part and a type name that stores the individual part are provided, and the association between the common part and the individual part is stored in one data set. . The storage of functional diagram data is controlled by accessing these type names and a data set storing the association.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a design object according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an example in which one design object is composed of one or more relation name / slot name / value data sets. A special case of this dataset is the relationship name named name and its value. This is for storing a unique name that identifies a target design object, and the slot name is omitted. It is also possible to store a plurality of values in the storage location of one value.

FIG. 2 shows a data structure for storing the design object in a memory on a computer. This data structure is created for each component of the functional diagram, the object name that indicates the type of the component, the unique name that identifies the data structure from others, and the relation name that stores the attribute of the design object -It is composed of multiple data sets of slot names and values. For example, constituent elements in a kind of functional block diagram of a functional diagram include functional blocks, buses, external terminals, internal terminals, connecting lines, and descriptive sentences as logical elements. The components of the drawing include an outer frame of the drawing, a domain of management information, and an inter-drawing connector. Lines, polylines, rectangles, polygons, as graphic symbols for logical elements
There are circles, arcs, ellipses, and curves. All of these are uniformly realized by the above data structure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the construction of an automatic design system for a digital logic device of the present invention, which operates by expressing design information described in a functional diagram format in a design object format as shown in FIG. In the figure, the database 11 is shown in FIG.
It is a file that stores design objects as shown in. The main storage device 12 controls the description / editing of a functional diagram using a program necessary for the processing of the CPU 14, that is, an initial setting unit 21 for setting various initial conditions required for the description of the functional diagram, and a functional diagram input unit 15. A processing program including an edit control unit 22 and a storage management unit 23 that decomposes the description into design object units and stores them in the database 11 is stored. Furthermore, the storage management device 13
Is a device under the control of the storage management unit 23, in which each processing program temporarily stores the data of the processing process into common data and individual data. Of these, data common to a plurality of design objects is stored in the common storage unit 24, and data unique to each design object is stored in the individual storage unit 25. Access control for storing these is performed by the access control unit 2
6 does.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the processing program. This processing program corresponds to the initial setting unit 2
1, the edit control unit 22, the storage management unit 23, and the above three
And an execution control unit 29 that controls the execution of various types of processing units.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the execution control unit 29. This procedure is described in (1)-
This will be described in step (4).

(1) The execution control unit 29 has an initial setting unit 21.
Using the command to clear the temporary storage area, display the editing screen information such as windows and editing menu commands necessary for editing the functional diagram on the display of the functional diagram input unit 15, and a diagram showing the logical components of the functional diagram. The symbol is displayed (step 110).

(2) The execution control unit 29 has the edit control unit 22.
If you receive the instruction of the edit menu command interactively by using, and if it is an editing operation such as placement, deletion, addition of attributes, deletion of graphic symbols on the screen, generation, deletion, attributes of the corresponding design object Are added or deleted (step 120).

(3) The execution control unit 29 reads the design information on the database in response to the instruction of the edit menu command,
Alternatively, for a database access operation such as writing to the database, the storage management unit 23 is used to access the database 11 (step 130).

(4) When the editing menu command indicates the end of the editing operation, the execution control section 29 terminates the processing of this processing program and passes control to the system management program (step 140).

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing a processing procedure of the edit control unit 22 which is a main part of the embodiment of the present invention.
This procedure will be described in steps (1) to (9) below.

(1) At the start of the editing operation, it is judged whether or not the data structure for the design object of the drawing of the functional diagram exists in the temporary storage (step 20).
0).

(2) If the target data structure does not exist in the temporary storage, the data structure of the design object of the drawing in which the values of various attributes are empty is generated in the temporary storage (step 210).

(3) It is judged whether the object of the editing operation designated by the menu command is a graphic symbol or an attribute (step 220).

(4) If the object of the editing operation is a graphic symbol, it is determined whether the operation type is addition or deletion of the graphic symbol (step 230).

