Automating the VLSI design process using expert systems and silicon compilation

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · Proc. IEEE; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/PROC.1987.13799· OSTI ID:5949653

Parker, A C; Hayati, S

This paper describes the automatic design of custom integrated circuits from higher level specifications. The paper covers four topic areas: the problem domain and solution approach, higher level synthesis, module to layout automation systems, typically called silicon compilers, and expert systems which control the design process. In the first three sections, several features of the VLSI problem domain which complicate automation are listed. The VLSI design process is diagrammed and the individual steps described. The term ''silicon compilation: is defined to cover the entire process, and definitions for various subcategories of silicon compilers are given. The next section describes both algorithmic and knowledge based techniques which perform higher level synthesis, including area estimation and module binding concurrent with synthesis. Research at Bell Labs, USC, CMU, and in Canada is described, along with other projects. The fifth section discusses the three categories of silicon compilers: commercially available systems, experimental compilers being developed by industry, and artificial intelligence approaches from university research. A survey of several systems is provided. The last section focuses on two systems developed at CMU and USC which plan or control design activities, Ulysses and DPE. Both systems allow the integration of various design automation tools and determine the proper tool invocation to automatically create a design. ADAM takes an autonomous approach, while ULYSSES follows user-defined scripts.

• Research Organization: Dept. of Electrical Engineering Systems, Univ. of Southern California, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0781
• OSTI ID: 5949653
• Journal Information: Proc. IEEE; (United States), Vol. 75:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
A CODES
COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN
EXPERT SYSTEMS
INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
EXECUTIVE CODES
SILICON
FABRICATION
U CODES
ALGORITHMS
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AUTOMATION
KNOWLEDGE BASE
MODULAR STRUCTURES
PLANNING
SPECIFICATIONS
COMPUTER CODES
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
ELEMENTS
MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
SEMIMETALS
420800* - Engineering- Electronic Circuits & Devices- (-1989)
990210 - Supercomputers- (1987-1989)