BigPatents India

Apparatus and methods for integrated circuit (IC) design management of the configuration, design parameters, and functionality of a design in which custom instructions or other design elements may be controlled by the designer. In one exemplary; embodiment, a computer program rendered in an object-oriented language implementing the aforementioned methods for designing user-customized digital processors is disclosed. Design iteration, component encapsulation, sue of human-readable file formats, extensible dynamic GUIs and tool set, and other features are employed to enhance the functionality and accessibility of the program. Components within the design environment comprise encapsulated objects which contain information relating to interfaces with other components in the design, hierarchy, and other facets of the design process. (FIG. 2)