(5) When the operation type is addition of a graphic symbol, one data structure of the design object of the logical component corresponding to the corresponding graphic symbol is generated in the temporary storage, and the default attribute is set to the data structure. Add to the body. At the same time, a value designating addition of the corresponding logical component is added to a predetermined attribute value of the design object of the drawing to which the logical component belongs,
The editing operation ends (step 240).

(6) When the operation type is deletion of a graphic symbol, one data structure of the design object of the logical component corresponding to the corresponding graphic symbol is deleted from the temporary storage. At the same time, the value designating the addition of the relevant logical component is deleted from the predetermined attribute value of the design object of the drawing to which the logical component belongs, and the editing operation is terminated (step 2).
50).

(7) If the object of the editing operation is an attribute, it is determined whether the operation type is attribute addition or deletion (step 26).
0).

(8) When the operation type is attribute addition, the value of the attribute is added to a predetermined position of the data structure of the design object of the target logical component, and the editing operation is completed (step 270). .

(9) When the operation type is attribute deletion, the value of the attribute is deleted from a predetermined position of the data structure of the design object of the target logical component, and the editing operation is terminated (step 280). .

In the above editing operation, in order to set and delete the value in the data structure of the design object, a mechanism for accessing the value using the relation name and the slot name as a key is used. This will be described with a specific example.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining access to the data structure by taking a functional block diagram, which is a type of functional diagram, as an example. Each figure shows a conceptual diagram of a design object and its data structure as a pair.

FIG. 6A shows the step 210 of FIG.
The data structure of the design object of the drawing F is generated. This data structure is an object name diaPage that specifies that it is a design object of the drawing, a unique name F that distinguishes the design object from other objects, a relationship name exists of that specifies the attribute value of the design object, and a slot name. bloc
It consists of a data set of k and the value NULL. Here, the relation name “consists of” specifies that the values forming this and the data set are constituent elements of the corresponding design object. The slot name block specifies that the value type is a pointer to the data structure of the functional block design object. Furthermore, the value NULL specifies that the value has not been set.

In the generation of this data structure, a data structure is determined in advance for each type of design object and stored in the database. When it is necessary to generate a design object for a drawing, a target data structure is copied from a database to a temporary storage using the design object name as a key.

Next, FIG. 7B corresponds to step 240 in FIG. 6 and shows that the design object of the functional block B is added to the design object of FIG. Of these two data structures, the one with the proper name F is derived from the above. The difference from the case of FIG. 7A is that the functional block B is added.
The unique name B of the functional block design object is added as an attribute value. On the other hand, the data structure of the proper name B is newly generated by adding the functional block B. An object name block that designates a functional block design object, a unique name B that distinguishes the design object from other objects, a relation name holds that designates an attribute value of the design object,
Slot name data item, value NULL, relationship name is a part of,
It is composed of each data set of slot name diaPage, value F, relationship name exists of, slot name shape, and value blkShape. Here, the relation name holds specifies that the values forming this and the data set are values directly held by the corresponding design object. The slot name data item specifies that the value type is data. Relationship name is a par
t of specifies that this and the values that make up the data set are the parent design objects of the design object. The slot name diaPage specifies that the value type is a pointer to a design object in the drawing. The value F is
Specifies that the unique name of the design object is F.
The relation name “consists of” is as described in FIG.
Specifies that this and the values that make up the dataset are components of the design object. Slot name sha
pe specifies that the value type is graphic data. That is, the pair of the relation name “consists of” and the slot name “shape” specifies that the value represents the graphic information of the graphic symbol of the corresponding design object. The value blkShape is a unique name of a design object having the graphic information as an attribute value.

The generation of the data structure representing the functional block B is performed by copying the data structure stored in the database in advance to the temporary storage, as in the case of the above-mentioned drawing. On the other hand, the setting of the values in the two data sets is performed by the means shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. That is, this figure shows the detailed procedure of step 240 in FIG. 6, and is a routine for setting values for the figure and functional blocks.

FIG. 8 shows the main part of the value setting routine.
The following steps (1) to (5) will be described.

(1) The operation target for setting a value is determined (step 300).

