7.2. CEENSS and Simulatable Specifications – A Progress Report

The Continuous Electronics Enhancements using Simulatable Specifications (CEENSS) project was begun in 1995 to define a methodology and provide CAD/CAE tools to improve the electronic design process. More specifically, TRW, along with the University of Cincinnati, Motorola and Mentor Graphics, is defining the system requirements methodology for applying formal methods to the specification of board/module-level products, and the associated impacts to the development process, tool integration, and electronic data interchange (EDI). A key activity of the project is the definition of a Simulatable Specification (SimSpec) that is compatible with and complementary to the methodology. Now in its fourth and final year, CEENSS has met most of its objectives and will achieve additional goals in 1998. This paper presents a CEENSS status report, focusing on accomplishments in enhancing CAD/CAE tools to support the CEENSS methodology.