Collaboration Framework – HTML Viewer
(Mohit Saxena)
Introduction
Collaboration Framework
The Collaboration Framework is an advanced tool developed to enhance interaction and visualization of register and memory maps within SoC and ASIC designs.
One of the most powerful modules in this framework is the HTML Viewer, which acts as a user-friendly browser interface to explore design hierarchies, registers, fields, and address maps.
To accommodate different needs, CF offers two flavors of HTML generation:
Dynamic HTML: A fast, lightweight, interactive front-end accessed via CF Viewer
Static HTML Dump: A standalone HTML package for offline use
Dynamic HTML
The dynamic viewer is an interactive web interface where data is lazy-loaded on demand using JSON payloads and JavaScript frameworks. It provides a single-page application (SPA) experience with modern performance and aesthetics.
Register View:
Key Features
Lazy Loading: Loads content on demand, reducing memory usage and improving performance for large designs.
DirectURL Navigation: Shareable URLs allow users to jump to specific registers, regfiles, block and chip.
Search and Filtering: Supports regex based keyword search, smart filtering by field types, access types, or custom properties.
Settings Export: Users can export the currently viewed design as a static HTML snapshot with applied filters or settings.
Collapsible Hierarchy: Intuitive navigation with collapsible sections for deep hierarchies.
Custom Column Management: Easily add or remove custom columns in the HTML table to tailor the view according to your specific data visualization needs.
Radix Format Customization: Easily switch between Hex, Decimal, or Binary formats for address display using the dropdown, allowing more flexibility in how data is viewed in the HTML output.
Static HTML Dump
This method generates a complete HTML tree with pre-rendered content. It is ideal when CF Viewer is not accessible or for offline delivery to customers.
Register View:
Key Features
Can be opened with any browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
Self-contained package (no backend needed) users can define how HTML should be generated (filters, sorting, views) using config.xml file.
Supports interactivity (collapse, expand, search, sorting, Filtering)
IDSBatch CLI Integration: Automate generation in CLI flows.
idsbatch test.rdl -config config.xml
config.xml:
test.html:
Comparison Table: Current HTML vs Dynamic Viewer vs Static Dump
Purpose of Collaboration Framework
A next-level, server-powered documentation system that delivers customizable HTML output with smart navigation, advanced search, dynamic sorting, and powerful filtering for deep and intuitive exploration of components.
Conclusion
The HTML Viewer within the Collaboration Framework transforms the way engineers explore and document complex SoC and ASIC designs. By offering both dynamic viewing for high-performance, interactive exploration and static HTML dumps for offline or customer-ready delivery, it caters to a wide range of use cases. With features like lazy loading, advanced search, customizable views, and format flexibility, the solution strikes the right balance between scalability and usability. In essence, the Collaboration Framework empowers teams to navigate massive register maps with ease, improve collaboration across stakeholders, and accelerate SoC integration workflows.
