Process versions in rapid prototyping

Rapid prototyping in general requires the mapping of a system model to a hardware architecture which is different from the design target architecture. To take into account easier function reuse or late specification changes both system designs should be developed in parallel. Different architectures, however require different process adaptations and high-level optimizations. Therefore, several versions of process structures and high-level optimizations must be provided for the different architectures and component alternatives. In previous approaches, only one input version can be used which enforces design iterations over different versions of the input description. The main focus of the paper is to show the necessity for introducing design versions of the process structure in rapid prototyping. The user predefines possible versions of the process structure, high-level optimizations, and process segment granularity. These versions shall be used in a system scheduling and allocation process. Furthermore, a suitable design environment is introduced