Integrated circuit design software with cross probing between tool graphical user interfaces (GUIs)

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting a cross probe request from a source tool graphical user interface (GUI) to a main window GUI for an integrated circuit design tool, wherein the cross probe request identifies one or more cross-probed features for a target tool GUI;

at the main window GUI, commanding a plug-in installation of the target tool GUI if the target tool GUI has not yet been instantiated;

transmitting from the main window GUI a notification of the probe request to the target tool GUI; and

displaying the identified one or more cross-probed features in the target tool GUI responsive to the notification.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein commanding the plug-in installation of the target tool GUI comprises:

instantiating a first object in a plug-in management module class to manage the plug-in of the target tool GUI;

from the main window GUI, initiating the first object to load data corresponding to the target tool GUI into a common database accessible to tool GUIs; and

through the first object, instantiating the target tool GUI.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source and target tool GUIs are each selected from a group of tool GUIs consisting of a spreadsheet view GUI, a package view GUI, a floorplan view GUI, a physical view GUI, and a timing analysis view GUI.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the source and target tool GUIs are instantiations of a tool GUI class.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein if the target tool GUI does not support the cross-probed features, the cross probe request is disabled.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cross probe request is a Qt signal in a QT signal/slot protocol.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the Qt signal identifies the source and target tool GUIs.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification from the main window GUI is a Qt slot in a Qt signal/slot protocol.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein Qt slot identifies the source tool GUI and the cross-probed features.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit design tool is a field programmable gate array (FPGA) design tool.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target tool GUI comprises a plurality of target tool GUIs.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing instructions for execution by a processor to implement an integrated circuit design method, comprising:

computer readable program instructions for transmitting a cross probe request from a source tool graphical user interface (GUI) to a main window GUI for an integrated circuit design tool, wherein the cross probe request identifies one or more cross-probed features for a target tool GUI;

computer readable program instructions for commanding a plug-in installation of the target tool GUI if the target tool GUI has not yet been instantiated by the programmable logic design tool;

computer readable program instructions for transmitting from the main window GUI a notification of the probe request to the target tool GUI; and

computer readable program instructions for displaying the identified one or more cross-probed features at the target tool GUI responsive to the notification.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the computer readable program instructions for commanding the plug-in installation includes:

computer readable program instructions for instantiating a first object in a plug-in management module class to manage the plug-in of the target tool GUI; and

computer readable program instructions for initiating the first object to load data corresponding to the target tool GUI into a common database accessible to the target tool GUI and instantiating the target tool GUI through the first object.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the source and target tool GUIs are each selected from a group of tool GUIs consisting of a spreadsheet view GUI, a package view GUI, a floorplan view GUI, a physical view GUI, and a timing analysis view GUI.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising computer readable program instructions for determining whether the target tool GUI supports the cross-probed features.

16. A system for configuring an integrated circuit, comprising:

a display;

a memory for storing instructions; and

a processor configured to retrieve and execute instructions from the memory, wherein the stored instructions configure the processor to implement a main window GUI and a plurality of tool GUIs on the display, the processor being configured to:

transmit a cross probe request from a source tool graphical user interface (GUI) to a main window GUI for an integrated circuit design tool, wherein the cross probe request identifies one or more cross-probed features for a target tool GUI;

at the main window GUI, command a plug-in installation of the target tool GUI if the target tool GUI has not yet been instantiated;

transmit from the main window GUI a notification of the probe request to the target tool GUI; and

display the one or more cross-probed features at the target tool GUI responsive to the notification.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the source and target tool GUIs are each selected from a group of tool GUIs consisting of a spreadsheet view GUI, a package view GUI, a floorplan view GUI, a physical view GUI, and a timing analysis view GUI.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

instantiate a first object in a plug-in management module class to manage the plug-in of the target tool GUI;

from the main window GUI, initiate the first object to load data corresponding to the target tool GUI into a common database accessible to the tool GUIs; and

through the first object, instantiate the target tool GUI.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the cross probe request is a Qt signal in a QT signal/slot protocol.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the notification from the main window GUI is a Qt slot in a Qt signal/slot protocol.