An overview of hardware/software codesign

The problem of allocating system function into hardware and software components is one that critically affects the ultimate cost, performance, functionality, manufacturability, and evolution of the system. The fundamental issues and some proposed approaches to this problem are discussed. It is not only important that the initial partitioning into hardware and software be made properly, but also that the ensuing system development proceed along lines that benefit from an integration of the hardware and software perspectives. The greatest interest in the hardware/software codesign arena has been on efforts to bring hardware and software together at an earlier or more upstream phase of the design process