A Strategy for Real-Time Kernel Support in ApplicationSpecific HW/SW Embedded Architectures

Heterogeneous embedded multiprocessor architectures are becom-ing more prominent as a key design solution to today’s microelec-tronics design problems. These application-specific architectures in-tegrate multiple software programmable processors and dedicated hardwarecomponents togetheron to a single cost-efficient IC. In con-trast to general-purpose computer systems, embedded systems are designed and optimized to provide specific functionality, using pos-sibly a combination of different classes of processors (e.g. DSPs, mi-crocontrollers) from different vendors. While these customized het-erogeneous multiprocessor architectures offer designers new possi-bilities to tradeoff programmability, processing performance, power dissipation, and design turnaround time, there is currently a lack of tools to support the programming of these architectures. In this pa-per, we consider the problem of providing real-time kernel suppor