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Subject:Re: Signal Timing Diagrams From:Robert Plamondon <robert -at- PLAMONDON -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 7 Aug 1998 08:25:48 -0700
>I'm looking for advice on tools and methods to create, edit, and
import
>timing diagrams into MSWord (now)and potentially Framemaker (future).
Both packages have wretched drawing programs. My clients all use
Visio for general drawing tasks, which is fine by me.
>The tools our ASIC designers are using don't give us quite the
results we're
>looking for. The diagrams are destined for MSWord, but I would prefer
them
>in EPS so I can convert to other packages (Frame) in the future. The
>designers are using Synopsis, which gives them numerical output, but
no
>timing diagrams. Add-on Synopsis tools to do this are probably too
pricey to
>justify. We've got Timing Designer, but the developers don't like
using it;
>the main designer actually prefers pencil (even crayon!) and paper.
Input and output are two different things. It doesn't much matter
what the designers use when creating waveforms for the first time;
they still need something that allows them to view the waveforms
created by the synthesis tools. If they don't have a decent waveform
viewer, and are converting ones and zeros to diagrams by hand, they're
wasting their time -- and know it. Waveform viewers are a fundamental
design tool. If they really don't have one, they need one, and it can
be justified on the basis of design productivity alone, with the
ability to scoop up the output and paste it into documents as an added
bonus.
-- Robert
P.S. Sorry about the strangely wrapped output. I'm trying to figure
out Outlook 98's alleged Internet Mail formatting options. No luck so
far.
--
Robert Plamondon * High-Tech Technical Writing
36475 Norton Creek Road * Blodgett OR 97326
541-453-5841 * Fax: 541-453-4139 mailto:robert -at- plamondon -dot- com * http://www.pioneer.net/~robertp
