Software-to-hardware conversion: automating the process

Design automation has become an increasingly important link in the development of integrated circuits. CAD/CAE systems have enabled designers to reduce the overall project time, errors and thereby cost. The automation has been limited to development tools capable of emulating hardware, synthesizing the appropriate structures and performing the layout of these structures and routing the interconnections. Generally each tool operates independently while generating outputs that are not readily useable by other CAD tools. The development of a process by which a design team may convert software to a hardware platform would enhance the available automated CAD/CAE tools. The development of such an automated design process is proposed and will be verified by converting a standard algorithm for voice coding from software to hardware. Several main features of this proposal will be the ability of the designer to perform an accurate feasibility study of the power and area requirements of the algorithm once implemented in hardware. The performance of the algorithm under the restriction of hardware will also be verified before commitment to silicon