Design Automation Systems for the Product Development Process: Reflections from Five Industrial Case Studies

Computer-aided design (CAD) tools throughout a design automation (DA) system, from low level physical design to high level resource allocation and scheduling tools, require information about the fabrication technology in order to make design decisions. Technology dependent information is maintained in technology files. As fabrication technologies evolve, these files must be updated to reflect the capabilities of the current fabrication process technology. Currently, the task of updating technology files is performed manually and often prone to error and inconsistencies. A system for the automatic updating of technology dependent information in a design automation system is presented. The technology information required by the CAD tools throughout a design automation system are consistent since they are all derived from a common source. >

Automation and control systems include many “intelligent” automation devices, which are usually implemented as complex embedded systems. New methods and tools are demanded to cope with the increasing design complexity, while keeping the project on schedule. Proper handling of nonfunctional system requirements is a key factor during the design of industrial automation systems, since in some application domains they are as important as (sometimes, more important than) functional requirements. This paper presents a model-driven engineering approach, which combines Unified Modeling Language (UML) and aspect-oriented software development (AOSD) to design real-time and embedded automation systems. The proposed approach allows a smooth transition from the initial phases to implementation by using software tools, comprising the system specification and the automatic generation of source code. By combining UML with model-level aspects and a script-base code generation tool, it enables the use of AOSD during system design and implementation, even though the target platform does not natively support such concepts. Experimental results on using this approach to design real-world examples of automation systems are presented. The results indicate a positive impact on the design of automation systems. The encapsulation of nonfunctional requirements was improved, increasing the reuse of developed artifacts. Generated source code statistics indicate that the proposed approach can generated a fair amount of code per model element.

This paper introduces a new approach named Design for Patentability (DFP) and presents the preliminary formulation of a formal methodology to attempt consideration of patentability aspects during the early stages of design including conceptual design and initial implementation of detailed design and manufacturing. Design for Automation (DFAM) approach formulated earlier by the first author based on Axiomatic Design Theory originated by Suh et. al. at MIT is adapted, suitably modified and customized for inclusion of patentability aspects such as anticipation, functionality, utility, and obviousness. Highlighting the complexity in incorporation of legal aspects in an engineering methodology, the paper presents the possibilities of improving the patentability of a design by a systematic and considered approach. The proposed methodology introduces a Patentability Evaluation phase in-between the Product Design, Process Design and Automation System Design phases of DFAM. The paper reviews mapping of parameters between different domains, namely, Functional Requirements Domain, Design Parameters Domain, Process Requirements Domain, and Design Automation Parameters Domain encompassed in the DFAM methodology and includes Patentability Parameters Domain in parallel to the last three domains to enable possible consideration of patentability aspects during Product Design, Process Design, and Automation System Design. Further, the paper briefly discusses the relevance of the Information Axiom of the Axiomatic Design Theory in the context of preparation of preliminary drafts of invention disclosure and potential claims for perusal by patent agents or attorneys. The approach reported in the paper is expected to have broad applications in the growing field of innovation based entrepreneurship in which design for patentability is an essential requirement for success of a business venture.

In future smart cities, automatic landscape design can be viewed as a promising intelligent application to reduce the reliance on expert labors. As it is a kind of visual sensing activity, it is expected to develop a robust interaction platform with strong ability of visual information fusion. To deal with this issue, this paper integrates vision computing, and designs an automatic landscape design system in smart cities. The whole design framework can be attributed as three aspects of works: function analysis, structure design and implementation. Among, the visual information processing runs through the three aspects. Then, the generation process of landscape design is simulated in detail via a systematic case study. To prove the significance of visual information processing in our proposal, this article uses a model analysis method to compare the effects of traditional data processing technology and visual data processing technology. The analysis results show that vision computing technology provides technical support for landscape design. We also carry out some performance testing towards the designed automatic landscape design system, and evaluation results are demonstrated via visualization format. The designed automatic system is a proper prototype that can be developed to realistic engineering systems by some following completion.

