Procedure and data structure for synthesis and transformation of logic circuit designs

A process for automatic design of a logic circuit by a data processing system which yields a data structure representing interconnected logic components, said data structure being stored in a data base in a memory of the data processing system, the process being performed by the data processing system and comprising the steps, performed by the data processing system, of:

• inputting into locations of the data base in the memory, by the data processing system, data representing a plurality of logic components, the logic components corresponding to components of a logic circuit and belonging to different levels of a data hierarchy;
• inputting, by the data processing system, a plurality of rules to the data base, ones of the rules belonging to different levels of a rule hierarchy;
• establishing, by the data processing system, pointers between a first subset of the rules having a first rule hierarchy level and ones of the plurality of logic components having a first data hierarchy level;
• establishing, by the data processing system, pointers between a second subset of the rules having a second rule hierarchy level and subsets of the plurality of logic components having a second data hierarchy level;
• altering, by the data processing system, a subset of the data for the plurality of logic components by application of one of the first subset of rules to a current logic component pointing to an applied rule, when at least one rule in the first subset of rules is applicable to the current logic component, the altering of the subset resulting in a formation in the data base in the memory of a new data structure representing a logic circuit including a plurality of interconnected logic components.

A data processing apparatus for automatic design of a logic circuit which yields a data structure representing interconnected logic components, said data structure being stored in a data base in a memory of the data processing system, the data processing apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• means for inputting into locations of the data base in the memory data representing a plurality of logic components, the logic components corresponding to a logic design to be synthesized and belonging to different levels of a data hierarchy;
• means for inputting a plurality of rules to the data base in the memory, ones of the rules belonging to different levels of a rule hierarchy;
• means for establishing bidirectional pointers between the locations in the data base containing the data for the plurality of logic components, the pointers being determined according to the logic circuit to be synthesized, wherein the pointers allow the location containing data for any logic component in the data base in the memory to be accessed by following pointers from the location containing data for any other logic component in the data base in the memory;
• and
• means for altering a subset of the data for the logic components in the data base in the memory by application of a rule stored in the data base in the memory to one of the plurality of logic components, called a current logic component, the altering of the subset resulting in a formation in the data base in the memory of a new data structure representing a logic circuit design including a plurality of interconnected logic components.

A process for automatic design of a logic circuit by a data processing system which yields a data structure representing interconnected logic components, said data structure being stored in a data base in a memory of the data processing system, the process being performed by the data processing system and comprising the steps, performed by the data processing system, of:

• inputting into locations of the data base in the memory, by the data processing system, data representing a plurality of logic components, the logic components corresponding to components of a logic circuit and belonging to different levels of a data hierarchy;
• inputting, by the data processing system, a plurality of logic component definitions to the data base, the logic component definitions representing functional characteristics of the logic components;
• inputting, by the data processing system, a plurality of rules to the data base, the rules belonging to different levels of a rule hierarchy, and the levels of the rule hierarchy including a first level of rules which are each applicable to at least one of the plurality of logic components, a second level of rules which are each applicable to at least one of the plurality of logic component definitions, and a third level of rules which are each applicable to all of the logic components;
• establishing, by the data processing system, bidirectional pointers between the locations in the data base containing the data for the plurality of logic components, the pointers being determined according to the logic circuit, wherein the pointers allow the location containing data for any logic component in the data base to be accessed by following pointers from the location containing data for any other logic component in the data base;
• searching, by the data processing system, through the plurality of rules stored in the data base in order to select one of the plurality of rules to be applied to a first one of the plurality of logic components, the first level of rules being searched first, the second level of rules being searched when the search of the first level reveals that none of the rules of the first level are applicable to the first logic component, and the third level being searched when the search of the second level reveals that none of the rules of the second level are applicable to the first logic component;
• and
• altering, by the data processing system, a subset of the data for the logic components in the data base by application of the selected rule to the first logic component, the altering of the subset resulting in a formation in the data base in the memory of a new data structure representing a logic circuit including a plurality of interconnected logic components.

A data processing apparatus for automatic design of a logic circuit represented by a data structure containing interconnected logic components, the data processing apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• means for inputting into locations in the memory of the data processing apparatus data representing a plurality of logic components of the logic design to be synthesized, the logic components belonging to different levels of a data hierarchy;
• means for inputting a plurality of logic component definitions to the memory, the logic component definitions representing functional characteristics of the logic components;
• means for inputting a plurality of rules to the memory, the rules belonging to different levels of a rule hierarchy, and the levels of the rule hierarchy including a first level of rules which are each applicable to at least one of the plurality of logic components, a second level of rules which are each applicable to at least one of the plurality of logic component definitions, and a third level of rules which are each applicable to all of the logic components;
• means for establishing bidirectional pointers between the locations in the memory containing the data for the plurality of logic components, the pointers being determined according to the logic circuit to be synthesized, wherein the pointers allow the location containing data for any logic component in the memory to be accessed by following pointers from the location containing data for any other logic component in the memory;
• means for searching through the plurality of rules stored in the memory in order to select one of the plurality of rules to be applied to a first one of the plurality of logic components, the first level of rules being searched first, the second level of rules being searched when the search of the first level reveals that none of the rules of the first level are applicable to the first logic component, and the third level being searched when the search of the second level reveals that none of the rules of the second level are applicable to the first logic component;
• and
• means for altering a subset of the data for the logic components in the memory by application of the selected rule to the first logic component, the altering of the subset resulting in a formation in the memory of a new data structure representing a new logic circuit design including a plurality of interconnected logic components.