Automating the design of computer systems

A hierarchical select-and-interconnect methodology for system-level design is described. It extends the flexibility of previous approaches by allowing dynamic subproblem ordering, which is essential for this domain. The design model of M1, a knowledge-based system that implements this approach for small computer systems, is presented. M1´s design space covers five microprocessor families, and it has generated hundreds of designs, three of which were built. A set of experiments showing that M1 can be used successfully to design in this complex domain and provides a substantial increase in designer productivity is described