ALI: A Procedural Language to Describe VLSI Layouts

ALI is a procedural language to specify VLSI layouts. It allows the designer to describe layouts without reference to the sizes and positions of the layout elements or to the distances between them. Among the interesting characteristics of ALI are that it does not need design rule checking, is easy to extend, facilitates the division of labor and permits the easy update of a layout to new design rules or to new processes. The general features of the language and the experience gained with a preliminary implementation of it are described.

[1]  James A. Rowson,et al.  ICARUS: An Interactive Integrated Circuit Layout Program , 1978, 15th Design Automation Conference.

[2]  Donald Ervin Knuth,et al.  The Art of Computer Programming , 1968 .

[3]  Steve Sapiro,et al.  Bolt - A Block Oriented Design Specification Language , 1981, 18th Design Automation Conference.

[4]  Tom Davis,et al.  SILT: a VLSI design language , 1982 .

[5]  John G. Williams.  STICKS - A graphical compiler for high level LSl design , 1978, AFIPS National Computer Conference.

[6]  Dave Johannsen,et al.  Bristle Blocks: A Silicon Compiler , 1979, 16th Design Automation Conference.

[7]  Clark Marshall Baker.  Artwork Analysis Tools for VLSI Circuits. , 1980 .

[8]  Bengt Aspvall,et al.  A polynomial time algorithm for solving systems of linear inequalities with two variables per inequality , 1979, 20th Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science (sfcs 1979).

[9]  Steven Trimberger,et al.  Combining Graphics and a Layout Language in a Single Interactive System , 1981, 18th Design Automation Conference.

[10]  Lynn Conway,et al.  Introduction to VLSI systems , 1978 .

[11]  R. C. Mosteller.  REST: A Leaf Cell Design System , 1981 .

[12]  D. Franco,et al.  The Cell Design System , 1981, 18th Design Automation Conference.