Topaz design platform migration into synchronicity's designSyncTM, phase 1

• Main Author: Sy, Bernalino Sabado
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2007
• Subjects: Topaz; Platforms (Architecture); Database management; Computer network architectures; Computer networks > Standards
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3551; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etd_masteral/article/10389/viewcontent/CDTG004293_P.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

The migration of the Topaz Design Platform on Design Sync is another effort of the global Design Automation team of the Flash Products Group (FPG) to streamline the design process with the use of a dynamic revision control system. Out of the many EDA vendors, Matrix Ones Synchronicity product offers the best data management solution catered to the groups needs, like ease in managing metadata, being light on customer support, well integrated into the Cadence DFII framework and supports global collaboration even in limited bandwidth situations. These are just some of the constraints that the current Topaz Design Platform needs: ability to respond to the changes in the design platform, better access control, efficient tracking and synchronization of the Topaz binaries across global design teams. In todays fast-paced semiconductor market, new technology and manufacturing breakthroughs come rapidly, and design of the simplest integrated circuit involves a large set of design data and becomes more complex everyday. To equip the design engineers with the correct design tools and set of collaterals, Topaz, FPGs native design platform, was developed to assist in the design of Flash NOR memory products. CAD Design Platforms in general are software frameworks that initialize a users workspace, which include the UNIX shell environment and different directory structures that the electronic design automation (EDA) tools uses. Topaz is characterized by a medium to high degree of automation and loosely coupled tool integration. And it is the goal of this project is to make this design platform highly automated and data-managed well, with the EDA tools tightly coupled into its framework. Putting the Topaz core binaries and scripts into a data managed system is a first step towards this goal. Under Phase 1, the existing Topaz architecture was reviewed, user and developer requirements gathered, cross-site usage were analyzed and best3 known methods from other design platforms were adapted especially in the use of the Synchronicity software. The Topaz core were also put in revision control and tested with the target projects. Out of these efforts, recommendations were gathered and will be used in Phase 2 which would involve modifying the Topaz core binaries, and aligning the architecture with FPGs other existing design platforms.