WinACIF: A Telecom IC Support Tool Using Tcl/Tk

We discuss our use of Tcl/Tk to provide software support for telecommunications Integrated Circuits (ICs). Our Windows-based Advanced Computer Interface (WinACIF) program works in concert with reconfigurable hardware based on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to provide essential coordination in laboratory data collection and analysis of a device under test. WinACIF replaces several MS-DOS based applications. Whereas the previous implementations suffered from the classic limitations of MS-DOS, WinACIF provides the flexibility and functionality of windowing applications by virtue of its Tcl/Tk roots. Tcl/Tk not only supplies more than ample power to create WinACIF, but also adds the benefit of saving valuable time otherwise spent learning a complex API. Run-time loaded Tcl extensions provide the flexibility to support various devices having diverse interfaces. A single Tcl/Tk script dynamically builds a Graphical User Interface (GUI) based on product configuration data retrieved from a data store. Additionally, we used canvas widgets to provide an intuitive interface. For the engineer who requires control beyond that afforded by our GUI, Tcl serves as WinACIF's command language.