RP–OL4.NOV
Technology-independent logic design standard becomes a reality
A consortium of programmable logic and CAE software vendors has
established a technical standard for logic design that provides a standard
interface between the technology-independent and technology-dependent
parts of the FPGA design process. The interface, called the Library of
Parameterized Modules (LPM), is intended to allow designers access to
various FPGA architectures without requiring detailed knowledge of each
individual FPGA vendor's unique silicon architecture.
LPM comprises a set of modules that are used to describe the logical
operation of a digital circuit. Implementation of the standard is intended
to be transparent to the system designer. It occurs in the form of output
from logic synthesis tools and other design entry packages. Ideally, this
will allow engineers to use the design tools of their choice with the
programmable logic device of their choice.
Until now, synthesis tools have been limited in their ability to support
the ever increasing variety of available programmable logic devices. Each
of these devices typically requires vendor-specific fitter software to
optimally map a design onto its particular technology. In order to provide
true technology-independent design, synthesis tools would have had to
incorporate this device-specific information for every FPGA on the
market–a daunting task.
The consortium's active participants include Actel, AT&T, Data I/O,
Exemplar Logic, Mentor Graphics, Minc, NeoCAD, Viewlogic, and Xilinx. In
addition, there are more than 30 companies that have plans to support the
LPM standard, including Altera, Cadence, Intel, Logical Devices, Motorola,
OrCAD, and Synopsys. For more information, call Cecil Kaplinsky at
415-853-1959. For a copy of the LPM standard, call Xilinx Corp.at
800-231-3386. –Richard Pell Jr.
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