Organization of a microprocessor design process using Internet-based interoperable workflows

The paper presents a new approach towards large system design in distributed teams based on a workflow technology. The techniques applied introduce interoperability among design tools across computing platforms and organization borders. They result in an improved quality of wide area engineering collaboration. After a short discussion about selected aspects of the applied workflow technology from an electronic design engineers' perspective, an Internet-based distributed design process of IP components with emphasis on specific elements of microprocessor designs is introduced. As an example, we present a workflow that enables integration and interoperability of selected IP design tasks, represented as parallel and serial sets of the workflow activities. The workflows that were employed in the design process had been developed for the purpose of design task integration in the pan-European project E-Colleg. They can be effectively adopted by distributed teams working on multiple sites, multiple platforms for remote project management.