An OpenMP-based circuit design tool: Customizable bit-width

As transistor density grows, increasingly complex hardware designs may be implemented. In order to manage this complexity, hardware design can be performed at a higher level of abstraction. High level synthesis enables the automatic conversion of algorithms into hardware implementations, abstracting away the underlying complexities of hardware from the designer. A number of high level synthesis tools have recently been developed, including an OpenMP to HandelC translator. Improvements to the translator, including a new compiler directive allowing customizable register width, are described. Using a set of benchmark tests, the OpenMP to HandelC translator is evaluated on several criteria, with the goal of evaluating the variable bit-width effects and identifying further areas for improvement.