A system level HW/SW partitioning and optimization tool

This paper presents a system level HW/SW partitioning methodology and its implementation as CAD tool for the optimization of heterogeneous multiprocessor systems. Starting from modelling of the signal processing scheme and of the available processor resources, performance and expense measures are estimated for a finite set of processor modules. Based on these measurements, a numerical optimization can be carried out by using mixed integer linear programming as mathematical framework, leading to a heterogeneous system, which is optimal in terms of area expense and throughput rate