TDML for Design Engineers

In March 1999, the Silicon Integration Initiative Inc. (Si2) formally "announced the release of the Timing Diagram Markup Language (TDML) v1.0, an open industry-standard language for the exchange of interactive timing diagrams for digital systems."

"TDML is being developed by the Electronic Component Information eXchange (ECIX) Working Group under the auspices of Si2. This standard will be used by ECIX PCIS-compliant datasheets for representation of timing and waveform diagrams that describe component and intellectual property (IP) characteristics. Members of the ECIX Working Group include Chronology Corporation, Denali Software Inc., IBM, Mentor Graphics/Interconnectix Business Unit and SynaptiCAD Inc.

"TDML is based on the eXtensible Markup Language (XML), which has been hailed as the "next generation" HTML for the Internet. EDA tool vendors adding support for TDML will benefit from the existing base of XML-related software; there are several freely available XML parsers which provide file validity checking and simplify the creation of TDML parsers. Component suppliers will benefit from TDML by allowing the use of one format to describe timing diagrams in both human- and machine-readable form. Design engineers will benefit from TDML during browsing functions where a timing diagram can be interactively changed to evaluate a component's design."

TDML will benefit component suppliers by allowing the use of one format to describe timing diagrams which both human and machine readable form. Design engineers will benefit from TDML as well especially during browsing functions where a timing diagram can be interactively changed to evaluate a component's design.