Embedded Software in Real-Time Signal Processing Systems: Design Technologies

The increasing use of embedded software, often implemented on a core processor in a single-chip system, is a clear trend in the telecommunications, multi-media and consumer electronics industry. A companion paper in this issue [1] presents a survey of application and architecture trends for embedded systems in these growth markets. However, the lack of suitable design technology remains a significant obstacle in the development of such systems. One of the key requirements is more efficient software compilation technology. Especially in the case of fixed-point DSP cores, it is often cited that commercially available compilers are unable to take full advantage of the architectural features of the processor. Moreover, due to the shorter lifetimes and the architectural specialisation of many processor cores, processor designers are often compelled to neglect the issue of compiler support. This situation has resulted in an increased research activity in the area of design tool support for e..