Computer technology to ensure an electronic design automation (eda) implementation for electronic circuitry is traceable, auditable, and reproducible

A computer system for tracing an original electronic design automation (EDA) implementation process for electronic hardware designs, where the original EDA implementation process includes multiple subprocesses to convert a hardware model to a physically-realized electronic circuit, the computer system comprising:

• at least one computer including at least one hardware processor;
• and
• storage to store instructions executable in the at least one computer that, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause a trace processing module implemented by the at least one computer to:
• input a cryptographic key and design information that includes the hardware model and one or more of:
• constraints, properties, implementation settings, and other directives for directing conversion of the hardware model into a physically realized circuit;
• process the input cryptographic key and design information and generate a sequence of instructions that direct the trace processing module to execute the subprocesses of the EDA implementation process and provide traceability of each subprocess of the EDA implementation process;
• for each subprocess of the EDA implementation process, perform the following steps:
• a—gather intermediate design state and implementation settings resulting from or influencing execution of the subprocess;
• b—combine the intermediate design state and implementation settings into a data string and determine a cryptographic hash value for the data string;
• c—digitally sign the cryptographic hash value using a digital signature certificate derived from a cryptographic key to generate a signed hash;
• d—store the signed hash and identifiers associated with data files used for determining the cryptographic hash value to an electronic ledger to generate an updated electronic ledger;
• e—authenticate the signed hash from the electronic ledger to generate an authenticated signed hash;
• f—reconstruct a hash from the data files stored in the electronic ledger to generate a reconstructed hash;
• g—compare the authenticated signed hash with the reconstructed hash, and in response to a mismatch, generate an error signal;
• and
• repeat the steps a-g for each subsequent subprocess of the EDA implementation process and store traced EDA implementation process results in memory.