Tools for documenting digital designs on the Web

Modern embedded system designs include elements described using schematics, hardware description languages, timing diagrams, and various programming languages. We have developed a set of Java applets that facilitate the documentation of designs for dissemination over the Web. These tools enable the specification of multiple layers of active regions on diagrams and on text so that different mouse-over comments and/or hyper-text links can be attached to elements on each layer. This layering supports multiple hierarchical views of the same design. The tools, thus provide a highly expressive and modular system for navigating design documentation. These same tools can be used to provide a medium for delivering comments on students' work. We would expect such functionality to eventually be directly supported by EDA tool vendors.