(2) If the operation target is the design object of the drawing, the head address in the temporary storage of the data structure of the target design object is obtained based on this unique name (step 310).

(3) Information on the component (functional block B) belonging to the drawing represented by the data structure is added to the above data structure as a subordinate component (step 320). Details of this procedure are shown in FIG.

(4) If the operation target is the design object of the functional block, the head address of the data structure of the target design object in the temporary storage is obtained based on the unique name (step 330).

(5) The information of the parent drawing to which the component (functional block B) to which it represents belongs is added to the above data structure as an affiliation source (step 340). Details of this procedure are shown in FIG.

FIG. 9 shows the details of step 320 in the value setting routine, which will be described in steps (1) to (4) below.

(1) The sequence of relation names of the target data structure is
It searches and the value is a component of the corresponding design object.
Relationship names that specify that find of, and then
Data whose slot name is a pointer to a block
The value of the tasset is obtained (step 400).

(2) It is judged whether or not the corresponding value is NULL indicating empty (step 410).

(3) If it is empty, the proper name of the component (functional block) is set in the storage location of the corresponding value instead of NULL (step 420).

(4) If it is not empty, the unique name of the component (functional block) is added to the storage location of the corresponding value (step 430).

FIG. 10 shows details of step 340 in the value setting routine, which will be described in steps (1) to (4) below.

(1) Search the relation name column of the target data structure to find the relation name is a part of, which specifies that the value is the parent of the design object, and its slot name is the drawing. The value of the data set which is the pointer diaPage to is obtained (step 500).

(2) It is judged whether or not the corresponding value is NULL indicating empty (step 510).

(3) If it is empty, the unique name of the drawing is set in the storage location of the corresponding value instead of NULL (step 52).
0).

(4) If it is not empty, add the unique name of the drawing to the storage location of the corresponding value (step 530).

Since the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 basically perform the same sequence control,
It is realized as a single routine by assembling the procedure as a sub-routine and taking a structure that gives the start address of the data structure of the operation target in the temporary storage, the relation name, the slot name and the value to be set as arguments of the sub-routine It goes without saying that you can do it.

Further, FIG. 7C shows the step 270.
In the design object of the functional block B, the identification name of the functional block (specific name as a logical component) COMP is added as an attribute value. This data structure is derived from Figure I (2) above. The difference from Figure I (2) is that the unique name COMP as a logical component is added,
This is the point where COMP is added.

The setting of this attribute value is performed by the procedure shown in FIGS.

In the above, the data structure for storing the functional diagram data and the operation procedure thereof have been described by taking the functional block diagram as the embodiment of the present invention. Next, when the functional diagram data has a common part and an individual part The structure of the data structure that makes the storage space of the and its operation procedure is explained.

FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 are examples of the structure of the data structure of the present invention for improving the efficiency of the storage space for the functional block diagram which is a kind of functional diagram. FIG. 11 is a part of the functional block diagram, and the functional blocks COMP1 and COM
It shows P2 and the net that connects them. Each function block has a function name of fblk and is composed of input internal terminals 1 and 2 and output internal terminal 3. Since these functional blocks have the same function name, their symbols have the same shape, and each internal terminal also has the same shape.

FIG. 12 shows a part of the structure of the data structure for storing the functional diagram data of the functional block diagram of FIG. A data structure that stores common data of the functional blocks, a data structure that stores unique data of each functional block of COMP1 and COMP2, a data structure that stores common data of internal terminals, and an internal terminal 3 for output. It is a data structure that stores data specific to the input internal terminal 2. Here, the shape data common to the functional blocks and the internal terminals are stored in one data structure. When the corresponding functional block is arranged on the functional drawing and its shape is displayed, the procedure shown in FIG. 13 is performed.

FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing a procedure for extracting common data, which is performed by the access control section 26 shown in FIG. This procedure will be described in steps (1) to (4).

(1) The object name is obtained from the data structure storing the information of the component of interest (function block in the above case) (step 600).

(2) The remaining data structure is examined to obtain the head address in the temporary storage of the data structure having the above object name as the relation name is and the value of the slot name type (step 610).

