SystemC-based electronic system level design methodology for SoC design-space exploration

Abstract

The trend today is to apply embedded systems based on Systemon- Chip (SoC) in the design of electronic systems. Such SoC solutions typically consist of embedded processor(s), embedded memories, hardware accelerators (or IP cores), high-speed communication interfaces and reconfigurable logic. Consequently, the development of these electronic systems has become increasingly complex, as they impose more severe demands (such as lower cost, higher performance, product quality, security, and time-to-market). In addition, as Moore?s Law drives further the capabilities of digital hardware, there is a demand for greater number of functionalities to be conceived in a more constrained design space (Camposano, 1997).