A generic framework is described that supports the design and simulation of complex systems. The simulation framework incorporates a CAD Framework that has been extended with high-level services for visualizing and exploring system performance. The simulation framework is used in a number of industrial environments for the development and optimization of VLSI designs, electro-optical systems, Cathode Ray Tubes, and a manufacturing process.

With the increasing complexity of designs, Design Data Management is regarded as a key enabling technology to achieve higher efficiency in the development of complex products. However, this technology has proven to be surprisingly complex. Commercial solutions in the area of CAD Frameworks, Product Data Management, and Configuration Management Systems currently only solve parts of the total problem, and the acceptance of these systems in industry is still relatively low. In this paper, a model is presented which can be used as a frame of reference for the general problem of managing design data. The model distinguishes between five orthogonal dimensions, which are each, when considered separately, quite simple. In practice, however, two or more dimensions must be handled simultaneously to solve real-world problems. This turns out to be nontrivial because multiple fundamentally different solutions exist for each combination of two or more dimensions. We believe that this 5-D frame of reference can contribute to the creation of better quality solutions in the area of Design Data Management. The 5-D model can also help to explain the familiar phenomenon that a solution which has, for example, proven to be adequate for software development may be rejected by integrated circuit designers, and vice versa.

A novel approach to integrating multi-tool design environments is described which involves making a data flow model of the tools and design methodologies within the relevant design environment and storing this model in a database. This information about the design environment is subsequently used as the basis for organizing and accessing the sets of design data which are used and created within this environment. This approach thus provides a bridge between design process related functions (tool invocation, design process checking and auditing, history logging, and design releasing) and functions related to the design data (data identification, data classification, version management, and data browsing). The main advantages of this technique are its user- and system-level simplicity. its ability to handle data in work-in-progress situations, its support for design methodology, its consistent handling of a wide range of data types and flexibility with respect to changes in the design environment.>