One of the important aspects in the design of automation system is to establish some automatic transformation method from the specification by high‐level language, which is suitable for designer to the description at the circuit level. This paper formulates the circuit design as the transformation, from the recursion equation, which is a high‐level description, to the functional network FN, which is a circuit model based on the data‐flow operation. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the transformation rules for the automatic circuit design based on the theorem‐proving techniques. First, the recursion equation is formulated as the specification language, and the circuit description language for FN is designed. The theorem‐proving system for the automatic design of the circuit can be formulated as a logic system in which the axioms are the predicate expressions for the elements, and the inference rules are the transformation rules among elements. The transformation rules from the recursion equation to the circuit representation are constructed using the concept of schema corresponding to the type of the recursion equation. Since the transformation includes heuristic aspects, some transformation techniques from the schema to the circuit description (called schema transformation) as well as the decomposition‐synthesis rules in the circuit representation, are presented. A logic system based on the obtained result is presented, indicating that a theorem‐proving system for the automatic circuit design can be constructed.

IADE, a software system supporting molecular modellers through the automatic design of non-classical bioisosteric analogs, scaffold hopping and fragment growing, is presented. The program combines sophisticated cheminformatics functionalities for constructing novel analogs and filtering them based on their drug-likeness and synthetic accessibility using automatic structure-based design capabilities: the best candidates are selected according to their similarity to the template ligand and to their interactions with the protein binding site. IADE works in an iterative manner, improving the fitness of designed molecules in every generation until structures with optimal properties are identified. The program frees molecular modellers from routine, repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on analysis and evaluation of the automatically designed analogs, considerably enhancing their work efficiency as well as the area of chemical space that can be covered. The performance of IADE is illustrated through a case study of the design of a nonclassical bioisosteric analog of a farnesyltransferase inhibitor--an analog that has won a recent "Design a Molecule" competition.

A design automation system is described which has certain features that make it particularly well suited to the automation and analysis of entire digital systems; including hardware, firmware and software. The code includes facilities for automated synthesis, simulation and documentation. The languages, called LINDA and MODEL, and their processing algorithms are described.Examples of computer architecture studies which have been conducted using LINDA and MODEL are also presented. These include development of an associative processor and investigations related to a logic-in-memory architecture. It is stressed that reliance on the appropriate design automation procedures have expedited the work and reduced the cost of research by eliminating the implementation phase as a necessary prerequisite to the study of machine concepts.

The demand for computing resources to support design automation systems is growing dramatically due to VLSI design considerations. This demand has created a need for multiple computing systems to handle the escalated execution requirements of today's Design Automation tools. A distribution technique for executing such tools on multiple computing systems is discussed. The technique employs the definition of three execution modes: interactive foreground, dissociative foreground and batch. Cost and performance considerations are analyzed as they relate to the overall design automation system as well as individual job executions. An implementation of this technique is presented, including the treatment of common system interface, data management, and job submission techniques.

Within the context of the changing design requirements of digital systems spanning the semiconductor era, this paper describes the significant steps in the development of Design Automation technology in IBM. We cover the design tools which support the design of the electronic portion of such systems. The paper emphasizes the systems approaches taken and the topics of design verification, test generation, and physical design. Descriptions of the technical contributions and interactions which have led to the unique characteristics of IBM's Design Automation systems are included.

