Subject: Minutes of IBIS User sub-committee on software

From: Paul Galloway <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 19:56:07 -0500

IBIS Sub-Committee on software and usability

Tuesday, March 10, 1998 held at Cadence Design Systems in Chelmsford

Attendees:

Paul Galloway, Cadence (chair)
Fabrizio Zanella, EMC
Craig Lewis, Cadence
Michael Mirmak, Intel (via phone)
Haruny Said, HAS Consulting (via phone)

Agenda:

The intent of this meeting was to discuss and review progress of the 
previously identified topics listed below.  Purpose to create action 
items and proceed with development.  Topics discussed:

 - Spice to IBIS and IBIS development utilities
 - User Group Website
 - User Education
 - Connector Models - time for another BIRD

Details below:

 o IBIS software utilities - Two immediate needs have been identified:
   1) an enhanced s2ibis to correct issues with the existing s2ibis2 and 
   add s2ibis3 features and 2) an IBIS builder kit that would make it
   easy for people getting started to build IBIS models.  It sounds like
   the recently announced Hyperlynx "IBIS Developer" suite may cover the
   requirements for 2).  It was decided to proceed with 1) with the goal
   of creating a robust s2ibis to fix many of the issues of s2ibis2 and
   add some additional features of IBIS 3.0.  To do this we will work with
   the IBIS Open Forum for guidelines on the following issues:

   - Capture issues and problems with s2ibis2 and determine what specific
     features of IBIS 3.0 should be added, basically develop a specification
     for the new s2ibis.

   - Proceed with soliciting funding by working with the IBIS Open Forum 
     and soliciting member organizations for development funds and researching
     available grants, etc. for development.

   - Locate and schedule software development contractor for code development
     of the new s2ibis utility.

Action Item - Pursue funding through member organizations - Haruny Said
Action Item - Research potential availability of grants - Paul Galloway

 o Web Site - Andrew Philips has volunteered to set up a website for the 
   user forum and has been in discussion with Kathy Breda (NESA) for format
   of this.  Haruny Said also provided some insight as to how to make the
   website easy to find:

   - Register with all major search engines
   - Use key words in html file name, page title, and first line of content    

Following is the outline they have created:

(first page:)

Welcome to the IBIS User Forum Web Page...

   IBIS User Forum News - dates of next meetings...

IBIS User Forum Overview
IBIS User Meetings
Sub-Committee Activities
IBIS Tools
Useful IBIS related Links
On-line Chat

footer - mail to [email-masked] to be added to distribution list...

(and beyond first page:)

  |---->  IBIS User Forum Overview
                 - IBIS User Forum Mission
                 - IBIS User Forum Logistics (need better title)
                   --Who is involved (distribution list - maybe)
                   --meetings
                 --sub-committees and contacts
                   --current projects (link to IBIS User Meetings)

                 - What is IBIS
                   --Description of IBIS
                   --Contacts (i.e. Link to IBIS Forum page)

  |----> IBIS User Meetings
                 - News Item, announcing next meeting detail for
                   user meeting and sub-committees
                 - Minutes & Agendas
                   -- User Forum
                        --- by date, meeting minutes, agenda for
                            upcoming meeting
                   -- Subcommittees
                        --- Subcommittee on accuracy
                            ---- by date, meeting minutes, agendas
                  --- Subcommittee on software aspects of IBIS
                      ---- by date, meeting minutes, agendas

                 - Presentations
                   -- Presentations from meetings (link back to meetings)
                        --- Abstract with PDF and ZIP availability?
                   -- Other Interesting presentations
                  --- Abstract with PDF and ZIP availability?

  |----> Sub-committee Activities
                 - Sub-committee on accuracy
                   -- Members
                   -- link to minutes & Agendas
                   -- BIRDS
                   -- Test Board Design
                        --Test board schematics
                        --Test board simulation files
                        -- Other stuff?

                   -- Other?

                  - Sub-committee on Software Aspects....       
                    -- Members
                    -- links to minutes & Agendas
                  -- BIRDS
                    -- Education Topics
                   --?
                -- Other? 

 o User Education - There was an item from the last User Group meeting as
   to the need for an IBIS "crash course".  Our discussion leads us to the
   requirement for both a short (1 hour) "what is IBIS?" seminar and an in 
   depth course teaching IBIS model creation (1-2 day).  Seminar can most
   likely be derived from existing material, several people/companies have
   created and presented "IBIS overview" type materials.

Action Item - Follow up with Ed Sayre on development - Paul Galloway

 o Useability of connector models - The topic of representation of 
   connector models has been an issue and we feel that IBIS should 
   include a defined format for connectors in IBIS 3.1.  This had been
   discussed and shelved before but has become even more of an industry
   and user issue in the last 1-2 years and needs to be addressed.  

Action Item - Create (determine existing?) BIRD for connector model - Fabrizio
                                                                      Zanella

   
Cadence Design Systems
[email-masked]    (978-262-6231)