HARDWARE SOFTWARE COMMUNICATION AND SYSTEM INTEGRATION FOR EMBEDDED ARCHITECTURES/

Embedded system architectures comprising of software programmable comp onents (e.g. DSP, ASIP, and micro-controller cores) and customized har dware co-processors, integrated into a single cost-efficient VLSI chip , are emerging as a key solution to today's microelectronics design pr oblems. This trend Ls being driven by new emerging applications in the areas of wireless communication, high-speed optical networking, and m ultimedia computing, fueled by increasing levels of integration. These applications are often subject to stringent requirements in terms of processing performance, power dissipation, and flexibility. A key prob lem confronted by embedded system designers today is the rapid prototy ping of an application-specific embedded system architecture where dif ferent combinations of programmable processor components, library hard ware components, and customized hardware components must be integrated together, while ensuring that the hardware and software parts communi cate correctly. Designers often spend an enormous time on this highly error proned task. In this paper, we present a solution to this embedd ed architecture co-synthesis and system integration problem based on a n orchestrated combination of architectural strategies, parameterized libraries, and software CAD tools.