Representing Digital Systems as Complex Objects

AMPLO is an integrated design environment where the design objects, digital systems, are described by means of nets of agencies. Concepts like molecular objects, version generalization, instantiation and parameterized versions are present in the representation of agencies as complex objects. Graphical and textual hardware description languages incorporate these well defined modelling and management concepts. The objects are manipulated through the use of an object-oriented data base interface that allows the integration of all design tools around a unified data base.