Computer Aided Design (CAD) Using Logic Programming

This paper gives an overview of expert systems and logic programming as applied to Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems. Our objective is to show the relevance of these two approaches developed from research in artificial intelligence for the solution of problems in VLSI design. We will provide some examples of the use of logic programming for familiar CAD tasks. The expert systems discussed function as experts in a very narrowly defined area of expertise, and can be called designer's assistants. We will also compare the use of logic programming (PROLOG) to current algorithmic solutions to VLSI design problems and discuss some future research in this area.