ADL-driven Exploration of
Programmable Embedded System Architectures
Nikil Dutt: School of Information and Computer Sciences,
University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-3425, USA. (TEL) +1-949-824-7219 (FAX)
+1-949-824-7219 (E-Mail) dutt@ics.uci.edu
(URL) http://www.ics.uci.edu/~dutt
Abstract
Advances in System-on-Chip
(SOC) technology make it possible to utilize customizable embedded processor cores, together
with a variety of novel
on-chip/off-chip memory hierarchies, allowing customization of SOC architectures for specific
embedded applications and tasks. System
architects thus critically need a methodology that allows them to explore
programmable architectural alternatives, comparatively evaluate candidate architectures,
and complete the entire
design flow, including both the hardware and software concurrently. Furthermore, the methodology must
address validation and
verification issues up front, so that the entire design flow can be reliably completed
within the desired schedule and budget.
This talk presents a
methodology for architectural exploration of programmable embedded systems using an
Architecture Description Language (ADL) formalism.
Using this ADL-based approach, system designers can explore
alternatives, rapidly generate the entire software toolchain (including compilers,
simulators, and debuggers) and can use the ADL description as a golden reference model
against which the ensuing
design implementations can be validated and verified. The talk will present
some case studies undertaken with the EXPRESSION ADL developed at UC Irvine, and will
conclude with a
summary of future directions.
Short
Biography
Nikil D. Dutt: Nikil D. Dutt received a B.E.(Hons) in Mechanical Engineering from the
Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India in 1980, an M.S. in
Computer Science from the Pennsylvania State University in 1983, and a Ph.D. in
Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1989.
He is currently Professor of CS and EECS at the University of California,
Irvine and is also affiliated with the following Centers at UCI: Center for
Embedded Computer Systems (CECS), California Institute for Telecommunications
and Information Technology (Cal-(IT)2), and the Center for Pervasive
Communications and Computing (CPCC).
His research
interests are in embedded systems design automation, computer architecture,
optimizing compilers, system specification techniques, and distributed embedded
systems. He is a coauthor of five books: "High-Level Synthesis:
Introduction to Chip and System Design", Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1992,
"Memory Issues in Embedded Systems-on-Chip: Optimizations and
Exploration", Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1999, "Memory Architecture
Exploration for Programmable Embedded Systems", Kluwer Academic Publishers,
2003, "SPARK: A Parallelizing Apporach to the High-Level Synthesis of
Digital Circuits", Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004, and "Functional
Validation of Programmable Embedded Architectures: A Top-Down Approach",
Springer-Verlag, 2005.
He received
best paper awards at CHDL89, CHDL91, VLSIDesign2003 and CODES+ISSS 2003.
Professor Dutt currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on
Design Automation of Electronic Systems (TODAES) and as Associate Editor of ACM
Transactions on Embedded Computer Systems (TECS). He was an ACM SIGDA
Distinguished Lecturer during 2001-2002, and is currently an IEEE Computer
Society Distinguished Visitor for 2003-2005.
He has served on the steering, organizing, and
program committees of several premier CAD and Embedded System Design
conferences and workshops, including ASPDAC, DATE, ICCAD, CODES+ISSS, CASES,
ISLPED and LCTES. He is a senior member of the IEEE, serves on the advisory
boards of ACM SIGBED and ACM SIGDA, and is Vice-Chair of IFIP WG 10.5.