Co-Design is the set of emerging techniques which allows for the
simultaneous design of Hardware and Software. In many cases where the
application is very demanding in terms of various performances (time,
surface, power consumption), trade-offs between dedicated hardware and
dedicated software are becoming increasingly difficult to decide upon in
the early stages of a design. Verification techniques - such as
simulation or proof techniques - that have proven necessary in the
hardware design must be dramatically adapted to the simultaneous
verification of Software and Hardware.
Describing the latest tools available for both Co-Design and
Co-Verification of systems, Hardware/Software Co-Design and
Co-Verification offers a complete look at this evolving set of
procedures for CAD environments. The book considers all trade-offs that
have to be made when co-designing a system. Several models are presented
for determining the optimum solution to any co-design problem, including
partitioning, architecture synthesis and code generation.
When deciding on trade-offs, one of the main factors to be considered is
the flow of communication, especially to and from the outside world.
This involves the modeling of communication protocols. An approach to
the synthesis of interface circuits in the context of co-design is
presented.
Other chapters present a co-design oriented flexible component data-base
and retrieval methods; a case study of an ethernet bridge, designed
using LOTOS and co-design methodologies and finally a programmable user
interface based on monitors.
Hardware/Software Co-Design and Co-Verification will help designers
and researchers to understand these latest techniques in system design
and as such will be of interest to all involved in embedded system
design.
