Method and tool for automatically generating engineering change order

A design system that automatically formats Engineering Change Order language to specify required design changes in a microchip design, comprising:

• an import means for accepting a working netlist;
• a first automated means for generating an index table;
• a text editor means for modifying said index table to generate a modified index table that embodies a design change;
• and
• an ECO generation means for reconfiguring said modified index table into an ECO language format.

A method that automatically formats Engineering Change Order language to specify required design changes in a microchip design, comprising:

• accepting a working netlist;
• extracting one or more buses from said working netlist;
• tabulating said extracted one or more buses into an index table;
• modifying said index table to generate a modified index table that embodies a design change;
• and
• reconfiguring said modified index table into an ECO language format.

A method to manufacture a tool that automatically formats Engineering Change Order language to specify required design changes in a microchip design, comprising:

• providing an import component that accepts a working netlist;
• providing a bus extraction component that extracts one or more buses from said working netlist;
• providing an index creation component that tabulates said extracted one or more buses into an index table;
• providing a text editor that modifies said index table to generate a modified index table that embodies a design change;
• and
• providing an ECO generation component that reconfigures said modified index table into an ECO language format.

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps that automatically formats Engineering Change Order language to specify required design changes in a microchip design, comprising:

• accepting a working netlist;
• extracting one or more buses from said working netlist;
• tabulating said extracted one or more buses into an index table, wherein said index table is subsequently modified by a user to create a modified index table;
• and
• reconfiguring said modified index table into an ECO language format.