An automation system has been developed for the design and analysis of SAW (surface acoustic wave) bidirectional transducers and filters and has been implemented on a personal-computer-class workstation. All dominant SAW acoustic and electrical effects have been modeled for nonreflecting transducers in a modular architecture. These synthesis and analysis tools form the core of the design-automation system. An automation shell used with the design tools forms the basis of a SAW compiler that is capable of noninteractive filter design. The first-generation set of SAW-filter design rules is implemented in a declarative language that provides logical-decision control of the automation system. The highest level of design choices, such as synthesis technique, transducer weighting, and substrate material, has been implemented in the design-rule system. The design-automation system controls the execution and iteratively evaluates options, corrects errors, and decides on an optimum design choice within the set of design rules. The system accepts user input of a frequency-domain specification and noninteractively outputs a filter meeting these specifications. A design automation system example is shown and experimental results using the CAD (computer-aided design) tools are presented.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

—Evolution of design methodologies follows a common trail: technology scaling leads to growing design complexity and rising abstraction level in the domain. Introduction of new (higher) abstraction levels emphasizes the importance of reuse and transformations. The design process can be seen as a sequence of high-level transformations from the higher-level specification to the lower-level one. We analyze high-level modeling and metaprogramming techniques for supporting transformations based on domain variability models. Next, we present a reuse evolution model for domain component design at a higher abstraction level to support the transformation-oriented approaches. Finally, high-level modeling techniques (UML-domain language metamodels for domain code generation, parameterized UML classes for template metaprogramming, feature models for explicit representation of variability) for specification of transformations and metaprograms are analyzed. Index Terms —design automation, transformation, hardware and embedded system design

Some of the recent developments in the automated design and analysis of digital systems are reviewed. Two new areas alluded to are centralized data base systems for design automation and interactive graphic computer-aided design. The areas of gate level simulation, synthesis, partitioning, interconnection, and fault test generation are dealt with in more detail. New algorithms in each of these areas are presented and compared, and a few important unsolved problems are mentioned. Some of the systems, techniques, and/or algorithms discussed are: A. Gate level simulation; 1) fault list propagation, 2) three-valued simulation. B. Synthesis; 1) register transfer level, 2) logic gate level. C. Partitioning; 1) clustering algorithms, 2) functional partitioning via simulation. D. Interconnect; 1) path seeking algorithms, 2) Steiner's problem. E. Fault test generation; 1) D algorithm, 2) Boolean difference, 3) equivalent normal form, 4) extensions to sequential circuits.

Design automation techniques are playing an important role in controlling the complexity of system design. The authors' work is inscribed in the design automation of microprocessor-based systems which necessitates the design of interfaces for system integration. During the interface synthesis it is required to validate the timing of a design yet to be implemented. In this paper they present a novel methodology to timing analysis that can determine tight bounds on interface path delays based on the given timing information. The timing analysis for synthesis problem is formulated as a combinatorial optimization problem using interval arithmetic techniques. >

Design automation techniques are playing an important role in controlling the complexity of system design. The authors' work is inscribed in the design automation of microprocessor-based systems which necessitates the design of interfaces for system integration. During the interface synthesis it is required to validate the timing of a design yet to be implemented. In this paper they present a novel methodology to timing analysis that can determine tight bounds on interface path delays based on the given timing information. The timing analysis for synthesis problem is formulated as a combinatorial optimization problem using interval arithmetic techniques. >

For the last several decades, the Computer and Information Sciences (CISE) Directorate of the National Science Foundation has been a major funding source for basic academic research on design and design automation of micro- and nano-electronic circuits and systems. While this activity started at the very beginning of Mead–Conway VLSI revolution in the late1980s and primarily involved silicon CMOS technologies at the time, more recently emerging non-silicon technologies and their integration in silicon platform have been considered as well. A related organization is the IEEE Council on Electronic Design Automation (CEDA). CEDA was established to foster design automation of electronic circuits and systems at all levels. The Council’s field of interest spans the theory, implementation, and use of EDA/CAD tools to design integrated electronic circuits and systems. This includes tools that automate all levels of the design, analysis, and verification of hardware and embedded software up to and including complete working systems.The last couple of years have seen a renewed interest in the research community triggered by a number of societal reasons, primarily the disruption of supply chain caused by the covid pandemic (see, e.g.,[1]) and the subsequent announcement of the Chips and Science Act [2] by the US government that spurred a flurry of several activities both in the public and private sectors.