LIBPAT(3)						     cao-vlsi reference manual							 LIBPAT(3)

ORIGIN

       This  software  belongs	to  the  ALLIANCE CAD SYSTEM developed by the ASIM team at LIP6 laboratory of Universite Pierre et Marie CURIE, in
       Paris, France.

       Web : http://asim.lip6.fr/recherche/alliance/
       E-mail : alliance-users@asim.lip6.fr

NAME

       PAT - Generic pattern data structure

DESCRIPTION

       PAT is a generic data structure supporting vlsi concepts.  It allows representation of a sequence of simulation patterns in a  data  struc-
       ture.

       The  goal  of PAT is to define an ad hoc single data structure (object), with well known fixed meaning for each concept manipulated in pat-
       tern description. So any tools that needs to access simulation patterns can be build upon it, using these structures.

       For each object (data structure), a set of functions has been defined in order to add, delete or access it. These functions are defined	in
       a  low-level  library  libPat106.a.  Some other functions are higher level. They are defined in a high-level library libPhl106.a. There are
       also some parsers-drivers.  A parser reads a pattern description file in a given format and build up a complete PAT  data  base.  A  driver
       creates a text file in a given format from a PAT data base. A pat format parser-driver is available in the libPpt106.a library.

       Pattern description envolves the following notions (for further details see pat(5)):

       input		   port controlled by the user

       output		   signal or port observed by the user

       initialization	   forcing the value of a register

       pattern sequence    list of values to be forced on inputs or to be checked as the result of the simulation on outputs

       The  input-output  list is represented by two data structures: pagrp contains informations relative to actual or virtual arraies and, paiol
       represents a one-bit input-output. Both are simply chained lists. However, to make a more efficient access to paiol  structures,  they  are
       organized in a table. So, a paiol can also be addressed using an offset.

       Another	group  of  data structures is used to represent a pattern. paini contains values to be forced into registers before processing the
       pattern.  An event (a modification of value) on an input-output is given by a paevt structure. A third structure, papat gathers all  infor-
       mation concerning a pattern (including initializations - paini - and events - paevt).

       A pacom is used to represent a comment.

       Finally,  all  these  structures can be accessed through a unique structure, paseq, designed to represent a complete sequence of simulation
       patterns.

ORGANIZATION

       In order to use PAT, concepts on use of libraries are needed. And, since these libraries are under development,	the  code  is  subject	to
       change.

       To  enable  work, a static version of each library is always present for the user. Libraries and header files are suffixed by a number (the
       library's version). The programmer can prefer to work with an earlier version of a library rather than the most recent one. However, it	is
       recommended to adapt softwares to libraries as soon as possible in order to spotlight potential compatibility problems before old libraries
       are removed.

       A makefile is necessary for all PAT applications.  This is required because any soft must be easily recompilable, and  knowing  the  needed
       libraries for a PAT based program is not an easy matter.  It can't be achieved by an other way, so do use makefile.

       In  terms  of  software organization, PAT is splitted into two libraries for the basic functions, a header file for structures and variable
       declarations and, up to now, one parser-driver library for pat format.

       It is to be noticed that library's version number is incremented when, at least, one function composing	the  library  has  been  modified.
       Therefore, PAT libraries may evolve independently form each other.

       Here follows the list of the libraries and their contents.

       libPat106.a:	   pat_addpaseq,  pat_addpagrp,   pat_addpaiol,  pat_addpapat,	pat_addpaevt,  pat_addpaini,  pat_addpacom,  pat_frepaini,
			   pat_frepaiol,  pat_frepacom, pat_frepapat,  pat_frepaevt, pat_crtpaiol

       libPhl106.a:	   pat_debug,	  pat_getcount

       libPpt106.a:	   pat_lodpaseq,  pat_savpaseq, pat_drvpat,    pat_prspat

       The libraries are organized in such a way that no cycle can appear through calls. It means that, if in a given  library	a  function  calls
       another function in another library, then none of the functions of this one does call any function that belongs to the first library.

EXAMPLE

       In order to use PAT libraries, one needs something like this in its makefile:

	      HEADER = -I/labo/include
	      LIB = -L/labo/lib -lPat106 -lPhl106 -lPpt106 -lMut315

SEE ALSO

       mbk(1), pat(5)

BUG REPORT

       This tool is under development at the ASIM department of the LIP6 laboratory.
       We need your feedback to improve documentation and tools.

ASIM
/LIP6							  October 1, 1997							 LIBPAT(3)