(3) The inside of the data structure in which the head address is obtained is examined, and the relation name exists The value of of and the slot name shape is taken as the storage address of the shape data (step 62).
0).

(4) The shape is displayed using the shape data obtained from the above storage destination (step 630).

[0064]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The design information described in the function diagram format is stored in a data structure named a design object, and this data structure includes a data structure type name, unique name, relationship name, slot name, and value data set. It is a collection of types of storage elements. The value stores the attribute value of the design object, and the slot name stores the identification name that specifies the value type. The relationship name stores an identification name that specifies a semantic relationship that a value has with respect to the corresponding design object. The value is accessed by using the relation name and slot name as keys, and the storage of functional diagram data is controlled. When the design information has a common part and an individual part, a type name of a data structure that stores the common part and a type name that stores the individual part are provided, and the association between the common part and the individual part is stored in one data set. . Since the storage of the functional diagram data is controlled by accessing these type names and the data set storing the association, the design information can be efficiently stored in the storage space, and specific information can be retrieved based on the contents of the design information. It is possible to selectively retrieve such information.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a design object according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data structure for storing the design object shown in FIG. 1 in a memory of a computer.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an automatic design system for a digital logic device of the present invention which operates by expressing design information described in a functional diagram format in the design object format shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a processing program for performing storage control of the present invention, which is stored in a main storage device of the automatic design system shown in FIG.

5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of an execution control unit of the processing program shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of an editing operation unit which constitutes a main part of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating access to a data structure using a functional block diagram, which is one type of functional diagram, as an example.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a value setting routine of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a value setting routine of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a value setting routine of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a part of a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a data structure that makes a storage space efficient for a functional block diagram which is one type of functional diagram.

12 is a diagram showing a part of a configuration of a data structure storing functional diagram data of the functional block diagram of FIG. 11. FIG.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure for extracting common data from a data structure.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure by a conventional method of storing design information including graphic information.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of a conventional method called a semantic network.

[Explanation of symbols]

11 Database 12 main memory 13 Storage management device 14 CPU 15 Functional diagram input section 21 Initial setting section 22 Editing control section 23 Memory Management Unit 24 Common storage 25 Individual storage 26 Access control unit

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Tamio Hoshino             1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo             Inside Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A functional diagram using a graphic symbol representing a logical component, a text representing an attribute of the logical component, and a linear graphic symbol representing a logical relationship between the logical components as a connection between the logical components. In a design automation system in which functional specifications of a digital logic device are described and stored in a storage means, and the functional specifications of the digital logic device described by the stored functional diagram are input, the constituent elements of the functional specifications are stored. A data structure, a first storage means for storing a type specifier for designating a type of the data structure, and a second storage means for storing a unique name for distinguishing the data structure from other data structures. Storage means, a value that defines each of the constituent elements of the functional specification, an identifier that specifies the data type of this value,
A third storage means for storing an identifier designating a semantic relationship that the value has for each of the constituent elements of the functional specification, and the data structure is accessed to access the data structure. Logical operation information for extracting, searching, setting, and changing the logical configuration information of a kind is provided, and the logical information and the graphic information described in the functional diagram in one or more data structures are stored by the logical operation means.
A method for controlling storage of functional diagram data, characterized in that logical information and graphic information used for a functional diagram editing operation are obtained by said logical operating means. 2. A means for storing difference information with respect to the data structure, wherein the difference data structure is designated by a pair of an identifier designating a semantic relationship and an identifier designating a data type. 2. The method for controlling storage of functional diagram data according to claim 1, further comprising accessing a data structure that stores common information based on a value that is stored. 3. A main storage device, a central processing unit for executing modules stored in the main storage device, input means for inputting functional specifications of a digital logic device, and a file for storing data created by the central processing unit. In the automatic design system having: a storage management module that decomposes and stores functional specifications into the data structure as a functional diagram data processing program module stored in the main storage device; and under the control of the storage management module. A storage control device for functional diagram data, comprising: means for separately managing the data structure into a common part and an individual part.