The RASSP Digest

Conceptual Prototype Demonstrates RASSP's Future

Harley Stein
Martin Marietta

Martin Marietta's RASSP conceptual prototype is a forward-looking view of the future RASSP workstation. It shows the steps the Martin Marietta team is focusing its efforts on to achieve the RASSP 4X design time improvement.

Common Desktop Environment Provides Five Keys

The conceptual prototype environment is based on the Common Open Software Environment (COSE) consortia's Common Desktop Environment (CDE). Martin Marietta developed several skeleton applications using CDE interface builders. These skeletons simulate functionality that is not available in "real" applications. "Along with the skeletons, we've augmented the conceptual prototype with screen shots of actual applications," said Andrew Schwalb, developer of the Martin Marietta conceptual prototype. "This gives it a realistic look and feel."

The screen shots help show the functionality provided by the different applications through the entire RASSP framework. The prototype will evolve throughout the program to encompass added functionality as the tools mature.

Martin Marietta selected CDE as its standard interface specification for RASSP for five key reasons:

-Unprecedented interoperability

-Efficient user interaction

-Transparent network support

-Virtual workstations

-Shared groupware applications

CDE is being co-developed and embraced as the standard interface application for nearly all major workstation vendors, including Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Novelle, and recently, DEC. This specification will provide a common look and feel, and ensures compatibility for all Martin Marietta's RASSP applications. The RASSP design philosophy is to use the full capabilities of CDE without incurring the cost of developing a totally new environment.

Workspaces Combine
Common Data

One of the primary internal features is the virtual workstation, which allows users to segregate data related to a project into organized, easy-to-access categories. These categories, or workspaces, combine common data into a single environment. The workspaces currently defined for the RASSP enterprise system are:

-Project workspace

-Workflow workspace

-Product/library data workspace

-Network/Interfaces workspace

-Design tools workspace

-General user workspace

Martin Marrieta plans to refine the workspaces as data organization is refined during the course of the RASSP program.

Interoperability Demonstrated in Key Areas

Interoperatibility is the key to a successful RASSP program. Martin Marietta's conceptual prototype shows some of the key areas that its team mates are developing, including project information workspaces, the link between the workflow manager and several tools, the use of desktop video conferencing tools, and networking.

The project information workspace example demonstrates how a project management tool gets updated status information provided by the workflow management tool. This link enables RASSP users to see status on a Gannt chart, reference a step within a workflow, and find any ties to a requirement. "All this information is available with a few keystrokes," said Schwalb. "The burden of data management is on the RASSP design framework, not on the users."

The workflow manager integrates the design process with tool launch, design review/authorization, and data management capabilities. The tie between the workflow manager and the tools provide users with transparent data access following a workflow. The demonstration shows the power of abstracting users from the underlying data management details using several examples.

The desktop video conferencing tools enable users to interact remotely with engineers, project managers or customers without leaving the workstation. The prototype shows a design engineer grappling with an application problem. The engineer immediately connects with support staff who talk the engineer through the problem, and who can also take control of the application and show the engineer how to solve the problem.

The network example shows an engineer using the system to select a location to manufacture a product. Through the network the engineer can assess the manufacturing center's capabilities, send a preliminary design to the center, and receive feedback regarding the manufacturability of the product.

The Martin Marietta conceptual prototype was unveiled at the first Annual RASSP Conference. It is available for demonstration at Martin Marietta Laboratories/ Moorestown in Moorestown, New Jersey. The evolving conceptual prototype was demonstrated at the 1994 GOMAC and will be demonstrated at 1995 DAC.

The RASSP Digest - Vol. 1, No. 1, 4th Qtr. 1994
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