A New Framework for Design and Simulation of Complex Hardware/Software Systems

The growing complexity of digital systems and the increase of available silicon area are drawing attention on the problem of how to fill the productivity gap. Many initiatives are possible, ranging from raising the abstraction level, to mixing solutions targeted to the hardware and software domains. This paper proposes a design approach that raises the abstraction level, maintaining a tight link with the hardware and software domains, through the use of highly parametric, technology independent and easily modifiable hardware and software cores. Key features of the methodology are the exploration of the solution space, carried out to identify not only a hardware/software partitioning but also a finer tuning of alternative implementations in both the domains, and the back-annotations that enrich the description model and allow for faster design-loops and for a closer control on the underlying architecture. As a case study the paper describes the implementation of one physical layer of the 802.16-2004 protocol (WiMax) evaluating different hardware/software solutions.