Designers are currently facing the problems of increasing device complexity. Existing hardware description languages, based on the top down approach to design do not provide the designer with the tools required to cope with complex devices. The complexity problem increases again when considering the introduction of testing to such devices. The necessity for testing to ensure correct function becomes greater as design complexity increases.
This research investigates object oriented technology (OOT), a software design method for dealing with highly complex systems, and shows how it may be used to solve the hardware complexity problem. It is shown how an OOT language may be used as an object oriented hardware description language (OOHDL). The OOHDL is then extended, forming the basis of an object oriented design library, that contains circuits for use in hardware design. Exploiting the object oriented basis of this library allows the contained information to be classified. The classification process allows testing information to be introduced in such a manner as to have the test vector generation algorithms associated with those circuit types they are most applicable to. In addition "design-for-test" information is introduced, and associated in the same manner.
The result of the research is a system that can help a designer cope with high levels of complexity. Concurrent with the design process, advice on how the circuit under design may best be tested or altered to simplify testing is also presented to the designer. Using such a system will force a designer to comply with a strong design practice that is specifically designed to cope with highly complex systems.