THE RASSP PROGRAM - ORIGIN, CONCEPTS, AND STATUS - AN INTRODUCTION TOTHE ISSUE

The Rapid Prototyping of Application Specific Signal Processors (RASSP ) program is a multi-year DARPA/Tri-Service initiative intended to dra matically improve the process by which complex digital systems, partic ularly embedded digital signal processors, are designed, manufactured, upgraded, and supported. This paper reviews the genesis of the RASSP program, considering both the problems that defined the need for the p rogram, and the historical conditions under which it began. The RASSP program is then presented from two viewpoints. The first is programmat ic, covering the goals and constraints of the program, and describing the roles of the various program participants. The second is technical , covering the major concepts upon which the developing RASSP approach to design is based and showing how the detailed technical discussions contained in the other papers in this issue of the Journal of VLSI Si gnal Processing relate to one another and fit into an overall developm ent concept. The paper closes with a review of the status of the progr am as of this writing (Summer 1996).