Reuse of design objects in CAD frameworks

ABSTRACT

The reuse of well-tested and optimized design objects is an important aspect for decreasing design times, increasing design quality, and improving the predictability of designs. Reuse spans from the selecting cells from a library up to adapting already designed objects.In this paper, we present a new model for reusing design objects in CAD frameworks. Based on experiences in other disciplines, mainly in software engineering and case-based reasoning, we developed a feature-based model to describe design objects and their similarities. Our model considers generic modules as well as multi-functional units. We discuss the relationships of the model to design process and to the configuration hierarchy of complex design objects. We examined our model with the prototype system RODEO.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  B. Hardware
  B.5 REGISTER-TRANSFER-LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION

Additional Classification:
  B. Hardware
  B.6 LOGIC DESIGN
  B.7 INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

  D. Software
  D.2 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
      D.2.m Miscellaneous
          Subjects: Reusable software**

  J. Computer Applications
  J.6 COMPUTER-AIDED ENGINEERING
      Subjects: Computer-aided design (CAD)

General Terms:
Design, Theory