Engineering information systems: Implementation approaches and issues

The phenomenal growth in integrated circuit fabrication technology over the last decade has led to the need for a robust, multi-user, integrated design environment for electronic systems. Attempts to develop “integrated” design environments have highlighted the present lack in design tool interoperability. The Very High Speed Integrated Circuits (VHSIC) Program has recognized the importance of integrated design environments for the design of future defense electronic systems and for the insertion of new technologies into existing electronic systems. The VHSIC Program is attempting to ease the task of integrating disparate electronic system design aids by addressing the design tool interoperability problem through the Engineering Information System (EIS) Program. This panel is the second in a series of panels aimed at discussing different aspects of Engineering Information Systems. The first EIS panel, held at SIGMOD '86¹, discussed the major issues confronting the implementation of an EIS. The purpose of this panel is to discuss different implementation approaches that will address these issues.