Language and templates for use in the design of semiconductor products
View Patent ↗During the design of semiconductor products which incorporates a user specification and an application set, the application set being a partially manufactured semiconductor platform and its resources, a template engine is disclosed which uses a simplified computer language having a character whereby data used in commands identified by the character need only be input once, either by a user or by files, and that data, after it has been verified to be correct, is automatically allocated to one or more templates used to generate shells for the specification of a final semiconductor product. Data must be correct and compatible with other data before it can be used within the template engine and the generated shells; indeed the template engine cooperates with a plurality of rules and directives to verify the correctness of the data. The template engine may generate one or more of the following shells: an RTL shell, a documentation shell, a timing analysis shell, a synthesis shell, a manufacturing test shell, and/or a floorplan shell.
1. A template engine, at least partially stored on a computer-readable memory and comprising:
(a) means to read a plurality of resources available from a selected application set;
(b) means to input a user's specification; and
(c) means to generate a plurality of shells allocating the resources of the application set to the user's specification, the plurality of shells comprising at least two from a group comprising a Register Transfer Level shell providing a logical description, a documentation shell providing a functional description, and a timing analysis shell providing a timing description.
2. The template engine of claim 1 , wherein the user's specification further comprises additional resources for allocation to the specification.
3. The template engine of claim 2 , wherein the user's specification and the resources are in a specific language and format for use with the template engine.
4. The template engine of claim 3 , wherein the specific language cooperates with other hardware description languages, and comprises block commands and simple commands, the commands having a character indicating its use in the template engine.
5. The template engine of claim 4 wherein the plurality of shells further comprise at least one shell each of a Register Transfer Level shell providing a logical description, a documentation shell providing a functional description, a verification shell providing a functional verification description, a synthesis shell providing a generation description, a static timing shell providing a timing description, a manufacturing test shell providing a test description, and a floor plan shell providing a location description.
6. The template engine of claim 5 wherein a same block command is usable to form each shell.
7. The template engine of claim 1 , wherein the allocation of the resources to the user's specification are verified before generation of the shells.
8. The template engine of claim 1 , further comprising means to display the resources and parameters affecting allocation.
9. The template engine of claim 8 , further comprising means to allow a user to interact to select and allocate resources to the user's specification.
10. The template engine of claim 1 wherein the documentation shell comprises a documentation shell written in a markup language.
11. A method to generate shells, comprising the steps of:
(a) storing a plurality of parameters derived from a user's specification and an application set;
(b) receiving a selection of a shell to generate;
(c) invoking a template of the shell, the template of the shell comprising a block command to repeat a block of text;
(d) reading the parameters used in the template;
(e) a processor exploding the template with the called parameters to form a shell such that the block of text is repeated in the shell; and
(f)making the shell available to a user.
12. A template engine by which to generate at least one shell and specification of a semiconductor platform, the template engine at least partially stored on a computer-readable memory and comprising:
(a) a language by which to enter parameters derived from a user and from an application set into the template engine, the language having a character to indicate insertion of parameters into at least two shells, each shell having a different format;
(b) at least one template pertaining to the at least one shell;
(c) a verifier to verify that a considered parameter is correct and compatible with other parameters prior to allocation of the considered parameter to the at least one shell and specification of the semiconductor platform;
(d) an allocator which allocates the considered parameter to the at least one shell and the specification of the semiconductor platform; and
(e) a shell generator responsive to the allocator and the user whereby a user can generate at least two shells having two different formats wherein one of the shells has a markup language format for the semiconductor product.
13. The template engine of claim 12 , wherein the template engine is embodied in a computer program product.