Design tool integration using object-oriented database views

C A D systems utilize a central design database (DDB) to achieve the much needed integration of diverse design information into one model. A global DDB represents a serious bottleneck fo r the C A D system; it prevents the extensibili ty of the C A D system over t ime and forces all design tools to work o n the same comprehensive data model. A s a solution, we propose to utilize the object-oriented view mechanism, called Mult iv iew, f o r declaratively specifying customized tool interfaces (design views) o n the C A D database. A design view contains a subset of relevant information f rom the DDB organized in a fashion most suitable to the needs of a particular tool. Multi View automatically maintains the mapping between the global data model and local design views, thus freeing individual design tools f r o m this burden. The resulting C A D envaronment assures the consistent integration of design data f rom d i e r e n t tools, while providing each tool with a customized view of the integrated data. This paper gives numerous examples that demonstrate Mult iv iew and its advantages fo r tool integration in behavioral synthesis. Design Tool Integration Using Object-Oriented Database Views Elke A. Rundensteiner’ Dept. of Electrical Eng. and Computer Science University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2122 email: rundenst@eecs.umich.edu, phone: (313) 936-2971