US-20260127345-A1 - DEVELOPING A DESIGN OF AN ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT SYSTEM IN EDA ENVIRONMENT

US20260127345A1US 20260127345 A1US20260127345 A1US 20260127345A1US-20260127345-A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a method for developing a design of an electronic circuit system in one or more Electronic Design Automation (EDA) environments. The method comprises: receiving data indicative of an event related to a specific point in time during development of the design of the electronic circuit system using a first software tool. A development action may be determined based on the event. Design data descriptive of a state of the design at the point in time, and a library setup descriptive of libraries used by the first software tool to provide the design at that state may be determined. A design snapshot data structure comprising entries representing the design data and the library setup may be created. The design snapshot data structure may be shared with a second software tool for enabling execution of the development action using the second software tool.

Inventors

Tobias Werner
Davide Fiorentini
Ralf Richter
Iris Maria Leefken

Assignees

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20250131
Priority Date: 20241106

Claims (15)

1 . A method for developing a design of an electronic circuit system in one or more Electronic Design Automation (EDA) environments; the method comprising: receiving data indicative of an event related to a specific point in time during development of the design of the electronic circuit system using a first software tool; determining a development action based on the event; determining design data descriptive of a state the design at the point in time, and determining a library setup descriptive of libraries used by the first software tool to provide the design at that state; creating a design snapshot data structure comprising the design data and the library setup; and sharing the design snapshot data structure with a second software tool for enabling execution of the development action using the second software tool.
2 . The method of claim 1 , the development action comprising at least one of: addressing a detected bug representing a design rule violation and/or a bug in the first software tool or incorporating a contribution to the design.
3 . The method of claim 1 , the first and second software tools being two instances of a software tool of the same EDA environment, the first and second software tools being different tools of different EDA environments.
4 . The method of claim 1 , the design snapshot data structure further comprising a metadata descriptive of the first software tool.
5 . The method of claim 1 , the sharing comprising any one of: storing the design snapshot data structure in a shared memory between the first and second software tools; and sending using a workplace messaging platform the design snapshot data structure to the second software tool.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: using the shared design snapshot data structure for creating a temporary library setup comprising the library setup by at least adding one or more libraries and/or updating one or more existing libraries of the second software tool; using the second software tool for opening the design using the design data and the temporary library setup; and performing using the second software tool the development action.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the creating of the temporary library setup and the opening of the design is automatically performed using a library manager that is configured to connect to the second software tool through an interface.
8 . The method of claim 7 , the interface being a web interface, wherein the shared design snapshot data structure is provided as a link to the interface, wherein the creating of the temporary library setup and the opening of the design is automatically performed in response to invoking the link.
9 . The method of claim 1 , the design data being descriptive of a first cell representing the design, wherein the library setup includes libraries for the first cell and one or more second cells representing components of the design.
10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the libraries are determined by navigation in accordance with a design architecture of the design of the first and second cells.
11 . The method of claim 10 , the design architecture being a hierarchical architecture, wherein the first cell is a top level cell and the second cells are sub hierarchy cells, wherein the navigation is a hierarchical traversal starting from the first cell.
12 . The method of claim 1 , the first software tool being executed in a first computer system, the second software tool being executed in a second computer system, wherein the first and second computer systems are collocated or remotely connected systems.
13 . The method of claim 1 , the library setup comprising paths and versions of the libraries.
14 . A computer program product for developing a design of an electronic circuit system using a software tool in one or more EDA environments, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code configured for: receiving data indicative of an event related to a specific point in time during development of the design of the electronic circuit system using a first software tool; determining a development action based on the event; determining design data descriptive of a state the design at the point in time, and determining a library setup descriptive of libraries used by the first software tool to provide the design at that state; creating a design snapshot data structure comprising the design data and the library setup; and sharing the design snapshot data structure with a second software tool for enabling execution of the development action using the second software tool.
15 . A computer system for developing a design of an electronic circuit system using a software tool in one or more EDA environments, the computer system comprising a first software tool; the computer system being configured for: receiving data indicative of an event related to a specific point in time during development of the design of the electronic circuit system using a first software tool; determining a development action based on the event; determining design data descriptive of a state the design at the point in time, and a library setup descriptive of libraries used by the first software tool to provide the design at that state; creating a design snapshot data structure comprising entries representing the design data and the library setup; and sharing the design snapshot data structure with a second software tool for enabling execution of the development action using the second software tool.

Description

BACKGROUND The present invention relates to the field of digital computer systems, and more specifically, to a method for developing a design of an electronic circuit system in Electronic Design Automation (EDA) environments. In electronic circuit design, especially for large and complex systems, collaboration between multiple team members is critical. This is often achieved using specialized software tools that allow designers to work simultaneously on different aspects of a project. Central to this process is the concept of a hierarchical design, where circuits are broken down into modules, with a top cell representing the highest level of the design. However, there is a need for improved processes for circuit design development. SUMMARY Various embodiments provide methods for developing a design of an electronic circuit system in one or more EDA environments, computer program products, database and systems as described by the subject matter of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims. Embodiments of the present invention can be freely combined with each other if they are not mutually exclusive. In one aspect, the invention relates to a method (first method) for developing a design of an electronic circuit system in one or more EDA environments; the method comprising: receiving data indicative of an event related to a specific point in time during development of the design of the electronic circuit system using a first software tool; determining a development action based on the event; determining design data descriptive of a state the design at the point in time, and determining a library setup descriptive of libraries used by the first software tool to provide the design at that state; creating a design snapshot data structure comprising the design data and the library setup; sharing the design snapshot data structure with a second software tool for enabling execution of the development action using the second software tool. In one aspect the invention relates to a computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code embodied therewith, the computer-readable program code configured for: receiving data indicative of an event related to a specific point in time during development of the design of the electronic circuit system using a first software tool; determining a development action based on the event; determining design data descriptive of a state the design at the point in time, and determining a library setup descriptive of libraries used by the first software tool to provide the design at that state; creating a design snapshot data structure comprising the design data and the library setup; sharing the design snapshot data structure with a second software tool for enabling execution of the development action using the second software tool. In one aspect the invention relates to a computer system for developing a design of an electronic circuit system in one or more EDA environments; the computer system comprising a first software tool; the computer system being configured for: receiving data indicative of an event related to a specific point in time during development of the design of the electronic circuit system using the first software tool; determining a development action based on the event; determining design data descriptive of a state of the design at the point in time, and determining a library setup descriptive of libraries used by the first software tool to provide the design at that state; creating a design snapshot data structure comprising the design data and the library setup; sharing the design snapshot data structure with a second software tool for enabling execution of the development action using the second software tool. In one aspect the invention relates to a database comprising multiple computer implemented data structures, wherein each computer implemented data structure is adapted for performing a development action on a design of an electronic circuit system, the data structure comprising design data and a library setup for opening the design, the design data being descriptive of a state of the design at the time of the development action, the library setup being descriptive of libraries used by the design data. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the following embodiments of the invention are explained in greater detail, by way of example only, making reference to the drawings in which: FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of an electronic circuit system design collaboration system according to an example of the present subject matter. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for developing a design of an electronic circuit system using a software tool in a design team according to an example of the present subject matter. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for performing a development action on a design of an electronic circuit system using a software tool according to an example of